I’ve been asked for southpaw guides so often that I’ve decided to enlist the help of a true southpaw, one of my fighters, and a great friend: Van Truong. This will be his first post of many to come for ExpertBoxing.
These are some of the simplest and most effective southpaw tricks I’ve used to land punches on orthodox fighters. All you need is a little movement, a slip or a feint, and of course some basic punching technique. Being that you already have a southpaw advantage simply because your stance alone, it doesn’t take too much to confuse the right-handers. 🙂
Here are 5 of my favorite southpaw boxing tricks:
1. Straight Lead Lefts
A very potent weapon against any opponent. Lead lefts can be fast, strong, and tricky to deal with. The key to landing lead lefts is to throw without hesitation. Don’t over think, just throw. Keeping this mindset will make your leads fast and unpredictable. Don’t hesitate to think, because when you stop to think your opponent is thinking. Give your opponent no time to think. Be unpredictable and throw for the sake of strategy.
How to throw the straight lead lefts:
- You can throw this punch in virtually any position and stance. For power it’s key for you to keep a solid stance with your legs planted, throw without leaning your head forward, keep your torso straight, rotate your hips and shoulders. For fast leads: square up your shoulders, and throw it almost like a jab.
- Throw this punch STRAIGHT down the center between his gloves. This will occupy his attention as your punch comes straight down into his line of sight.
- If you’re worried about getting countered to your head, you can tilt your head forward or to the side as you throw this lead left.
When to throw the straight lead lefts:
- You must keep your eyes on your opponent. When he’s not looking, you can throw as much as you want. I tend to throw lots of power leads when my opponent puts up a high guard. I break his guard by mixing up my leads. I work the body, feint low, and throw up top.
- Against an opponent with good footwork, you will need to walk him down with patience and speed. I like to mix up my lead lefts with jabs. I make him fear both hands. I walk him into a corner, I set my feet fast, and fire. Don’t stop to think against a slick opponent. You gotta be first unless you want him to get away, or counter you.
- Against an aggressive opponent, the lead left will be your counter and needs to have a little power to keep him off.
2. Stiff Arm Jabs
This is a strong weapon against fighters moving forward. If a boxer wants to charge you down like a bull, make him run into a wall. Catch him coming in with a stiff arm jab. The trick will immediately immobilize his actions. It also keeps him an arm length away, which will create space for your left hand.
How to throw a stiff arm jab:
- You can fire the jab from the southpaw stance. Activate your forearm, triceps, shoulders, and lats into the punch for a solid and strong stiff jab. For a longer range jab rotate your shoulders fully, and shoot the jab straight out like an arrow.
- The main focus for creating the stiffness is to activate your lat muscles. Many fighters only activate their shoulders and it feels more like an arm punch than a wall when you do this. (Note: it’s harder to throw with your lat if you’re leaning your head too far forward. Leaning forward usually makes it a shoulder jab.)
When to throw a stiff arm jab:
- The instance your opponent moves forward, plant your feet, and release the jab. You can land the jab and move or pivot to be defensive.
- For offense: catch him with the stiff, work the combinations, and you’ll land every-time. Practice the stiff jab on a heavy bag and fortify it into a strong weapon.
3. Slip the Jab, Right hook
This move will take some reflex and timing. When used successfully, this trick can create a lot of mind games and potentially disarm your opponent’s jab.
How to slip the jab and throw the counter right hook:
- If you can’t see or slip jabs, then this trick won’t work. Practice slipping jabs with a friend. First have him throw jabs at you as you catch them with your glove. Once you’re able to see all the jabs coming in, now you can start moving your head. You can slip your head to the inside or outside of your partner’s jab.
- Then start working in the counter hooks. It helps to visualize your counter right hook going over your opponent’s jab shoulder. Drill the basic movements down, and apply it in sparring.
- Sometimes you may have to get in closer as you slip or else you might be too far to land the counter right hook.
When to slip the jab and throw the counter right hook:
- The best time I like to apply this trick is after I bait the jab. If I know the jab is coming, following up becomes real easy. If he’s not throwing, I’ll fire jabs to activate his offense. Once I get him active and throwing: I slip, and land a counter hook to the body or to the top. I like to mix it up and make my opponents think. Plant a few hard hooks to the body, and I’ll set a strong hook up top.
