How Do You Fight Against A Southpaw ??

[ICB]

Well i was just having a debate and i thought i would start this topic on how you fight against Lefty's. Me Personally i always circle clockwise so i can stay away from the left hand, which is a southpaws best punch obviously. I also step outside a southpaws lead leg, so i can force him to move to my right *his left* so it is against his natural power, and i can also set up my straight right hand which is the best weapon to use against a southpaw.

Thats just a few ways how i fight a southpaw i will share some more thoughts with you guys later looking forward to your posts.

[Trainer Monkey]

Go counter clockwise and press the power hand,if you you go clockwise your leaving the power hand free to drop bombs while really only taking out the jab hand

[donnydarkoIRL]

I find circling a waste of time.
Circle predominantly to one side and sooner or later you'll become predictable and an easy target.
Get hold of mid ring and jab. Against a southpaw the jab may not score. However, it will draw a reaction and force him to move. Make him circle and don't always be the first to initiate hostilities.

[ICB]

Go counter clockwise and press the power hand,if you you go clockwise your leaving the power hand free to drop bombs while really only taking out the jab hand

Really ?? thats interesting Monkey i do spar with a few southpaws i'll try that out next time thanks.

I find circling a waste of time.
Circle predominantly to one side and sooner or later you'll become predictable and an easy target.
Get hold of mid ring and jab. Against a southpaw the jab may not score. However, it will draw a reaction and force him to move. Make him circle and don't always be the first to initiate hostilities.

The Southpaw jab gives me a few problems Donny when i stand in the middle of the ring. Thats why i like to circle, any tips on how to deal with the Southpaw jab fellas ??

[Trainer Monkey]

Remember when you circle to their power,the cross is your best friend. Grey and I have had this discussion,and we both agree(except for his contention that all southpaws should be drowned at birth)that thats how you do it

[donnydarkoIRL]

Go counter clockwise and press the power hand,if you you go clockwise your leaving the power hand free to drop bombs while really only taking out the jab hand

Really ?? thats interesting Monkey i do spar with a few southpaws i'll try that out next time thanks.

I find circling a waste of time.
Circle predominantly to one side and sooner or later you'll become predictable and an easy target.
Get hold of mid ring and jab. Against a southpaw the jab may not score. However, it will draw a reaction and force him to move. Make him circle and don't always be the first to initiate hostilities.

The Southpaw jab gives me a few problems Donny when i stand in the middle of the ring. Thats why i like to circle, any tips on how to deal with the Southpaw jab fellas ??

It is irratating.
I think most guys approach fighting a southpaw thinking that he's going to be a better technical and countering guy. I think that a mistake.
Approach the ring believing he has to meet you and turn the tables by using your jab. It works in reverse too, he'll find your jab awkward so fire it and bang him on the shoulders if you wish to turn him or force a reaction.

[ThomasTabin]

For me, (I'm a normal guy, orthodox) fighting a southpaw is less complex than fighting orthodox. This is because there are less possible counters and less variables. One of the reasons for that is because you're farther away from a southpaw than you would normally be from an orthodox fighter. You will notice this when you try to jab.

Because we are far apart the two punches that are most common whenever a southpaw and an orthodox fighter fight each are the jab and the straight right/left. These are distance punches unlike the hook and the uppercut. Some guys like to leap in with uppercuts and things like that. But still, ultimately the punching exchanges are limited to a jab and a straight right/left so long as both of you are at a distance.

My objective from this point is simple. Stop his jab. Stop his straight left. If I cant do these things I simply won't win and I'll take a few lumps on my way to that.


So the question becomes what can I do to stop his jab and what can I do to stop his straight left. Well the first thing I want to do is circle away from him. This increases the already large gap between us. Therefore he must commit heavily in order to get his punches anywhere near me. If he doesnt he will always be just out of range and his punches wont land at all. Therefore in order to land his punches he must commit a lot to his punches. This makes it easier for me to counter him.

Another effect of circling is that I limit his ability to throw most of his punching arsenal. It keeps him from being able to stand and run combinations on me since he has no stationary target that will let him throw anything more than 1 or 2 punches. So just by doing this I reduce him down to a very predictable 1 or 2 punch fighter.


Now as for how to actually stop his jabs and straight lefts (the only punches I let him have) I do something I guess not everyone will be comfortable with. If you watch Toney/Jirov or Hopkins/Wright thats exactly how I stand with a southpaw. Very slanted and almost leaning away. At this slant I lean down and away from his jabs (exactly in the same way Toney stops Jirov's jabs and Hopkins stopped Winky's jab). Essentially it is the same movement as "shouler-rolling" the right cross of an orthodox opponent, except that you are rolling the right jab of the southpaw. Its very effective.

In regards to stopping a straight left it is probably the most important factor of all when it comes to fighting a southpaw. How will you stop that straight left. I just block it on on my right arm. To do this though a turn slightly into it to fully absorb it in the same way I would turn while blocking an orhotodox fighter's left hook. This movement takes some of the sting off the punch.



Now if you watch Whitaker/Chavez you will notice the same strategy. Except Whitaker (the southpaw) was the one using it! He circles away and reduces Chavez down to a measly jab and a reaching right hand. Whitaker does well and in avoiding his jab and right hand and is hit with virtually nothing through the course of the fight.

