After correcting so many beginners, I write the official guide on why the strong hand belongs in the back and not the front.
Just about every month, I see a new fighter standing with his strong arm in front. He’ll give me endless reasons about why he hits harder that way or fights better as a southpaw. Like the rest of them, they all base their reasons on their favorite fighter or their experience in back yard fights. To settle the debate once and for all, I break down all the known discussion points for advantages and disadvantages from fighting with your dominant hand in back or in front.
Everyone wants to know:
Should I stand with my strong arm in the back like all other traditional boxers?
Or should I convert into a right-handed southpaw or left-handed orthodox fighter for some tactical advantages in having a strong front arm?
Do the advantages really make you a force to reckon with? Or are you giving up your natural advantages for just a silly trick?
Why shouldn’t a boxer fight with his dominant hand in front?
You Become a One-armed Fighter
In the traditional stance, a boxer has his weak hand in front as the rangefinder that sets up the strong cross from the rear. In this scenario, the boxer has 2 effective hands: one to open the opponent, the other to inflict massive damage on the opponent.
Putting your strong hand in front makes you a one-handed fighter.
If you place your strong hand in front, this means your back hand will become useless because it doesn’t have true power which is its main purpose. You will be tempted to fight purely on the front hand which diminishes the purpose of the back hand since it is weaker and farther away from the target. It won’t be long before you become a one-armed fighter which makes it very easy for your opponents to beat you if they have 2 effective hands.
If anything, the front arm is used to distract and open your opponent while the back hand is waiting for the perfect opportunity to strike. You want your opponent to expend mental and physical energy to get past your front arm only to walk right into your power hand. If your power hand is in front, your opponent only has to worry about getting past your front arm. Once he does that, he win the exchanges on the inside because his more powerful rear hand is in range and your rear isn’t strong enough to win the exchange.
At long range, you could say the boxer with the stronger arm in front has the advantage. At mid-range, the boxer with the stronger cross easily holds the advantage. At close-range, the front hook comes into play but the fighter with the stronger cross still holds the most powerful weapon.
Or maybe YOU ARE a one-armed fighter
It’s very common for beginners to stand with their strong arm in front because they’re still only one-armed fighters. (The jab is the most important punch and if you only have one arm, you’ll find that you need a jabbing arm over a strong arm.) Having 2 functional arms is something that only comes with training. Once you develop coordination in both arms, you will definitely feel better with the weak arm in front. Which is why you should be training with the weak arm in front in the first place. Eventually, that weak arm will develop coordination and become functional.
Hands Are Improperly Tasked For Offense AND Defense
Offensively and defensively, the front hand does the less powerful work. The front arm throws the weaker jabs and is responsible for left hooks when in range. Defensively, the front arm is not as versatile and sometimes not even used at the higher levels of boxing.
Offensive and defensively, the back hand does the more powerful work. The back hand should be dominant because it needs to be accurate within the first shot. Your jab has to be accurate too but you have more chances to pry your opponent with the jab. Once your opponent is open, your right hand needs to be fast and accurate within the first shot to be truly effective. Defensively, the back hand is far more important than the front; it can block both hooks and crosses and often becomes the only defensive shield in higher level fights.
Strong Hand Weakened by Multi-tasking
Placing the strong hand in front weakens the strength of that arm. First off, your strong arm is in the front which means you don’t have the maximum leverage in power of throwing it from the rear. The next problem is that the strong hand now has to do many things. It has to throw jabs and also block punches. All this extra responsibility takes away from the power of your dominant hand. So now you don’t have a dedicated strong hand. You’re fighting with 2 weak hands.
You want to use your strong hand for strong punches,
not jabbing and blocking.
Your Strong Hand Wasted in the First Shot
Having the dominant hand in front means you don’t get to throw many power punches with that strong hand. This is because the first punch in any combination is usually the jab. It’s the faster jab that sets up the big punches, not hooks or upppercuts or crosses. Your strong hand is always throwing the first shot, which is then most likely followed by a cross from your weaker hand. Which then means your strong hand doesn’t get to throw a power punch until the 3RD PUNCH of your combination. This actually really sucks because you now have to throw 3 punches just to throw one power punch from your strong hand. What sucks even more is that your strong hand will get tired throwing jabs and your weak hand has to be fast and effective to give you a chance to throw that powerful front hook.
Because you can’t lead with power shots,
it’s more effective to position your strong hand for the second shot.
You Lose Your True Power Punch
You know what’s worse then having only one strong arm? It’s having no strong punches. Your absolute strongest punch is the rear cross. The punch is thrown from the rear allowing for the most rotation and shifting of the body weight to generate the maximum power possible.
If your strong hand is in front,
you will not be able to throw your most powerful punch possible.
Weak Hand + Weak Leg + Weak Eye = Weak Cross
Some people falsely believe that the weak hand will become a power punch just because it’s in the back. If you switch around your stance, you’ll soon realize that your weak hand in the rear is powered by the weak leg in the rear. True power comes from the leg which means you’ve got a weaker less-coordinated hand in the rear powered by a weaker less-coordinated leg in the rear.
This situation actually gets much worse. Your rear hand will also be lined up with your weak eye! Many people don’t understand this severe disadvantage. Try standing by a speedbag as you normally would and then CLOSE your dominant eye and try to hit the speedbag. You will notice that your accuracy goes way down! Better yet, try to imagine yourself lining up your dominant eye behind a gun, and then CLOSING the dominant eye and trying to shoot a target. It’s almost impossible to shoot without your eye lined up.
Dominant Eye Test
You can even take a test to find out which is your dominant eye. Look around for a small object in the distance; it can be a lightbulb, a spot on the wall, or a car in the distance. While looking at that object, quickly hold up a finger to cover the object. Now, take turns closing one eye while leaving the other opened. The eye that has your finger lined up with the object is your dominant eye.
Here’s a fun example to see how awkward it is to throw a rear cross with your dominant eye in front. Try throwing a left cross (from southpaw position) with your left eye closed. Now switch sides and try throwing a right cross (from orthodox position) with your right eye closed. See how weird that feels? Sure your punch might land but the power is never truly lined up. It’s bad enough your cross doesn’t have any power, but now it’s got no accuracy either. Put the weak eye with your weak hand and weak leg in the back and you’ve got the perfect formula for a really shitty cross.
Weak hand, weak leg, and weak eye in the back
means you lose your rear power punches!
Crappy Defense
If your converted stance leaves you more open than your normal stance, then you REALLY shouldn’t be switching stances. Switching stances shouldn’t just be for offensive advantages, it should be for defensive advantages, too. The most obvious indicator of a new stance being a bad idea is when you can’t even defend from that stance. Why switch stances just to leave yourself completely open?
Some guys have this crazy theory that the more punches you take, the less they hurt. But I disagree…every punch you take hurts more than the last.
