How To Throw a Punchline

Throwing a punchline for a joke is quite analogous to throwing a punch in a fight. Throwing physical punches require:

*FOCUS
A few well placed punchlines have more of an impact than a many soft, random ones. Imagine a boxer hitting you once in the gut versus a little kid punching you a lot in the arm. One has you rolling on the floor gasping for breath; the other is just annoying. The similar is true of something really funny.

*PROPER STANCE/BALANCE
Just as a fighter should always strive for balance, so should an improvisor always strive to balance their jokes with other elements of good storytelling: intelligence, emotions, story arc, timing, etc. A fighter and comedian with poor balance are both weak.

*SPEED
Don't waste the audience's time WAITING for them to laugh! Unless it's the final punch that ends everything, you have one of two choices after you deliver a punch: deliver another immediately (adding more wit in some kind of comedy punchline combo), or regain your balance by immediately refocusing on other elements of good storytelling.

*& COMMITMENT
In combat, a punch should come from the whole body. Martial arts teach us that the energy of a punch begins in the feet & legs, and the intended force is channeled through the body until it flows to the intended target. Similarly, the force of a punchline should be channeled from the energy that surrounds and feeds it, regardless if it an emotional, physical, or intellectual energy.

How do you recognize a bad punchline? How do you know if your punchline lacks commitment? It's when you-- yourself--throw it away... by adding an apology. Was the joke followed by an actual apology, or explanation or an "anyway" or "whatever" or a "nevermind." The audience unconsciously thinks: "If we're not supposed to care about it, why did you bring it up?"

Remember: Strength without good form is wasted energy--in both comedy and martial arts.