Stance/Dominant Eye Question

[s54m5]

Thanks for the info. I am actually pretty comfortable fighting in southpaw stance... As comfortable as fighting orthodox, but what worries me is that if I do fight southpaw; I would have no power in my left crosses or left hooks? Pretty much it would seem as my left hand would be somewhat useless. I mean, I can try to train my left arm more than the right, but to get it to the speed/power of my right arm would be extremely difficult. Any advice?

[Howlin Mad Missy]

strength/power/speed can be trained up.

I traded hand speed when in SP over 'natual' power when orthodox.

I've yet to try out any of the tests but they do sound very interesting.

[HerbM]

Everything Howlin Mad Missysaid: You can train speed and power -- and need to do that anyway for your left hand. After all it is pretty much a truism in boxing that you most important punch is your (lead hand) JAB, and you are going to want all the speed and power you can get into that hand.

This is especially true of the jab hand since it doesn't get the same level of help from your spine, hips, and legs as does the "power hand". Power hand is really a misnomer for most people -- it isn't necessarily stronger, but rather positioned to better use your core and leg strength to deliver all that power THROUGH the rear hand.

BTW: My lead left arm/shoulder is actually LARGER than my rear 'power' side -- in doing combinations on the heavy bag or shadow boxing etc, that lead hand is pumping out 2-4 jabs for every straight power punch and it usually throws more hooks by about 3 to 2 or more. After all it's closer and faster to hit your opponent with that near hand.

When I first started (six months ago) I had a HARD time going a full round on the heavy bag IF I was going to hit combinations of 2-4 jabs for every straight right -- 2 wasn't bad, 3 was tough, but 4 fast lefts would just kill me pretty quick. Now I frequently go 5-6 jabs just to be moving around the bag quickly (Coach says to jab only while moving, hit with the right when you stop.)

I would really like to train BOTH sides (almost equally) to switch as I am pretty much ambidextrous for punching and footwork, but if I do that Coach yells and make me do extra pushups. <grin>

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HerbM

[Gray Lion]

I found this an interesting, but confused question (since I have no idea of the stance you use). I brought it up in conversation with some other fighters and coaches at a dinner (Yeah, that's all we like to talk about, so our wives encourage us to get out away from them). The consensus was that in the proper stance and head position, it should not make that much difference. If it does however, then the suggestions ranged from slight move of the position of the head, to adjusting the stance. In short, no one could give a definate answer without being there to physically see your stance, your punch, and how you move. I guess the best course is to have your coach give you an evaluation. Changing from a right hand hitter to a southpaw is a radical move that might not be the best for you.

[rowza]

Im Left Eye Dominint Im a southpaw Never had any problems I can fight Orthdox but dont like Using my strongest hand as a jab. Im left handerd thats why im southpaw nothing to do with the domint eye i dont think. I feel it more to do what you feel comphy as

[Andre]

Thats what the thumb in the glove is for.

[HerbM]

Im Left Eye Dominint Im a southpaw Never had any problems I can fight Orthdox but dont like Using my strongest hand as a jab. Im left handerd thats why im southpaw nothing to do with the domint eye i dont think. I feel it more to do what you feel comphy as

I think that comfort idea may be the real deciding issue -- if you feel more awkward on one side it probably isn't a good choice.

I feel differently about "strongest hand as jab" and actually like doing that (if I were deciding again) as I mentioned above. Your rear-power hand receives a LOT more help from your body and legs, and you will use your front-jab hand 2-3 times (or more) for every rear hand punch.

Using your best hand for that seems to make sense, but I am working from logic (not experience) and have no real evidence that this is correct.

I actually made this conscious decision when training for knife defense -- i.e., to hold my own knife in the Left/Jab hand and generally use a right hand boxer's stance.

Difference in knife work is that ANY decent hit can do damage or win a fight (i.e., stop a criminal attack) and you 'other hand' isn't nearly as much use (there's checking, blocking, defense etc but the second hand is a small assist compared to boxing.)

I still believe that anyone who CAN COMFORTABLE start out left handed should -- since it is generally thought a left-hander has an advantage over a right-hander (all else being equal). Another reason I went to left hand for knife -- I practice this constantly (as Southpaw boxers do) so I have an experience advantage when facing a 'right-hander' who doesn't know the intracies of the mirror image position as well.

Note: When left meets right, they technically have EXACTLY the same advantages and disadvantages due to the position, the difference comes with this experience and familiarity, e.g., knowing more tricks and seeing the relationships better.

If I had it to do over I would probably start out left handed. Of course, that would screw up my training for using a knife left handed.

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HerbM

[Howlin Mad Missy]

I found this an interesting, but confused question (since I have no idea of the stance you use). I brought it up in conversation with some other fighters and coaches at a dinner (Yeah, that's all we like to talk about, so our wives encourage us to get out away from them). The consensus was that in the proper stance and head position, it should not make that much difference. If it does however, then the suggestions ranged from slight move of the position of the head, to adjusting the stance. In short, no one could give a definate answer without being there to physically see your stance, your punch, and how you move. I guess the best course is to have your coach give you an evaluation. Changing from a right hand hitter to a southpaw is a radical move that might not be the best for you.

If only they all knew what they were doing Scrap would be out of a job!

[Scrap]

Missy its all in the eyes, the dominant one.

[WayneFlint]

From personal experience i would say if your left eye dominant your better off fighting orthadox, when i started out boxing i used to fight from a very side on stance a bit too side on as ive come to learn through my time boxing, but at the time it worked well for me, i could use a shoulder roll quite often to get out of the way and i felt i could see punches coming from all angles quite well despite the fact that sometimes my right eye (non dominant eye) couldnt actually see my opponent all the time which i have only just realised, even now if i find myself or my opponent in a position where my dominant eye is the only eye that can really see whats going on i feel a lot more comfortable that i can see what my opponent is doing a lot better than i do if they where say to my right with my dominant eye in a position where it cant fully see my opponent, i havent found any scientific proof of this, but this is just what i feel is true atleast in my case and even before i learnt about eye dominance and cross dominance i always felt this was the case, its just now as im beggining to understand how the eyes work that ive come to think maybe this is why i adopted and felt safest in that sort of stance due to being left eye dominant, despite the fact that people said i was turning my head too much, i could still see fully what my opponent was doing and felt comfortable doing that, whereas to do so on the opposite side with my right (non dominant eye) i dont feel as comfortable and feel i cant pick up on movements as quick as i can with my dominant eye. has anyone else had similair experiences with this or is it just me? i would really like to know because there doesnt seem to be much study on this sort of subject available online and maybe through the experience of others i might find out if anyone feels the same way?