Alright, so I spent some time today trying out the good ol’ ‘Stockton Slap’. You see guys like the Diaz brothers throw it, and it looks kinda wild, you know? Not your typical boxing punch. I figured, why not give it a whirl myself, see what it actually feels like.
Getting Started
First thing, I needed some space. Didn’t want to knock anything over. Headed out to the garage where I’ve got a bit of room. Didn’t really have a plan, just wanted to copy what I saw. Stood there for a second, feeling a bit stupid, honestly. Like, okay, now what?
I just started throwing my hand out, open palm. Man, it felt awkward at first. Completely different from making a fist. My arm felt kinda loose and uncontrolled. First few attempts were probably comical, just waving my hand around.
Trying to Figure it Out
Okay, so just flailing wasn’t working. I remembered watching them – it wasn’t just a limp hand. There’s a swing to it, comes from the shoulder, maybe the hip too? I tried to loosen up my arm more, let it swing kinda freely. Focused on keeping the hand open right through.
Did it again and again.
- Tried swinging wider.
- Tried snapping it more at the end.
- Tried putting a little body turn into it.
- Switched hands – left felt even weirder than the right.
It’s strange, you’re not aiming to land with power like a punch. It feels more like you’re trying to whip the hand across the target. I started aiming at the air in front of me, trying to get that snap sound people talk about. Got it a few times, sort of a ‘thwack’.
The Repetition Part
Spent maybe 15-20 minutes just doing this. Left hand, right hand, moving around a bit like shadow boxing, but just throwing slaps. It’s definitely tiring in a different way. Not like hitting a heavy bag, but my shoulder felt it after a while from the weird swinging motion.
I noticed I had to consciously keep my hand open. Muscle memory wants to make a fist when you throw something like that with intent. Had to keep reminding myself: open hand, loose arm, quick snap.
Final Thoughts on the Session
So, what did I learn? It feels weird to throw. Seriously unnatural compared to standard punches. It’s flashy, for sure. I can kinda see how it might catch someone off guard because it’s not a typical attack they’d expect. Does it generate knockout power? Nah, probably not the way I was doing it, felt more annoying than damaging.
It was a fun little experiment, though. Good to try different movements, understand how they feel in your own body. Will I be throwing Stockton Slaps in a real situation? Hell no. But it was interesting to break down and practice something you see the pros do. Gives you a bit more appreciation for how they make unconventional stuff work.