Taking 10 shots is much worse than twice the damage of taking 5 shots, because every time you’re hit, you’re more hurt which means the next punch does even more damage.
If converted stances are so bad, then why are people doing it? There must be SOME advantages to converting from your natural-born stance. I’ll analyze the top reasons for switching stances and try to explain why you might be overlooking bigger advantages to pick up small ones.
Switch Stance Advantages That Aren’t Worth It:
Having a Powerful Jab
The jab is not for power. The jab is for speed and accuracy and setting up bigger punches. Nobody ever knocks out anybody with a power jab; it’s not just improbable, it’s unrealistic. Some fighters think adding power to their jab has a cumulative damage effect overall but I actually it’s taking away from the true purpose of the jab–which is to be accurate and set up the bigger punches! I would much rather have a faster jab or multiple weak jabs than one powerful jab. If I want to be a more powerful fighter, I’d put that strong hand in the back where it becomes even more powerful.
Don’t have too much ego in your jab. Some guys get an big ego because they feel even their weakest punches (their jabs) have power. Even if you land that power jab, you don’t have a strong cross to follow it up.
The jab’s purpose is not power, but speed and accuracy.
The Southpaw Advantage
Oh what joy it is to be a southpaw in a right-hander’s world. Yes, you’ve totally confused everyone and been king of the hill for a week. But then what? Sooner or later the truth comes…
If you’re not a true left-hander,
you won’t benefit from the true southpaw advantages.
If you’re not a true southpaw, you won’t benefit from all of the southpaw’s style and natural southpaw movement. You are only training yourself to be a southpaw. Can it be done? Yes. Will you improve as quickly as if you stood in your natural stance? Probably not. What happens if you fight someone that understands southpaws or even another southpaw? You could be in big trouble. Don’t forget that there are not very many truly experienced southpaw trainers…so you lose out there, too.
The bottom line is: You are basically training yourself to do what southpaws do naturally. Can you imagine if you were an offensive minded fighter yet someone told you to fight defensively? Or if you were a slow fighter and your trainer told you to fight like a fast fighter? Imagine how dangerous it would be for you to use a style that isn’t naturally suited to you. Imagine how much dangerous it would be to use an inferior style BUT THINK it was actually an advantage. But yes, if you insist, I imagine you would “get use to it” at some point. But that isn’t the point of boxing, you’re not there to “get use to it”. You’re there to be amazing.
Natural born tigers don’t grow up to be great lions.
Having a Great Hook
It’s easy to get caught up in having a great hook. You’ve seen so many knockouts on Youtube you jump off your chair thinking, “I need a great hook to be a great boxer!” Having a great hook shouldn’t come at the expensive of having a great cross. The rear cross is a bread and butter punch. It may not always get you the killer knockout but it will always be your most powerful punch. You need that power to keep your opponents away as well as soften them up for that hook. The reason why the hooks land is because opponents are worried about that rear cross. Without a strong rear cross to threaten your opponent, your opponent doesn’t have to shift his attention off your jab hand which takes away your front hook’s element of surprise.
Even if your rear cross never lands,
the threat of it must be strong enough to keep your opponent away.
Don’t worry so much about having absolute power on the hook. The front hook comes at such a perfect blind side angle that it’s devastating even when it doesn’t land with full power. The rear cross however requires 100% raw power! Besides, hooks are typically thrown less often than crosses and require you to be at a closer (and more dangerous) range than crosses. If I had to choose where to put the power, I’d put it in the rear…just sayin’.
“My other hand is stronger.”
Every now and then I see a fighter switch stances to put his stronger (but less coordinated) hand in the back. This is one of the most legitimate excuses for switching stances. Unfortunately, it’s not full proof. There could be a large number of reasons why the other hand hits harder. Maybe you lean more towards your right or left side. Or maybe the hand is weaker and so it FEELS like you’re hitting harder because your hand feels more impact. In some rare cases, a boxer will have such bad technique that he hits harder when he throws with less technique from the weaker hand. In any case…
Just because the hand is stronger
doesn’t mean it’s your dominant hand.
The dominant hand is the one that delivers more damage. To deliver the most damage, it helps to have power but most importantly speed and accuracy. The dominant hand is the one you have the most confidence in throwing if you had to punch a moving target. The dominant hand is the one that hits the hardest at the end of a 2-hour training session. The dominant always has something about it that makes it superior to your other hand. You trust it more. Your dominant hand is also almost always the hand that you write with.
“I move better when I switch stances.”
This is actually a bad excuse for switching stances. The reason why your footwork is better when you switch stances is because you stand off-balanced. Off-balanced fighters will always move better when they lean over their strong leg. An off-balanced fighter that leans to the rear will move better with his strong leg in the back whereas a fighter that leans forward will move better with his strong leg in front. Whatever the case may be, it doesn’t take away from the fact that he’s off-balanced. Unless you plan on fighting off-balanced forever, fixing your balance (and weight distribution) will do more for your boxing than switching your stance.
Poor mobility is the result of bad balance,
not bad stance.
The Game of Boxing Prefers The Natural Stance
I can go on and on about why your strong hand belongs in the back but I think you get the point. The more you think about it, switching stances doesn’t put your strong hand in front… it leaves you without any strong hands. It takes away from your body’s natural ability to move, attack, and defend and gives you temporary advantages that can be easily taken away. I didn’t make up these facts, the sport of boxing did.
Boxing favors 2-handed fighters.
Just as racing favors the faster runners, boxing prefers fighters that are efficiently adept at fighting with both hands. It’s simply a fact of the sport. Nobody questions why two legs are better than one for running.
Too many fighters are looking for shortcuts in this day and age. They don’t believe in hard work and boring repetition. They keep thinking there’s an easy way, a secret to success. They’ll take any advantage even if it means giving up their natural qualities. The truth is:
The only real advantages you have
are the ones you worked long and hard for in the gym.
Converting your stance one afternoon is not going to give you insane boxing skills and make you king of the gym overnight. Too often the switch stance becomes a gimmick and gets exposed sooner or later. You may have fun landing potshots but your opponents will figure you out, and when they do…you won’t have your natural advantages to fight back.
Should You NEVER Switch Stances?
Is it impossible for anyone to be successful in a switch stance? No, it’s not impossible. Oscar De La Hoya fought with his strong hand in front. But he also came from a background of fencing where you fight with only one weapon which is held by the front hand. Boxing’s an art as much as it is a sport. You do whatever you want. It’s your health, your time, your performance. My job is to share all that I know and help you make the best choice for you.
Can there be an advantage to having your strong arm in front? Of course there are but I’d say most people will have more disadvantages than advantages in that position. You would have to spend at least twice the time to be equally as effective from your natural fighting stance. If you’ve considered everything above and STILL want to switch up your stance, go for it.