- Be careful of his counter left hook, and be aware of his right hand when you’re inside. Keep your left side protected and be safe. If he starts feinting jabs to throw you off, then add feints of your own.
4. Jab, Pull, Straight Left
A very good trick to counter an opponent. I’ve won fights using just this trick. It’s also a good counter against right hand leads.
How to jab, pull, and straight left:
- To do a small southpaw pull, you can lean your upper body away slightly. Or for a big pull, you can take a back step with your left leg. It’s best to make it short when pulling away. You only need enough space for your opponent to miss and fall through. A short pull allows for a faster counter straight, which can be more devastating.
- When pulling back, try to pull straight back or even towards your back left leg if you can. This will make it easier for his right hand to miss in front you.
When to jab, pull, and straight left:
- You need to time your opponent with a pull. I use jabs as bait to activate an offensive attack. I just want my opponent to throw something. Once he makes a move, I pull away and come back with a hard straight. If he’s coming in a lot as he throws the punch, I’ll take a left back step and to make room as he falls into my left hand counter.
- You can pull away from any attack. If you are getting tagged: pull and then weave, duck, or roll away. Work fast and be sharp.
5. Fake Straight Left, Right Uppercut
Feints are a tactical move used by many pros to throw opposing fighters off guard. Incorporating feint shots into your combinations will make you a very unpredictable and tricky fighter. Even the most basic feints can be effective in high-speed situations using clever movement.
How to fake a straight left, and throw a right uppercut:
- The main part of this trick is to create a reaction from a false movement. Different opponents will respond to different parts of your body movement. Some opponents might react to just the glove moving forward. Some might react to your upper body rotation. The one I like most is flashing the shoulder movement as if I’m throwing a straight.
- Feinting with the shoulder movement on the inside, can make him jump back and open up space for your powerful uppercut.
When to fake a straight left, and throw a right uppercut:
- Make the opposing fighter react and pick his openings apart. The moment you see a response, throw an uppercut.
- I like to fake the straight because if the opponent tries to block the straight, he might open himself up for the uppercut.
- Once you get a hang of it start following up the uppercut with combinations. Keep that defense in mind by pulling away, or duck and weave after your uppercuts. Keep safe and stay away from counters.
Want to see more southpaw boxing guides? Request them in the comments below and Van will have them as soon as he can for you!
Amazing as usual
My gym seems to have an inordinate number of southpaws. Presumably the mirror images of the above strategies would work if you’re orthodox vs southpaw? Or am I missing something?
Exactly they will work in reverse. Do keep in mind that many of the southpaws you face have probably had more experience with them than you.
Great to read tips on SP’s, always keen to hear more.
as a southpaw i love southpaw guides keep em coming
Please more southpaw guides these are really well done.
so if i fight a southpaw, these “tricks” work also vice versa?
Exactly! They should work going the other way.
haha these are so good. I’m a south paw and these do work so well
I had great success with the pull counter! keep em coming!
Hell Yeahhhhh!!! Badass article!!!
Great article as always! I was wondering, do you have any tips on being in the corner for another boxer? Like something that coaches do or don’t do that you think is important.
The first thing is to give less instruction. Shut up and let him think. If you see something that he CAN do (this is important), then you can yell it out to him.
And if you’re going to tell to do something, it has to be something simple and possible. Don’t keep yelling at him to do something if he’s unable to do it. If he’s ignoring your instructions to “jab”, then give up and try yelling something else…like, “keep him away” or “setup your shots”. Fighters have a much lower thinking capacity when in the ring, especially during an intense fight. You have to keep your instructions simple and powerful in a way that it really gets through to his head. Sometimes, an emotionally charge message like, “JUMP ON HIM!” is more stimulating and effective than a “BE MORE AGGRESSIVE!”.
Thank you very much!
Excellent guide Van and Johnny. I’m going to be able to use these even though I’m not a southpaw. The pesky left-handers in my gym always give me a hard time.
BTW, are you planning on doing a boxing shoe/boot review?
I would love to do a boxing shoe review but I’ve really only worn 3 different pairs of shoes over the years so I don’t feel comfortable about making such a limited review. I could definitely review only the ones I’ve worn but it wouldn’t be as helpful in my opinion considering the small sample size.
any tips on landing the right hook? i find it hard to land on the chin due to the shoulder angle
Throw it over the shoulder. Throw it when the opponent comes in with his jab. Throw it when you’re opponent is coming at you with his right hand.
