How to Box Southpaw Style

The southpaw style of boxing is the style for left-handed fighters. As the left-handed are a minority, nearly all trainers learned how to box as orthodox, right-handed fighters, and thus may be unfamiliar with southpaw techniques and infrequently train southpaws to boot. If you are left-handed and learning how to box, go in knowing the basics of the southpaw style.

Things You'll Need

• Boxing training gloves
• Heavy bag
• Full length mirror for shadowboxing
• Double end bag (helpful, but optional)
• Coach or training partner to work the punch mitts with (helpful, but optional)

Instructions

Southpaw Stance and Guard

1. The southpaw boxing stance is the left-handed stance. Instead of placing the left hand and foot forward, as in the orthodox right-handed stance, place your right hand and foot forward and keep your left hand and foot in the retired, power position. Remember to keep your feet roughly shoulder width apart with the knees slightly bent.

2. While all novice boxers are taught the basic high guard, southpaws need to keep it. Both your hands should be placed in a high guard position, protecting your face and head. In the southpaw boxing style, the right hand should be placed in front of the right side of the face, with the knuckles aligned under the eye. The left hand should be also in front of the left side of the face, aligned along the jawline. Making minor adjustments to this basic guard are acceptable, but retaining the high guard is important.Jabs are quick punches that are typically blocked. Southpaws will often find themselves against orthodox stance fighters, where the left jab is on a straight, quick line over the southpaw right for the face. Keeping your right hand in a high guard neutralizes the orthodox left jab. Also, the high guard with the left hand protecting the jaw is important, as the standard orthodox tactic for dealing with the southpaw style is to fire lead straight rights. The left side of your jaw is the target for all those lead rights.

3. Keep your left elbow glued to your side. In the southpaw style, your liver is on the side closest to the opponent, making it the perfect target for the right hook or short straight right to the body.

Southpaw Footwork

1. When moving side to side in the southpaw style, practice circling to your right. This carries you away from the right hand of your opponent, which is his principal power hand.

2. At all times, work to keep your right foot on the outside of your opponent's right foot. This is the key to boxing success in the southpaw style. First, it controls their movement. An opponent cannot easily circle to the left with your shin blocking their way. Second, having your foot placed outside theirs places them in the best position for your hard left hand, but leaves you out of position for theirs. Of course, the same is true in reverse: if an orthodox style boxer gets his left foot on the outside of your right, he limits your movement and lines you up for the straight right!If the maxim of orthodox boxing is to establish the jab, the maxim of southpaw boxing is to establish your footing!

3. You will sometimes find yourself forced to move to the left. This takes you directly across your opponent's line of power, and must be done with caution in the southpaw style. Practice slipping as your slide left to make yourself a more elusive target.

Southpaw Punching

1. The southpaw right jab will only be truly useful if you have a pronounced speed advantage over your opponent, or if your opponent uses a low guard. A high guard will protect him in exactly the mirror image of the how the southpaw's boxing style and its high guard protects him. If you want to develop a good right jab, improve your hand speed. Otherwise, limit the jab to a range-finding probe, and develop the practice of tucking your chin behind the right shoulder when you jab to protect it.

2. The straight left is the core punch of boxing in the southpaw style. Lead with the straight left straight down the middle, or as a body shot at your opponent's liver. Use it as a substitute for the jab, and to counter your opponent's left jab.

3. The right hook can confuse orthodox opponents even more than the awkward southpaw footwork, since few right-handed fighters are used to a wide hook coming over their left shoulder. This punch should become your principle counter to the orthodox left jab if you are frequently taller than your opponents, and should be worked into most of your combination punching.

4. The left uppercut is the southpaw style's primary inside tool. The right uppercut should be limited to a body shot.

Tips & Warnings

• Southpaws have a natural advantage in that the orthodox, right-handed style of boxing is the standard. Orthodox fighters are used to fighting orthodox fighters, but not southpaws. Southpaws, on the other hand, fight orthodox fighters frequently. Dealing with right-handers is old hat for a southpaw, but dealing with the southpaw style is an awkward experience for the orthodox fighter.