[greynotsoold]

The first time I sparred a southpaw everybody told me to make sure I saw the punches coming, and to be careful because his style would "hypnotize" me. Well, I saw his first jab coming, right up until it hit my nose. The second one did the same and my nose began to bleed. Then he hit me with a left and at that point I had seen every punch coming and he had me hypnotized. I began to slide to my right, away from that damned jab, and into his left. He threw the left and I got under it and put a right upper-cut into his body. I found that I could avoid that damned jab breaking my pattern and could, instead, bring my jab up from under and disrupt him. I could hook off his left hand and, at that time, my hook was my best punch. And I could get under his left hand and work him with right uppercuts. That is a VITAL punch against southpaws and nobody ever mentions it. Watch most pre-1998 Hopkins vs a southpaw fight and the uppercut is prevalent. Especially the Lipsey fight.
In my mind, circling to your left (getting your left foot outside his right) has a purpose and that is to control his movement. From there you can hook to his body and throw a straight right. From the other position- your foot inside his- you have room for a short hook to the body or head, the right uppercut to body or head, and off a slip, the right to the head.

[donnydarkoIRL]

CoolClick Thomas, that was brilliant.

[StrictlySP]

Hi Gents,
Well, I'm a proud southpaw...

Since all you conventional guys have been delineating how to beat us lefties, I'll switch perspectives and share some effective tactics I used to own righties...

Here are some tactics I successfully used against orthodox fighters:
1) Jabbing off of 45-degree angled counter-clockwise "circling" steps.
2) Leading straight lefts to the head (potshotted or off of a right jab feint). I would often open up my combos with this shot instead of a jab.
3) Right hooks to the head or body off of feinted straight lefts to the head or body.
4) Right hooks to the head off of a right jab to the body.
5) Right hook-straight left (in any combination to the head and body).
6) Straight left-right hook (in any combination to the head and body).

Switch things around, adapting them for orthodox usage, and you might have some stuff to use against us too...

Another tactic that comes to mind that was successful for me was countering a left jab with my right hook or, unorthodoxly, a right overhand shot.

As you can see, the right hook and straight left were the two most potent punches for me against orthodox fighters. Conversely, the two punches that bothered me most from orthodox fighters were the left hook and right uppercut.

On another note, Thomas you wrote:

fighting a southpaw is less complex than fighting orthodox. This is because there are less possible counters and less variables.

On paper, this and many other things may be true, but often, reality proves otherwise. Generally speaking, southpaw fighters have always and will continue to perplex orthodox fighters.

In regards to "variables" of any way, shape, or form, the "human" condition is a very interesting thing which has altered theory after theory in more ways than one time after time. We are a fascinating species to say the least. With that said, it's good to have "blueprints" to extrapolate from.

Anyway, there are finite skills and tactics in boxing (any sport for that matter); but what separates the winners from the losers, the champions from the journeymen? There are various attributes of importance such as superior conditioning (both mental and physical), power, speed, accuracy, rhythm, etc, etc; but the primary attributes that separate the "good" fighters from the "bad" ones are timing, footwork, and distancing/spatial relationship. It doesn't matter if you're fighting someone in matched or unmatched leads, if you have superior timing, footwork, and distancing/spatial relationship skills than your opponent, you'll win more often than not.

Take Care,
Lito

[Walker Smith Jr.]

2) Leading straight lefts to the head (potshotted or off of a right jab feint). I would often open up my combos with this shot instead of a jab.

The Reverse 1-2.

Lead straight right + Straight left jab. This orthodox guy used to throw this at me in sparring and itd land pretty often. The lead straight right backs you up or puts you on the defense, while the winded up jab follows up with quite a jolt.

[Andre]

Go counter clockwise and press the power hand,if you you go clockwise your leaving the power hand free to drop bombs while really only taking out the jab hand

Thats great I love that approach,
you do mean check and block or choke out that rear arm of his as you go inside, dont you?
When you say press the power hand?
I like it cause it leaves your power hand ripping up under and to the inside of his lead arm, so your in there one up already and its his move around you being set.

On another note ; Im all for learning the pros and cons of going each way though, cause some fighters fight like they are one handed anyway, some belt holders have in the past too, little Vic Darchinian is the latest that comes to mind.
There was a guy from the states who I think was a light weight a few years ago,blue black tatoos all over him and he was loved by his own state of supporters more than the rest of the boxing fans.
I forget his name (I'll rember as soon as I go to bed)
but he fought ok and yet he fought as if he had one broken side or could only think out of one side of his brain as he went too side on in the fights I saw. These types of fighters could easily be caught dead on the turn if you practiced the move and the timing knowing when they stop or do a funny arm correction to realign themelves back to you.

[Trainer Monkey]

Yep yep,choke out the left so all you have to deal with is a reaching pawing right
It only works if you press the action,but it does work

[Scrap]

Sp, makes some very relavent points cc. Ill add one,it all depends on which one of his eyes is the dominant one. Is he a lefty or converted righty.

[Lords Gym]

Jump on him fast, don’t make it an issue. pressure him to the point he negates the southpaw advantage. Force him to square up a bit .

you don’t want to give a southpaw time to find a rhythm. remember he is use to fighting orthodox blokes. if your not a strong fighter per say , i would opt to find an orthodox opponent.