Hey Johnny man. I just have a quick question for you and would appreciate any answer. In order for boxers to gain muscle, do they have a similar way as lifters do which is bulk and cut? Like, do they do less cardio while doing power exercises and then do cardio? I’m just not sure. Thanks a lot.
It’s a weird question because boxers are always looking to develop their muscles but not to gain weight. Competing boxers are always trying to lose weight so your question is really weird and perhaps cannot be answered from a boxing standpoint. Athletes train their bodies to become more functional in their sport. And picking up a heavier body doesn’t necessarily make your body more functional.
These are great tips being that I’m technically a conveted right hander. I feel natural in the left stance. Thease tips make so much since for some reason . A Jonny do you think I’m at bigger advantage being that I’m a converted righty.. I like throwing more jabs in hooks than lefts. I feel like I don’t have knock out power. But my team mates say other wise. How do I get more power in my left to KO heavy wights. My right is strong ER but orthodox feel uncomfortable for me for someone reason. ???
Many people like standing in the “converted stance” because they’re one-armed fighters. As you become more of a 2-handed fighter, you will find it better and more natural to put the dominant hand in back. My suggestion is to put the strong hand in back and start learning from there.
In the little fighting I have done I have found that I’m both Southpaw and Orthodox, so I can use these in both forms right??
Yes, definitely. These tactics can work from the reverse stance.
Love it, more please!
Hello Johnny, thanks for the article. I’m a southpaw trying to pick up the nuances of southpaw vs orthodox fight, but when an orthodox switch hits against me I seem to get lost. Any tips?
It’s a tough battle for sure. Well…all the standard tactics that I give to orthodox fighters would work the same in southpaw-vs-southpaw situations.
Do you have any recommendations for ambidextrous boxers? I have the privilege of being equally comfortable in both stances and equally strong in both hands. Is there an advantage to committing to one stance to gain dexterity in the long run, or is it better to sow confusion by switching back and forth?
I too am ambidextrous and feel that I am equally capable of using either stance, with the sparring opponents I have sparred against I have been able to throw off my opponent mentally and physically by using both. This way both stances are trained and you have a considerable edge against your opponent. Hopefully you don’t run in to someone who can switch it up just like you can. =D
I would suggest for you to spar against a highly skilled fighter (perhaps one much better than yourself) and then see which stance it is that you end up resorting to.
My recommendation is to commit to one side. You could either become really good on one side or become half-good with both. And at the highest levels of the game, you need to be REALLY REALLY GOOD.
I wouldn’t suggest for you to start working on your “other side” until you’re able to comfortably beat all the best boxers you come up against. Unless you’re beating up all the Golden Glove boxers in your gym, I wouldn’t even consider you “ambidextrous” since you haven’t proven yourself from either stance.
Could you please upload some videos on how to slip against orthodox for southpaws
What is your advice on fighting a taller fighter with longer reach if you are a southpaw?
Lots of overhands. You can start with some straight lefts to the body to make him drop his guard, and then throw some bombs over the top.
hi.
i would like to know if thre are related videos for southpaws
Yes, there are. Check on the Youtube channel.
Thanks Johnny,
as a southpaw i also noticed I had trouble getting past the jab of tall orthodox fighter, whats your advice on counters for that?
@Johnny
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Hi. Loved the southpaw tricks. Could you please post more southpaw technique or footwork? Thanks heaps
Hi Zara, have you seen all the videos on my Youtube channel?
anymore new tricks we can use for southpaw
Yes, check out my articles on Lomachenko and Rigondeaux.
I’m not a skilled boxer I’ve been going to a little joint Shaolin Boxing Club after school and one of my friends said I should try and work on my southpaw. Now, I’ve never done it before but I know what it is I’d like to learn from pros, how a beginner like me could go about practicing, learning, or even using this while sparring
Being a southpaw sports Jujitsu competitor looking to improve boxing skills, I love this tips and have found them to work very well. Please provide more southpaw tips.
Do one about ring generalship tell us what only experience can teach over time, how steal away rounds working in short sharp bursts toward the end of each round, how to fight like a more experienced fighter.
Do a complete southpaw guide. Thinking short to long term about where is the best place to start and go, improve.
I have a question. How do I activate my lats to throw a hard jab?