In a method and an apparatus for reducing the cutting impact in a hydraulically-driven precision blanking press, the force necessary to reduce the cutting impact as a counterforce is generated directly in the pressure chamber of the drive piston such that the counterforce acts directly on the cutting punch and so that the design of the press can be simplified, costs can be reduced, no additional external hydraulic-mechanical means for reducing the cutting impact are needed, and so that the loads on the press and the die can be reduced.