The boxing stance serves as the cornerstone for constructing a boxer's career; as such, it is the most significant component of a beginner's learning process. Copying the stance of your favourite player won't help you because everyone's boxing stance differs depending on how comfortable they are. Finding a position that enhances one's skills rather than their deficiencies is what is required.
Any orthodox boxer who fights a southpaw would find it challenging, but they can overcome it if they are well-versed in the odd angles that the southpaw stance denotes before their match. The fact that the southpaw will always feel more at ease against orthodox opponents than vice versa is a problem that cannot be resolved.
The southpaw, in contrast, has always trained with right-handed fighters, but the orthodox boxer can spar with southpaws and become as comfortable as possible with how to attack and defend effectively against a lefty.
Do many amateur boxers debate between the orthodox and southpaw fighting stances? Due to the prevalence of varied stances used by MMA fighters, this subject is frequently posed in mixed martial arts circles. In other words, neither position is superior to the other. In boxing and other combat sports, it is possible to use both the orthodox and southpaw sides successfully. Any boxer should be at ease in their stance, as this is crucial.
To deliver a punch in boxing, the lower and upper bodies must cooperate. Even while it may appear like it's all about the punches, a fighter's effectiveness also depends a lot on their footwork. If your footwork is down, you can float around the ring and sting like a bee. Learning appropriate form and posture is the first step in any boxer's quest. The remaining options are Southpaw or Orthodox, and most fighters stick to just one of these stances for the whole of their careers.
Can A Boxer Be Southpaw And Orthodox Stance In Boxing?
While most boxers opt to stick to one stance, a few like to mix things up, they are called switch-hitters because they frequently shuffle back and forth between orthodox and southpaw to give opponents different looks. Switch hitters realize many different advantages to their unique style.
Do Southpaws Have An Advantage In Boxing?
Simply put, southpaws have infinitely more experience against orthodox fighters than vice versa. Their advantage of being a southpaw often allows them to win fights even though they may be slower, weaker, and even less skilled.
What Percentage Of Boxers Are Southpaws Stance In Boxing?
As many as 17.3 per cent of male boxers were left-handed, higher than expected as just 12.6 per cent of males are left-handed in the general population. The same was seen in female boxers. The study said 12.6 per cent of them were left-handed, compared to 9.9 per cent of females in the general population.
What Is Unorthodox Stance Boxing?
An Unorthodox Boxing Stance is any stance that doesn't routinely follow the conventions of an Orthodox Stance. Southpaw is the most common and polarized example of this, so much so that it may be regarded as a convention of its own.
Why Is Southpaw Boxing Stance Called Southpaw?
Supposedly, late 19th-century ballparks were laid out so that the pitcher looked westerly when facing the batter. The throwing arm of a left-handed pitcher would then be to the south-hence the name Southpaw.
FAQs
Orthodox VS Southpaw Boxing Stance: What Is The Difference?
The orthodox boxer must first and foremost be well equipped for a struggle of foot placement throughout the fight. The southpaw will always lead with his right foot, positioning it outside the left foot of the orthodox boxer, regardless of whether he is legitimately left-handed or a converted southpaw (a right-handed boxer who fights from the southpaw posture). The orthodox run the risk of stumbling into a straight left hand if they ignore the foot placement and simply advance in a straight line.
To make matters worse, the orthodox fighter is limited to finding advantageous angles with which to shoot with his leading left hand, but the southpaw can shoot with both hands for as long as they have the outside advantage. Unless the orthodox opponent goes to the left, putting their left foot outside the southpaw's right foot, nothing changes in this position. As long as they stay outside, the orthodox boxer now has the upper hand. They can therefore land with any hand, making the southpaw ineffective at trading.
Let's first talk about the different stances to understand better how boxers can use them and how to succeed while fighting from an orthodox or southpaw stance.
What Is a Southpaw Boxing Stance?
The left-handed boxer should practice the Southpaw boxing stance, which demands the right hand to lead the right foot in front. Simply said, this is the less effective mirror version of the traditional boxing stance.
However, because the punch directions are so unexpected, the Southpaw boxing stance might occasionally scare away the opponents that prefer to play conventional boxing. To maximise the energy from the lead hand, which cannot be done by maintaining it in front, the weaker part of the body should be kept close to the opponent.
The left arm should rest on the body, the left fist should be placed squarely under the chin, and the right fist, bent at the elbow, should be placed in front of the right shoulder at shoulder height for a southpaw boxer. Your chin should lie in the space created by your right shoulder and breast, your right shoulder should be slightly elevated, and your left shoulder should be somewhat lowered.
What Is an Orthodox Boxing Stance?
