Crosses and Overhands?

All right, I know this may seem like a silly question, but I have a question as to what is best to throw against opponents of varying heights with the right hand.

Now I know the typical punch you hear about all the time is the Cross, throwing the Cross in the 1-2, throwing the Cross in the 1-2-3, etc. When I used to spar, I always faced shorter opponents, and the Cross was an easy punch for me to throw and land because of the angle and the height of my opponent.

However, when I faced taller opponents on a rare occasion, that Cross rarely landed and it took a lot of the power out of the punch throwing it "up". I know you should throw the Overhand Right against tall opponents because they never see it coming.

So I know for shorter opponents, you should throw the Cross, and for taller opponents, you should throw the Overhand Right. But what should you throw for people around your own height? Your thoughts?

Hi BD,
Regardless of height differences, generally speaking, crosses are directed "down-the-middle" in between an opponent's hands/guard while overhands go-over-the-top of an opponent's arms in a convex-arc. If you associate each punch in this "specific tool function" kind of way, it helps to clarify the why's of when to use a particular punch. Continuing along this line of thought to make the point clearer, hooks go around an opponent's arms while uppercuts come up-from-under between an opponent's arms.

With the aforementioned said, keep in mind that these are general categorizations for each punch to clarify function and usage. Each punch can deviate from the "base" purpose and be used in varying, adaptive ways. For example, you can throw an overhand in between an opponent's guard, a cross over an opponent's arm and a hook in between an opponent's arms. It just depends on the moment-by-moment flow in the chaos of battle.

By the way, your question was NOT a silly one. Anyway, I hope this helps to resolve your quandary.

Take Care,
Lito

It aslo helps to slip in to your punch