How would I have done it? Learn the regular stance first, then learn the switch stance. Switch them up during fights and see what new things you can pick out from your opponent. Work hard and develop everything. I have a new guide coming out in the future on how to temporarily switch stances during fights.
In the meanwhile, I suggest you watch highlight footage of Roy Jones Jr, Shane Mosley, Pernell Whitaker, and Dmitry Pirog to see how these champions switch stances temporarily during fights to their advantage.
Have fun but be careful. If you get hurt bad and your new trainer has to change your stance 2 years down the line, just remember that I told you so. =)
See my other guides on boxing stance:
What if your ambidextrous?
it means strong and coordinated with both hands
The jab as a power punch
Slightly off topic. Not going against anything you said as I am a right-handed orthodox! Have you ever read Jack Dempsey’s book on boxing? It seems that in old-school boxing, every punch was a power punch, even the jab. Dempsey stressed that the falling step be used in both the jab and cross. The falling step is what differentiates a jab as an arm punch and a knock out punch. He even said that though the twisting of the torso and hips power the cross, more of it should come from the falling step. Just interesting to see how different old-school boxing is from the modern style.
Exactly. Even Bruce Lee could see the advantage of putting the more accurate and strong arm in front. Ideally, a fight should be able to work both sides. If he understands and develops proper mechanics then all this nonsense of which side should be where goes out the window. Personally, I am right handed and mostly use a right lead. I suggest Teri Tom’s book on the straight lead, it goes into detail about Bruce’s reasoning as well as Dempsy, Driscoll, and Aldo Nadi.
I’m going to guess that you’ll call the information “nonsense” because it doesn’t agree with the knowledge you already have in your head. Please go to a boxing gym and train boxing for 5 years and talk to boxing coaches with a minimum of 10 years boxing experience and see for yourself if it is “nonsense” as you claim it to be. If you want to reference martial arts knowledge or some other stuff, that is fine…but to comment on boxing while referencing NON-boxing experts does not make sense.
I disagree with you on many levels and not going to address it. Go to just about any boxing gym and have a discussion with any boxing coach with minimum of 10 years boxing experience and learn for yourself if you really want the full explanation why.
I have more than ten years of western boxing. In fact, I have more than twenty. And unlike you, at least I have actually fought in the ring. And if you really knew boxing history at all, you wouldn’t scoff at my reference to Jack Dempsy and Jim Driscoll. I call your opinion on whether to fight “orthodox” or “south paw” unfounded on any actual fight science. The only real weaknes to having a right lead is putting the long head of your liver out in front. How about YOU stop acting as if you are an authority on boxing when you haven’t even fought in the open class, Johnny.
Before you go and lose your temper any more, Cason. It should be painfully obvious to you that I’m not referring to actual boxers you mentioned but the NON-BOXERS that you mentioned such as Bruce Lee and Teri Tom and Aldo Nadi (a fencer)? I mean…seriously? I can only imagine myself looking a bit silly had I gone into a fencing school and referenced boxing technique as a reason why they should do things the way I do it. Sure…I might have logic and reason but I wouldn’t have much authority.
If you had more than 10 years of western boxing, as you so claim, I would find it hard for you to argue with the same reasoning that just about all the other current boxing coaches have . At the very least, you could argue with an awareness of your minority standpoint rather than to come out here and get angry and call common boxing knowledge “nonsense”. Just about every boxer today stands with the dominant hand in the back and take a look… even Jack Dempsey…a guy you’re referencing, (I believe) was a right-hander who stood orthodox. You want to tell Floyd Mayweather he ought to be a southpaw? And Manny Pacquiao should be an orthodox? You know the proper stance for them better than they do?
I’m gonna guess you’re not so mad at the boxing logic I try to share but because I mistakenly suspected you of not having any actual boxing experience. For that I am sorry for hurting your feelings. It is not meant as a personal attack so much that it is that I don’t understand how anyone with boxing knowledge could dismiss the current boxing logic as “nonsense”. What I share on this site isn’t made up purely off the top of my head. It is dutifully tested, researched, by myself and fellow friends, fighters, amateurs, pros, at all levels (national/international/even Olympic).
Thank you Johnny. Im not a boxer, but curious about boxing. I spar with friend sometime ago without any boxing skills. I had a broken left forearm, so I always lead with my right. I’m right handed, but would just not dare leave my left(weak arm in front). You made great points and I truly agree with you. But I have been practicing for self defense purposes and used to the southpaw stance. No matter what I do to improve my left cross, it can only acts as a powerful jab at best. The only advantage I get is I can use both had in a southpaw stance. Because of my hidden weakness of the left forearm, it doesn’t get expose to be hit with a punch or block punch as I’m throwing a left jab as orthodox stance. I stay away from the orthodox stance for that reason. I can just sneak a left cross here and there, use hand speed and still throw the right cross on the switch. I still agree with you totally. Thanks again.
Reader, Thanh
P.S. if u have any recommendations, please reply.
Thank you Johnny. Im not a boxer, but curious about boxing. I spar with friend sometime ago without any boxing skills. I had a broken left forearm, so I always lead with my right. I’m right handed, but would just not dare leave my left(weak arm in front). You made great points and I truly agree with you. But I have been practicing for self defense purposes and used to the southpaw stance. No matter what I do to improve my left cross, it can only acts as a powerful jab at best. The only advantage I get is I can use both hands in a southpaw stance. Because of my hidden weakness of the left forearm, it doesn’t get expose to be hit with a punch or block punch as I’m throwing a left jab as orthodox stance. I stay away from the orthodox stance for that reason. I can just sneak a left cross here and there, use hand speed and still throw the right cross on the switch. I still agree with you totally. Thanks again.
Reader, Thanh
P.S. if u have any recommendations, please reply.
My problem is that I am right hand dominant but my left eye is my dominant eye. When I punch I get more power from the right hand but my left cross is much more accurate. On top of that I practice in Muay Thai and my left kicks are also much more accurate from southpaw position. DO you think it’s better to convert? I ask this because as an orthodox my left hand has become really coordinated over the past 2 years of training and I use both sides effectively.
Same problem …
Also regarding Jack Demspey’s book.
I also just finished Jack Dempsey’s Championship Punching, where he emphasises the falling step jab etc. Do you think it’s more a style thing (his preference) or the game changing over the years? Pros/cons would be appreciated. Cheers for a great site!!!!!!!!
Interesting accessment -I can see where you are coming from Ive seen very few people pull of the transition and against very good opponets some will return to their natural position under pressure.
I always enjoy your articles and have learnt things from this site i havent read anywhere else.
Thanks
Why most boxers these days switch southpaw ??? LOL because pacquiao’s a southpaw ..
