Some comments posted on another thread promted me to point this out.
1. The shoulder roll isn't just when a fighter blocks a punch with his shoulder. It's the whole defensives style of being able to stand close to your opponent and roll back and forth to keep from being hit.
2. The shoulder roll isn't not just for defending the straight righthand. It is design to protect the fighter from any punch. Yes you can block the right hand with the shoulder. Then if a guy follows the righthand with a lefthook than you roll the other way and block it with the right fore arm or glove. You can keep the left arm down infront of the body to protect against bodyshots.
3. You don't have to be on the ropes to Shoulder roll.
4. NO the shoulder roll isn't as effective against southpaws but it's not completely useless. Lead righthooks and and jabs can still be picked off with the shoulder. The reason it appears that the should roll doesn't work is because fighters aren't use to using it against them. Most fighters have trouble ajusting their techniques to southpaws. Doesn't mean their techniques don't work on southpaws but there not use to seeing southpaws. The shouldroll is no different. It works just not as good.