Much more people take the traditional position. The boxer or fighter fights in the orthodox stance with their left foot forwards and their left hand as their lead hand (or jab hand). The backhand of the orthodox fighter is the right hand. In general, orthodox fighters are more aggressive and use more combos than Southpaws.
In the orthodox posture, the right arm should be resting on the body, the right fist should be placed right next to the chin, and the left arm's fist should be placed in front of the left shoulder at shoulder height with the elbow bent at a right angle. When the chin is positioned in the cavity created by the shoulder and the breast, the right shoulder is slightly lowered, the left shoulder is slightly lifted, and the basic position is proper.
Which Boxing Stance Should I Use? Orthodox Or Southpaw?
You must use it to determine your boxing stance, but first, you must identify your dominant hand. Even though it happens infrequently, some people write with their right hand but have a stronger left hand. In this case, you should choose the stronger hand. Finding your dominant eye is a second approach to determining your stance; if your right eye is dominant, lead with your left hand, and vice versa.
When you punch your opponent, you may see your strong hand in the back more clearly if you are using your dominant eye. Holding one finger in the air and covering it with something far away is the best technique to identify your dominant eye. The next step is to slowly open each eye before focusing the finger and lining it up with the object. Your dominant eye is the one that lines up with the distant item.
You can choose between an Orthodox or Southpaw stance depending on which hand and eye are your dominant ones. Right-handed fighters tend to employ the Southpaw stance. You'll also acquire a decent sense of your boxing stance when you practise. When you train with a heavy bag that is free-standing, you punch and move around. Additionally, you can try this when exercising with a dummy bag. Once you've tried Southpaw and Orthodox, you can tell which is best for you.
Can You Be A Right-Handed Southpaw?
The majority of top competitors practise both orthodox and southpaw stances. However, depending on the opponent these fighters encounter, they could decide to adopt a little less comfortable stance in order to gain the upper hand. Even if your prefered stance is orthodox, you could choose to adopt a southpaw stance when fighting someone who hasn't had much experience confronting southpaw fighters.
Right-handed people won't be simple to adjust to the southpaw stance because they are likely to naturally lean towards using an orthodox posture. Therefore, you must practise your southpaw stance thoroughly so that you feel confident using it during actual battles.
Advantages Of The Southpaw Boxing Stance?
The southpaw posture has several benefits, one of which is that it confuses the opponent. Right-handed orthodox fighters are frequently accustomed to competing against and observing other orthodox fighters. Thus, they may be taken aback by a southpaw. The orthodox fighter will also need to alter their strategy for attacking and moving about the ring because everything a southpaw opponent does is the reverse of what a conventional fighter does.
Are Southpaws Better Than Orthodox?
It's tough to declare with certainty whether a southpaw stance is superior to an orthodox stance because it depends on the opponents you fight. If a Southpaw fighter faces an opponent that isn't accustomed to fighting against them, they will be at an advantage.
It's a good idea to become comfortable with both stances because you'll want to select your battle posture depending on the opponent you meet. However, since 90% of people are right-handed by birth, many think a southpaw posture has a tiny advantage over an orthodox stance. In other words, the majority of fighters will be considerably more accustomed to combating opponents from an orthodox stance. Finding skilled sparring partners can be challenging, though, as there aren't many southpaw fighters.
Finding Your Dominant Hand
People occasionally write with their right hands, but the left hand is generally stronger. You have to decide what works best for you in this situation. Finding your dominant eye and positioning yourself such that it is looking down your rear arm when you punch is another strategy (if the right eye is dominant, but the right hand is in the back, and vice versa).
The quickest approach to identifying your dominant eye is to swiftly cover an object (a lamp, a place on the wall, or a distant tree) with that finger while holding it up in the air. Next, alternately close one eye while leaving the other unclosed. Your dominant eye is the one in which the finger is positioned exactly in relation to the target.
The Benefits Of Fighting Southpaw Boxing Stance
The Southpaw is generally considered more comfortable since the Southpaw technique is more "open" than the Orthodox. Their tight Orthodox posture indicates their lack of defence, whereas the southpaw's opposite attitude indicates superior control. The Orthodox opponent can easily be distracted by their lead foot, giving them the impression that they are about to trip.
In long-range punching, southpaws excel over their Orthodox counterparts. They increase the strength of their right and left hands, improving their performance while saving their dominant hand for heavier punches.
Southpaw fighters have the benefit of surprising their largely Orthodox opponents because of their relative rarity. Furthermore, the southpaw will have the advantage in this situation because of how differently they move and since most Orthodox will not be familiar with their training.