Johnny N where’s the guide about orthodox vs southpaws ? 🙁
@Jhonny – if you’re ambidextrous, then it doesn’t matter. 🙂
@Gordon – I did read some of Jack Dempsey’s “Championship Fighting”. Every needs to have enough power to hurt your opponent. Otherwise, opponents would be walking through each other’s jabs. I have seen the falling step used in the jab before. Floyd Mayweather does it all the time, especially when he jabs to the body. A lot of the old school techniques are still used today but it’s just that the game has changed a bit. The fans are also less educated about the sport and so different fighters with different styles are marketed to the fans.
@Latim – You sound like a southpaw, very tough call to make. I suggest you train your ass off all day long and throw punches one at a time from both hands at the heavybag. Have a friend hold the heavy bag and see which punch hits harder…or which arm feels less tired. Of course if you’re jabbing a lot, the jab arm might feel more tired. If you’re kicking a soccer ball with the left foot, then maybe you really are a southpaw.
@T Ben H – The falling step has always been used in boxing. Some people notice it, some don’t. It’s hard to see on TV because they chop out the boxers’ legs so you only see the upper bodies. Thanks for reading!
@Seve – Thank you, Seve.
@Jacobi – Sorry for the wait. The orthodox VS southpaw guide will take a little longer since I have other stuff coming out. But soon, soon! I promise.
I have a tough choice
I’ve been doing Martial arts off and on for 5 years now. Most notably Muay thai and Boxing. I started off in the right handed southpaw style because of Bruce Lee. I have read your guide and have followed your website for awhile now as it is my favorite online boxing site. This is really making me consider changing my stance. I know that Bruce had his ideas probably because of the use of his straight lead punch but seeing as i don’t incorporate this punch anymore i probably should switch. Heres my tough choice, take 5 yrs of training my body in one way and throw it down the drain, or keep my stance and possibly regret it. I might be just ranting. Its just that my stance is so ingrained in me id hate to change it. id have to relearn most of my movements…..:cry:
@fightrguy – Use different stances for different martial arts. Bruce had a complete fighting system that incorporating many different attacks using many more parts of the body. Such because you spent so much time invested in the improper stance doesn’t mean it won’t benefit you to turn back now. You may have to relearn things but it will be easier since you already know how to do them properly and know how the movements will feel when done correctly.
When you think of Bruce Lee you think right side forward. The top and bottom of the right side are in front. However, no one considers his methodology on weight distribution. Unlike the common boxing style of weight on the rear foot he evens the weight on both feet 50-50. The way he puts his weight is the reason he can use his lead as a power hand and not just because its his dominant side.
I also tried out putting all my weight on the lead foot. When I did my lead punch felt like a power shot and the momentum of the rear punch shifts to the top of the lead foot when you punch so you have two power hands.
In other words, if you put your weight under your weaker side it doesnt make sense. You have to get the grounding under your lead to punch powerfully with your lead.
…
what’s your record in professional boxing?
@RAY – Hi Ray, I’m honored you think I’m even a pro, LOL. I’m hardly even an amateur fighter! I was just fortunate to have been trained by some highly experienced trainers, fighters from boxing as well as other fighting arts. Thanks for stopping by.
Nonito Donaire
Barrera
Marvin Hagler
Manny Pacquiao
Juan Marquez
Juan Lopez
Andre Ward
Jon Jones
Anderson silva
Lyoto
Winky Wright
naseem hamed
Michael Moorer
Cotto
Chad Dawson
ODLH
Victor Ortiz
i know that my left hand is stronger still i fight from orthodox rarely switch too southpaw, i have a strong jab and a good right but still believe and know for various reasons that my left is stronger should i mayb try too pick up technique in the southpaw stance or maintain my current stance
D.C., I would just have a trainer check you out on the mitts from both stances and he’ll be able to tell you which one is probably better for you.
Hi, I am right handed orthodox stance, but my left eye is my dominant eye. Also, I play soccer, and I am left footed. Am I a freak who has a foundational detrimental flaw that will forever impare me? NOt sure if relevant, but I masterbate with my left hand
Thomas N, what hand do you hold the computer mouse with? And what stance do you ride a skateboard/snowboard with?
i use a right hand for computer mouse, when i skate i have my left foot forward
but when i skate i use my front(left) leg to push
idk
I use my right hand for the computer mouse, but can’t open a pickle jar with my right, only my left, and i have my right foot forward in skateboarding with my left pushing the ground.:o
@Thomas – I think you’re just going to have to have your trainer check you out. So far it sounds to me like you are stronger on your left side but more accurate with your right side. Is that right? If so, leave the accurate side in the back.
@Jeff – Sounds to me like you’re a southpaw.
yep
Thanks Johnny, what’s the topic of your next article?
No problem, Jeff. The upcoming stuff is going to be some more offensive and defensive techniques.
awesome feedback, thanks! I feel extremely comfortable orthodox in both my jab and cross, however the only thing concerning me would be the fact my left eye is my dominant one. Will that impare the accuracy of my right cross?Also, although I was left footed in soccer, I was pretty comfortable handling and kicking the ball with both feet it is just my left foot was my go-to
Don’t worry too much. I’m a left-eye dominant and fight as an orthodox, too. Just make sure you pull that right shoulder forward when you throw the right hand. That will help the accuracy.
switching stances
Guys dont be confused about the stuff, if someone ought to be whining , its me *: i hae trained for years as a taekwondo jin , winning many local national competitions and our style incorporates frequent switching of stance, let to right so we usually train our weak side first i a set, but boxing is different from other martial arts you just have to use the stronger arm put it in the stronger canon and fire when yor find an opening. the switching stuff is no problem if your at least at the gatekeeper level, thanks alot johny for the column
confused
Johnny, is it more important for the dominant-eye or the dominant-arm to be behind? I know I’m right-eye dominant and when it comes to accuracy or fine-motor skills I use my right arm, but when it come sports I shoot pucks and balls all on my left, it’s definitely more powerful.
Sorry I take it back I should have read the rest of the article, thanks Johnny!
This article is idiotic
Use whatever stance you are most comfortable with. Oscar De La Hoya, Cotto, Hagler, Ortiz Winky Wright, some of the best fighters fight with their power hand up front
This article talks in absolutes like “this WILL happen or that WILL happen” No…its never cut and dry like that.
You can easily make your weaker arm stronger, plus your weak arm will be getting help from your body if your throwing the cross correctly with the hips swinging, abs, legs, shoulders and screwing in the foot
The jab will be stronger because its naturally strong
Therefore in essence you have TWO POWERFUL HANDS if you fight with your ‘dominant’ hand in front
I agree. As does Bruce Lee and all of the fighters that influenced him. After years of fighting and training, researching into fight science, with confidence I train with my dominant side as the lead. Although, I strive to be proficient with either side, as that is the ideal.
