Pad Work

I watch a lot of coaches feed targets to students and fighters, giving them preset combinations to execute or drills. All of the above is great. But, how do you prepare for a fight? I see experienced professionals having combinations called out and set combinations being the norm in pad work. Some of the pad work has to be "alive". What I mean by that is that you have to be throw your own combinations and work without patterns. Opponents are predictable in that everybody gives something away. If you watch them for a while you will pick up on patterns and certain things that telegraph what's coming. I study body language  and the rhythm of technique delivery. When I hit pads, I get with a regular training partner who is used to holding the pads for free style pad work. If I do something really weird, I give him a heads up as a I do it. I don't want to create habits that can be picked up on by an opponent. Like Bruce Lee said, "You must be formless".