Noteworthy Southpaw Boxers Today
Today's best boxers tend to be southpaws. Vasyl Lomachenko, Manny Pacquiao, Oleksandr Usyk, and Terence Crawford are some of the best Southpaw fighters competing today, pound for pound. Tyson Fury can swing both ways (meaning he can box from Orthodox and Southpaw).
The Benefits Of Fighting Orthodox Boxing Stance
While your natural dominant hand may determine your stance and footwork, both Southpaw and Orthodox have their own advantages.
Every boxer should consider receiving high-quality training, but Orthodox fighters have an advantage in this area. Since more people practise this method (since more people are right-handed), Orthodox fighters can more easily get instruction and resources that are appropriate for them. Additionally, more instructors who practise the Orthodox style themselves will find it simpler to train fighters who use that technique.
The same factor will give Orthodox fighters an advantage in the ring: they'll be more likely to be up against fellow Orthodox fighters and will thus have a greater understanding of their motions. This, in turn, makes it easier to fight intuitively since you can predict your opponent's next move better.
Another advantage for Orthodox fighters is that hitting the liver is made simpler because of how they are positioned. They are positioned to be closer to their opponent's right side, which contains the liver. This is an additional benefit for this method because this is a painful and effective place to strike hard.
Famous Fighters That Are Orthodox
Muhammad Ali
Probably the most well-known combatant to adopt an orthodox stance was Muhammad Ali. He is frequently recognised as the best boxer of all time and ruled the sport with an iron chin and lightweight-like speed.
Mike Tyson
Another well-known boxer who adopted the traditional posture was Mike Tyson. No one can dispute the fact that Mike Tyson was one of the most feared people on the planet during his peak, despite the controversy that dogged his career. Fans were shocked when he didn't knock out his opponent inside a few rounds because of how strong his punches were.
How To Decide Which Boxing Stance To Choose?
Given the significance of your dominant hand, genetics will probably play a major role in what you end up picking up, but your stance need not be determined by your left- or right-handedness. Due to the strength in their dominant hand, righties who are Southpaws have a devastating jab, while lefties who are Orthodox may also succeed. Whatever feels more natural or comfortable to you should be used.
The majority of people tend to favour the Orthodox position in large part due to access to training. Training is crucial because there aren't many Southpaw trainers. Southpaws have few online resources available to them. Depending on the training you have access to, you might need to choose a choice.
Why is a good basic stance important?
The significance of having a solid stance cannot be overstated. You can attack and defend with balance if you have a good stance. When throwing a punch, an athlete shouldn't lose their balance. One is more likely to strike an opponent if they are off balance. Standing in the right place without exposing yourself too much to vulnerability allows you to throw a wider variety of strong strikes. You'll have better strength, balance, and mobility if your fundamental stance is correct.
The boxer is continually moving to implement his tactical thoughts and create the optimal movement patterns for his envisioned movements in relation to his opponent's movements in space and time. The key element of agility is footwork, which can be combined with other body part movements. But without the proper attitude, none of these actions is even feasible. The standard boxing stance aids in balance maintenance and is necessary for both offensive and defensive methods.
Boxing Stance and Footwork
In an orthodox boxing stance, the left hand and foot act as a lead, whereas the right hand and foot act as information in a southpaw boxing stance. As a result, for comfort and ease, your foot movements change with your stance.
The distance between the feet should be roughly the width of your shoulder. The lead leg must then be moved to the front and positioned so that it forms a 45-degree angle with the back leg. The lead leg foot is then firmly placed on the ground, with the foot's ball bearing the weight of the entire lead leg.
In order to give the boxer more mobility, the heel of the back foot must now be lifted slightly off the ground. The back foot's knee is slightly bent to balance the body more effectively and increase power. The body's weight should be equally distributed between the two feet to maintain mobility. However, the boxer must alternate shifting their body weight between the two feet throughout the initial training phases.
Mistakes to avoid
- When your chin is higher than your raised hands, you risk being struck in the mouth.
- Stepping so that you lose track of the fictitious line linking your front foot's toe and back foot's heel, endangering your balance.
- Your body weight is transmitted to your front leg when you have a heavy front leg, which increases your assault vulnerability.
- Turning the shoulders to make it easier for the adversary to hit you.
- Being flat-footed and finding it difficult to move.
- Overly-rearward-leaning boxers will become unbalanced.
- People who have broad stances frequently need to hop anytime they need to move since their feet are glued to the ground.
Final Words
For boxers, the proper boxing stance is the most prized possession. Hence it must always be perfected via diligent practice. Examining yourself in the mirror as you practise your stance is the best method to refine it. However, no matter which stance you choose, remember to breathe correctly. You will become a better boxer as a result.