Learn for yourselves, people. Test it yourself, throughly, and you will find what works for you. Look to the greats, like Dempsy and Driscoll.
This article is idiotic #2
The article write says:
“Hi Ray, I’m honored you think I’m even a pro, LOL. I’m hardly even an amateur fighter! I was just fortunate to have been trained by some highly experienced trainers, fighters from boxing as well as other fighting arts. Thanks for stopping by.”
^ LOL are you people really gonna be taking advice from a guy like this
If you move better in one stance its because your body cordination and balance is naturally better in that stance…SO YES IT IS THE STANCE THAT HELPS MOVEMENT
The Cubans experimented with making their fighters fight with their lead hand up front and were EXTREMELY SUCCESSFUL WITH IT. Google it and read up on it
Better hook, Better Jab, Good enough cross because of putting your body behind it, stronger lead hand “shield” to block harder shots coming in…Fighting with your dominant hand up front IS A GOOD IDEA
once again dont listen to this article, fight in the stance that you are most comfortable in.
Be a man and leave it up there
Its cowardice to delete someones opinion just because you dont like it
Any way…This article is wrong period.
eye at front or back
surely the advantage of having the better eye at front is that you don’t get caught with as punches as much?
@Jordan – I think you want a combination of the best eye and best hand in the rear.
What if one is cross-dominant? My right arm is dominant but my right eye is weak.
a punch by another name
coach im not sure if you didnt mention it because this is supposed to be advanced stuff. but im sure you know the powers from the feet hips and back the arms are 20% at the most. guys who are confusded about southpaw or orthodox just try this:
1. stand on left foot only orthodox stance and throw a short right cross (3 feet from fist to bag)
2. stand on right foot only southpaw stance and throw a short left cross (3 feet from fist to bag)
no hooks, crosses. straight punches. almost every boxer who got caught up with the legends of Rocky and hagler and the mystic dominance of the southpaw in the gym tested ourselves.
2 people changed their stance and have better punches for it (though we wish they hadnt found out 🙂
there are 4 crosses: the straight we all know, and someone can wing it with bad coordination. the looping cross which is stinking technique and shouldnt be a reason to change even if it was great. the fast cross, like a 1-2 to set up a cross or break up a power puncher’s rhythm who is moving through your single or double jabs. and most important. the short cross. this is a counter punch that can finish a fight. it can work inside as good as the left hook, it can go inside the swinging left hook. and it defines true power punching more than any other move. the most power is in the left hook. the most accurate power punch is that short sweet right hook. it was a specialty of the 5 greatest heavyweight punchers: dempsey. louis. marciano. tyson. foreman (though he didnt learn how to use it in his earlier years it won him a championship at 46). there are so many others whose short right is so much more than their long distant cross: trinidad, pacquaio (his long punch can be avoided by all the good fighters), you guys want your best power in your long and specially your short cross. if going southpaw gives you that, go for it. and as coach said, hooks are rarer and more of a gift. crosses can be built on technique like jabs.
Great post! wish johnny would do a post on the different types of crosses, hooks, jabs, etc. It’s tough to learn these from a website, they are just too intricate.
You’re right, it’s hard to learn them all from a website. And believe me, it’s even harder to explain.
the jab hook defense and footwork dont improve by changing to lefty
the most powerful jab isnt worth a good cross. sonny liston, larry holmes, joe louis, sugar ray robinson, sam langford, roy jones jr, hearns, pacquaio had POWERFUL jabs. no KOs for any of them im talking fighters with like 500 bouts between them. guys jab power isnt from your bloody hand its from your foot falling forward and your shoulder and how fast your motion is, how straight you are, how hard your hand closes, how heavy your hands are, how good area of contact is. and my fellow fighters your left jab will be at least 95% as good as your right jab even if your right arm is 18″ wide and your left 13″ you can test it. dont worry about it guys its in shoulder, technique and the weight of the foot what someone called the falling step.
stance should not improvement as coach says unless you got one weak leg or are offbalance to a side or forward or back. and in that case changing to southpaw isnt gonna save you from eventual ruin. fix your stance. if one leg is worse or slower than the other, you may even consider changing your style but stance change wont help. become a swarmer or slugger instead of a boxer. basketball players have one leg better than the other moving or stopping in boxing you gotta go both ways nearly equal. so learn to work with what you have. dont change stance for that.
parrying, blocking, slipping, bobbing and weaving capability doesnt change with stance. however the hand which is faster will be better in front. and strangely enough, it is the weaker hand which is faster for me. i dont know if i trained it that way due to boxing or basketball. but i like this game called `who can grab first’ putting money on the table 2 guys seeing who grabs first. the weaker hand seems to just try to get there while the stronger hand or dominant hand tries to be accurate and hard. you dont want accurate and hard when blocking or parrying you wanna get the hand there in time.
so the only reason to change stance is if your short cross is better from southpaw stance, or your cross is still good (if youre that talented or ambidextrous) and you have a killer right lead hook. if someones short cross gets better if you go southpaw you should have a better lead right hook than a lead left hook. youll be attacking the left chin of an orthodox fighter. the only advantage the right lead hook has over the short right cross is the fact that the southpaw can lead with that punch. and while southpaws are super rare, even amongst southpaws powerful lead right hooks are RARE.
my left eye is dominate, but im a right handed person
When I picked up boxing I learned it on my own. I read articles like this, watch videos, and try to pick it up. I always started off as a southpaw, but my strong hand feels like its my right. I feel really comfortable standing at southpaw. Also my dominate eye is my left. I feel like I can throw a cross with my right and my left just my right is a lil stronger. I’m not sure should I be an orthodox or a southpaw. Help please.
@bigman sam – I think you should have a trainer check you out. He will know best. It sounds to me like your technique is still raw.
Orthodox/Southpaw
ya that makes sense know , when I was just practicing for my first time I thought it was okay to put your strong arm in front , I didn’t really think it matters but know I get it.
