Ask Anne: What is a Haymaker in Boxing?

By Anne “The Boxologist” Whitlock

A haymaker is a wild swinging punch thrown with all of the person’s weight behind it in an attempt to knockout the other person. You usually see haymakers in street fighting or in the movies. Haymakers are also used in boxing as a last resort. They deliver enough force to break a man’s jaw. The term first appeared in 1912, perhaps from the 1880 “hit the hay” or “go to sleep”.