Feel stupid stood there punching thin air. What is the purpose of shadow boxing, and what are you meant to do?
You NEED to feel comfortable with yourself and your stance. To find your flow, to feel your balance. Shadowboxing is something basic, you have to do it everyday. Do it in front of a mirror if you can, so that you can see your mistakes and correct them. It is a bit weird and you feel a bit stupid when you begin to shadowbox, I remember that feeling, but shadowboxing is really important. Punching the air will help you to find your balance faster too, since nothing will stop you from launching yourself after your punches and your flaws will be more evident. In boxing not everything is about power and speed, it is a lot about technique and intelligence. Shadowbox will help you to practice your footwork, your balance, your stance, your head movements, your weight distribution attacking and defending, everything... I repeat that I can remember how idiot I felt the first time I shadowboxed in front of the entire gym, but dont worry about it, it is just a feeling, not for real, just shadowbox and concentrate in your technique. If you are just starting with boxing, concentrate specially in your hips, your jab and your stance and keep your chin next to your chest/shoulders. Dont forget to fully extend your arms when hitting. You need to forget how you move now, and to learn a whole new way of moving and doing things, shadowboxing will help you a lot to achive that.
I'm not surprised you feel stupid just flailing around. There's a difference between "punching thin air" and shadow boxing. What has your coach told you to do?
you have to think of it as you are in fact fighting your not just practicing technique and your not just throwing punches at the air. would you care what you looked like when your actually fighting? I think not.
Shadow boxing is to get used to throwing combinations, moving around the ring, and mainly warming up. It is the next best thing to working on skill compared to sparring. You're not mean't to go 100% unless it is for only one round because you will tire yourself out and have a bad workout on the heavy bag, speed bag, etc. Don't commit to punches because you will wear down your joints. If you want to "excite" yourself during this just imagine you are fighting a person you really hate.
Fighting an imaginary opponent, using the style you've been training to fight with. It took quite a bit of practice and sparring till this started to make more sense.
When you are starting and have no style and no experience it is hard to fight a fight in you head. Get in front of the mirror land move.Watch to keep your feet right. Throw punches and make sure your hips and shoulders are turning, your hands are up. As you learn more your routine evolves.
Shadow boxing is THE MOST IMPORTANT exercise in boxing. There have been fighters who didn't use the heavy bag. There have been fighters who didn't use the speed bag. There have been fighters who didn't use the double end bag. Some pros have done camps with no sparring and won their fights. However, I dont think ANY boxer from the first olympics at greece to now has ever not shadow boxed. If you find it boring, try getting a video of yourself, watch it. Then compare it to some of the top level talents on youtube. Then refine it until your technique is as crisp as theirs. It will take a long time. You will improve though.
Shadowboxing is the soul of boxing! I quit early because I couldn't handle the getting punched in the brain part of boxing. But shadowboxing has been with me ever since. Shadowboxing lets you work on crazy combinations, footwork that no opponent could keep up with, perfecting hair-triggered slipping and countering. And it always works! You're always a winner! You're always the champion of your own living room, whilst not just watching the fights on TV but savouring them in your tighty-whities!
It's really not about what you like or don't like or how you feel. It's about whether you really want to do this or not. If you really want to do it, you do what is required. And shadow boxing is part of it.