@bigman sam
perhaps some experience i have may be useful to you bro. the main purpose of the stance is simply to maximise your power, and your ability to use both your hands-the front to jab and hook, and the back to hit hard or throw the occasional fast unexpected lead.
it all comes down to where your power is, the right or left leg chaining up to your shoulder. here’s a test. pretty easy one. when you’re in say southpaw stance, and your shoulders are nearly square, and you punch the bag with your left cross from a distance of no more than 2 feet (no pulling back, no shoulder turning by throwing your jab first) how do u feel ? do you feel the power go in from the legs, up the side of the left ribs and into your shoulder and elbow and fist ? what does the heavy bag say ? can you get it to depress and just swing slowly, or can you get it to quiver and shake and really move ? try the same test with your right hand. how does that feel ? is it more powerful ? do you feel the transfer of power the same way ? what does the bag say ? does it quiver and have a boom and move fast, or does it feel like a push ? if it feels like pushing a kid on a swing, thats not power. thats pushing. and it wont knock anyone out. u want something tha bag to look like a whiplash effect where the part you hit literally quivers and vibrates. thats power. that will hurt opponents.
force = mass x acceleration. now if u have very little acceleration but lots of mass, youre like a steam truck. it can push. but it will not break you into 2 pieces. if u have very high acceleration, like a ferrari. thats what u want. u want an acc of 3 m/s(2) and a weight of 50, rather than a weight of 100 and a force of 1.5 m/s(2). as force they are equal. as KO power-there’s a world of difference. btw this is just an analogy.
some people feel the natural power of their cross in their right. and their natural hook in their left. im one of those-it was pretty easy for me to realise my short right and my left hook were my best moves. in basketball, or football or american football, if you play it, which foot do you like jumping off ? which foot do you use to stop yourself ? if someone find his left foot is more dominant in stopping himself, or in jumping, he should go orthodox. if someone finds he can change directions easier from his left to his right, his left leg is dominant. so he should go orthodox. remember brother. ur hands, are just instruments assistants to your defensive and offensive moves. even if you can press a dumbbell 50 pounds with one hand and 100 with the other, and u feel that should determine your power, understand this. that is strength. slowly pushing. try to do a pushup and send ur body 2 feet in the air from the position where ur chest is near the floor . im pretty sure its impossible no matter how strong your arms are. but everybody can jump at least 2 feet in the air. and ppl regularly jump 3 feet or more in the air using their legs off ONE FOOT 🙂 so i hope u get my meaning about the 4x explosiveness of your legs vs your arms and chest.
your legs are upto 4 times more EXPLOSIVE than your arms. power is in the legs and the hips. then the torso, then the shoulders, then the arms. so the arm is just an accessory bro. which is your power leg ? no fighter can punch hard unless they PLANT THEIR FEET.
of course, southpawing even when your main leg is your left, can still have its benefits. hagler used to do it de la hoya used to do it, u can see cotto do it, marguez did it. but its not to throw a powerful rear cross. it’s to change the angle for the jab, the angle for the hook. to get a breather, to mess up the other fighter’s rhythm. not for power.
first u have to KNOW the fundamentals. balance, hand position, elbow position, how to keep your feet normally, how to move side to side, circle, strafe backwards (not the same thing). how to defend with your stance, blocking up and down, slipping, bobbinb and weaving or at least ducking. and the different punches and how to combine them into combos.
southpaws choose that stance depending on WHICH HAND THROWS THE BEST SHORT CROSS. if u have a 10% better short left hand cross on the heavy bag or hurt ur opponents more with that hand than with the short right cross, southpaw is the better option for u. otherwise its orthodox.
your dominant hand does not really matter that much. hagler was a very good southpaw. cotto is a purely lefthanded person he writes and signs with his left does things with his left. he fights orthodox because his punches and balance are better from that stance. and he gets a good stiffer left jab than he otherwise would. but he doesnt KO with a jab 🙂
Your math is wrong. Simple physics stares that speed is squared when timed by mass alone to create force, that’s why you have the aforementioned KO power discrepancy.
am i screwed
i wear glasses im right handed with a stronger right leg but a bad right eye any help would be a help at this point
@LFF box – you’re not screwed. Just use whatever feels most comfortable. If you can see out of that right eye, you are fine. You’re aiming at a person that’s right in front of you, not a golf hole from 100 yards away.
after 8 years southpaw my trainer wants to switch me orthodox
I’v been boxing 8 years as an amateur 24 now got approached by a new trainer looking to turn me pro next year, obviously in the past i’v switched stance never liked it,
he’s convinced im orthodox although my power hand is my left I am right footed,
I feel my right jab is faster, sometimes I freeze up orthodox and my foot movement doesn’t come naturally Find myself switching back (only been practicing a few weeks) , the range is alot better with my leading left orthodox stance, thats about it…. does any have an oppinion on this ?
For sure you will ALWAYS feel better in the stance you learned first…especially if it’s been developed for 8 years. But give your trainer’s advice a chance. See if you might be naturally orthodox after all. Don’t worry about range and power. Doing something different will always feel weird, even if it is the right thing to do. Throwing the jab properly felt weird when I first tried it.
Its a myth that if you turn south paw as a right hander you loose power in the rear hand! Of course you do initially but just because the left side is less co-ordinated dosnt mean its weaker as soon as the co-ordination is up to par its just as powerful. Just requires practice for your nervous system to learn.
If youve ever done weight lifting for example the bench press or squat you find initially your right side is stronger but after a while you often find the left side catches up or actually becomes stronger than the right side since it had a greater overload on it since it was weaker to start with.
But anyway the ONLY difference between the left and right side of a right handed person is that the left side is used less and so is weaker initially. BUT it has exactly the same potential for strength and power with practice.
Co-ordination on the other hand is a slightly different story you have a life time of using the right hand for every day tasks so its naturally more co-ordinated and probably always will be (unless you intentionally make yourself left handed (e.g. some people are forced to after a broken arm and never go back to being right handed once its healed it just comes down to habit) But anyway since your right hand is likely to remain the most co-ordinated and since you use the lead the majority of the time and since most peoples experience is fighting against orthodox fighters your better off fighting as a southpaw even though your right handed!
Also putting the right hand as lead dosnt make it more powerful since your pushing off with the left leg! (depending on how you throw your jab) It may be more powerful to begin with but after practice its nearly exactly the same!
what are the top 10 most important things in boxing that you must never ever do?
Great article idea…I’ll have to do some thinking.
I have had 75 amature bouts as a southpaw and now have learned that i should have been an orthodox boxer!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
75 amateur bouts from your switch stance? Jay, you’re ambidextrous to me.
I write with my write hand and hold a fork with my right hand ( could not do either with the left ) Im right eye dominant. There was a lots of southpaws in our gym and I think I just coyped them. Years later I was told that it was all to with the way your legs would take you? I think by then I had been a southpaw so long I just moved better that way.
A right-handed southpaw is generally a bad idea, although more and more I’m seeing professional fighters doing this. (some are plainly obvious, while some can punch with both hands. An easy tell is the arm they throw repeated haymakers with, or which arm they raise)
A left-handed orthodox fighter is not such a bad idea and has been done throughout history, probably even outside of boxing, and not always by choice. There are at least two reasons for this: most left-handed people are far more adept using their right hand than a right-handed person vice versa, and the left hook is one of the best punches in boxing. In fact, many right handed fighters become one armed bandits with their left ANYWAY. The late great Joe Frazier probably being one of worst(or best) examples.
Anything to consider is that your footwork will be more comfortable depending on how you ride a skateboard “goofy” or regular. It’s a really weird phenomenon that isn’t related to your dominant leg. I’m not sure that makes it worth the the other drawbacks however.
I’m a right handed southpaw, I have a sledge hammer right jab & hook, but my left hand is vicious. I have total fun with orthodoxes with jabs and hooks, till I set up the angle for the straight left. My opinion strong front makes the back strong off leverage.
Strong Jab- creates space, distance, & power.
Strong Right Hook- blind siding punch against orthodoxes & other southpaws, + gives you the T advantage.
Weak Hand in the back- (used properly, creates great openings from the jab and hook.)
But theres a different world from southpaws & orthodoxes.
THE right handed southpaws & left handed orthodoxes
All the strong handed boxers in history caused problems because of this advantage.
James Corbett- true southpaw, …. left handed orthodox with vicious left hooks
Miguel Cotto… true southpaw…. left handed orthodox with vicious jabs & left hooks
Victor Ortiz …. true orthodox … right handed southpaw with vicious right jabs and hooks
Oscar De La Hoya… true southpaw… left handed orthodox with vicious left jab& hook.
Lyoto Machida…. true orthodox … right handed southpaw.. Strong front
Anderson Silva …. true orthodox …. right handed southpaw…. Strong front
Rich Franklin… true orthodox … fights southpaw …. Strong front
Bruce Lee … right handed…. converted southpaw
Frank Mir…. right handed… right handed southpaw…
The list goes on….
I have to add that MMA fighters are a different story. The kicking and grappling came is totally different making it far more natural to stand with the dominant side forward at times. Those guys often switch stances while fighting especially when throwing multiple kicks.
Still same thing, there’s A LOT of boxers who fight strong side forward. Boxing with the strong side in front is a HUGE advantage
Does a left handed orthodox beat a righted handed southpaw?
Depends on the fighter, the situation, and the match-up.
Was thinking “they” say Joe Calzaghe was a right handed southpaw, Jeff lacy left hook and right hand just could not land at all!
If he was a left handed orthodox would he have done any better? (jeff lacy)
I don’t know, Jay. Calzaghe was always more talented than Jeff Lacy though.
Johnny, your articles are amazing…
I don’t mean to contradict you on this one but there are several fighters who are naturally left-handed that fight in the orthodox stance. Oscar De La Hoya, Miguel Angel Cotto, Marco Antonio Barrera to name a few.
I am actually one of these unusual cases myself… I am left handed (even left footed)
but from day One, fighting orthodox felt natural… I even tried southpaw but my form was just natural from the Orthodox Stance…It could just be me, because even though I’m left handed there are certain things that I’m more comfortable doing “the right way”, for instance I play guitar & drums the (right way) even though I always had the option of both.
A a fighter I was able to develop my “weak hand ” and Now I’ve had KO’s with both hands.
For me it wasn’t about the stronger hand, it was more about having proper form/technique.
Even Freddie Roach told me once, ” If I could chose between having a good right or a good left hook…I’d choose the hook, because it’s closer to the opponent “
I can agree that a good hook is potentially more valuable than a good cross…but I wouldn’t stretch the context to imply that fighting switch stance is better. I’m sure you’d get the same reaction if you asked all the coaches at Wildcard including Freddie himself. I’ve been to Wildcard and they do NOT preach a switch stance.
I’m glad you found what works for you, Erick.
Just remember that the examples you listed are the exception, not the norm. 😉
Hey,
I only started boxing again a few months ago.
I assumed an orthodox hand because I am right-handed and in terms of pure strength my right side is much stronger than my left. However, throwing a right punch has always been a slightly awkward and disjointed motion for me and as a result I cannot generate as much power in my punches.
To make matters worse, I rely heavily on my jab and and left hook in training so my left side is actually getting much faster and stronger; my left punches more powerful; and the power gap between my left-sided and right-sided punches is getting bigger.
The funny thing is when I lift weights my right side is still stronger than my left..
Should I change my stance to southpaw or should I stick with orthdox and work on my technique? Are there any drills you can suggest to develop the power of my right-hand punches?
Cheers,
Alex
You’re right-handed so keep that hand in the back.
Fascinating reading and great info – nice site! I’ve been trying to figure out the orthodox versus southpaw issue for myself for years now. For me it’s not just about boxing in the ring but also looking after myself outside the ring which can make getting away in one piece more important than winning by knockout. To be honest I’m a pretty poor fighter but I do want to make the best of what I’ve got. I’m right handed (eg writing, using a mouse, using scissors, throwing etc) and ‘left legged’ (eg jumping, kicking a football or soccer ball for distance). My body falls naturally into the orthodox stance but my left jab sucks beyond belief (never been able to fire it out naturally or with any speed, snap or power so not confident with it at all) although my right hand fires out OK but you can see it coming a mile away due to lack of a jab – so in orthodox stance I’m pretty much a one handed fighter with my punching hand at the back. When I use the southpaw stance my right jab is fast and powerful (lead hook is OK too) but I can’t throw a decent punch with my left hand – so in southpaw stance I’m pretty much a one handed fighter with my punching hand at the front. So, orthodox or southpaw – what would be your opinion in my case (apart from give it up LOL)? Any feedback appreciated – many thanks in advance.
Orthodox for you.
Hey Johnny, I know you might have answered this already, but… I’m left eye dominant, right hand dominant and right leg dominant, but when i stand in southpaw, my sense of range feels 10x better, but the jab is slow. Dominant eye or dominant hand? Southpaw or orthodox?
Dominant hand, Benji. This guide will tell you why: https://expertboxing.com/how-to-box/how-to-find-your-dominant-hand
What do you think about Bruce Lee(right-handed)?He was a southpaw fighter.
He’s not even a boxer.
Hi Johnny,
Im natural Orthodox but my left knee is in pretty shitty condition and prone to twisting. I started boxing 2months ago and on my 1st light sparring session i twisted it while throwing left hook. So my question is would it be reasonable to consider going Southpaw due to my bad knee?
Don’t go southpaw, make sure you turn your foot with your hips. Your foot should always be pointing in the same direction as your hips.
You kind of contradicted yourself in saying that positioning your strong hand in the front will preoccupy the hand because it has to block and throw punches, when you initially said that the front hand is hardly doing any of the blocking. I find that having your power hand in the front is pure preference and can be effective if trained properly. I find that you have an opinion about this style, and it has lead you to become close minded and ignorant about having your lead hand in front. There are numerous advantages that are granted to a skilled boxer who has trained both hands and has chosen that not only does the strong hand leading open various angles and provides excellent leverage in clinches, but the stronger leg in front allows for you to gain a subtle advantage in controlling the fight. Please do your homework before trying desperately to find a reason to spearhead and put down a style in which you aren’t familiar with because you may be inexperienced or unsuccessful in.
Yes, I’ve done my homework and stepped foot in over several dozen gyms. Left-handers typically stand southpaw and right-handers typically stand orthodox. What I teach is the standard. I’ve tried many things and I have to say I’m a believer in the standard…just as pretty much every coach out there will tell you.
At the end of the day, if you’re winning world championships, nobody can say you’re wrong. But in the meanwhile, for you to call me close-minded and ignorant is very misinformed, my friend. Go to any gym you want and ask the trainers and hear it for yourself.
Hello Johnny!I have question.. I m Orthodox but I m one arm fighter.I use only my left hand which is more fast and powerful.I dont use my right hand as all.My left hand is more powerful from my right,but my right is more accelerate for hooks,more powered.I dont do good hooks with my left hand as my right hand.What i must to do ? Do i must be a Orthodox ? Thank you very much.I loved your videos.
Your dominant hand should be in the back. It’s common for beginners to be one-armed. Take your time and practice. Make sure your stance is not too sideways that the back hand can’t reach. Don’t spar so hard that you’re afraid to throw punches with both hands.
Get it.I true to be southpaw but my right hand is so weak for jabs..The power from my legs,from all body can’t reach the punch with my right hand,but my left cross is good..what you purpose to do ? Thank you very much!
Put the dominant hand in back. Train from there.
Just as Orthodox i’m more cordinated,i have more cordinated moves,than Southpaw..
Wow! Maybe your best post ever! I’ve been boxing for years and my coaches never said anything that I’ve seen here. I don’t mean this as negative, it’s positive. This article is more than just about stance, it’s really about why boxers do what they do. I wish my coaches had said this. I think it would have made me a better boxer.
Hi, I’m naturally left handed but I had a fracture in my left elbow a few years ago.
Straightening my left arm with too much speed causes an uneasy feeling in my elbow, not really painful but it doesn’t feel good for my elbow for some reason. It feels like straightening it is a bit weird.
Which hand would be best forward? My right hand has no problems whatsoever, and I’m not sure but may be stronger.
Your right hand should be in front for sure. You need it for straight jabs and it’s going to be used more often anyway. As for the left hand, you can throw slightly bent arm crosses to avoid straightening the elbow so much.
Hello Johnny! What do you think about cross dominance( also known as mixed-handedness, mixed dominance, or increased hand efficiency, is a motor skill manifestation where a person favors one hand for some tasks and the other hand for others.)I write with my left , my right is stronger. But the people with cross dominance do not have 1 clean dominant hand.So I don’t know wich hand I should put in front or back.
I feel more natural in southpaw,but my weaker hand belongs in the back. On other side, as orthodox fighter I feel myself very creepy.And my dominant eye is left.
I don’t know what to choose,weak (but accurate) cross and good footwork or strong (but not accurate) cross and creepy footwork.
Maybe boxing is not for me? Help me decide pls.
The dominant hand is the more functional one, not necessarily the more powerful one. It’s the one with more motor control, more coordination. Due to learned habits, everyone will experience some form of cross-dominance. Chances are…if you write with that hand, it’s probably your dominant hand.
If anything, I would pick the FASTER hand as the dominant hand rather than the more powerful one.
Aw, I’m really confused now! I write, eat, drink, use my mouse and clean my teeth with my left hand. I use things like saws in either hand with no preference. I throw and lift heavy things with my right hand. I’m left eye dominant and I surf with my right foot forwards. Both my right arm and my right leg feel a lot stronger than my left. Standing with my left foot forwards leaves my legs feeling unstable and rather uncomfortable.
I’ve been going to a boxing exercise class for almost a month now and can’t work out which way feels best when hitting the bag because each way has it’s own merits and negatives, so I find myself constantly swapping when one leg gets tired. I asked my trainer and he just asked which hand I throw with. Can you tell me what I am taking all of this into account please?
Just like to say, I recently stumbled across your website and really like it. Thank you for taking the time to put so much useful information online, it must have taken you ages.
If you consider yourself left-handed, then you need to stand with your left hand in back.
Johnny, I just started boxing and I am not sure which hand is my dominant either…I throw, bat, kick and feel like my left side is stronger BUT I write, eat, play pool, shoot guns and play tennis with my right. Both my Mom and Dad are true lefty’s (write left handed) and I think I may only do the things I do right handed because I was taught that way in school or other places. I do feel somewhat comfortable doing the things I do with my right with the left instead. Doing the things I do left handed (like throwing a baseball and batting) right handed feels totally wrong. Please help!
BTW, your site is an awesome resource for those of us who are starting out! Thanks and keep up the great work!
Check out my article on helping you determine with is your dominant hand. It’s called “How to Find Your Dominant Hand”.
Johnny I have a conundrum for you 🙂 I am left-handed, i kick a ball with my right leg, i wish i could fight south-paw but i’ve always stood regular. i surf regular, i skate regular. i used to fence too – so left hand in front. i feel extremely comfortable approaching opponents regular, but I am concerned that my cross won’t be as effective. That said I’ve got a great leading hand and my cross is enough to put an opponent on the back foot. I’m going to stick with regular stance for now 🙂 but if the time comes I do change, I will let you know that you were right!
Sounds good, Karl! 🙂
Hi Johnny, when it comes to handedness, it’s very complicated for me. I do some tasks with my left, and others with my right. For example, I write with my left hand, I shoot a gun with my left and I eat with my left, but for everything else, I am a righty. I throw a ball with my right, I bat with my right, and I box with my right (orthodox). My left hand is a bit stronger than my right, but I am right eye dominate. So my question is, should I be boxing orthodox or southpaw? Oh and I have been boxing orthodox for three months now, so I don’t know if I should stay with orthodox, or switch. Thanks in advance.
Brian E.
I have started boxing recently and am left handed, with a dominant left eye, but all the exercises in the gym are done in the orthodox stance and only one trainer there lets me box like a southpaw. I have become quite used to the orthodox style, but should I switch to a gym where a southpaw stance is accepted or perhaps attempt southpaw training alone?
Hello Johnny I need help with my dominant hand I write with LEFT hand, throw ball with RIGHT hand, dominant eye is RIGHT, kick ball with RIGHT foot. My LEFT side feels stronger but RIGHT is more accurate. Suggestions please.
Well, i can tell you my own experience. I initially trained as an orthodox because in all likelyness i was one (my right eye is dominant, i write from the right as well) but struggled for 6 months, improving slowly and getting frustrated with my lack of results. But today i actually trained as a southpaw as a test, and i’m amazed with the results. I’m faster, more accurate, move easily and intuitively and do things like the falling step without even thinking about it. Boxing as an orthodox was holding me back.
So my suggestion would be to try the same moves as an Orthodox and as a Southpaw (say on a punchbag) and see what feels more natural for you. If one stance seem ackward, most likely it’s not for you, but if you can do either, look for the one you move and punch faster, or the one you do the less mistakes as.
And also my LEFT hand is faster than RIGHT. 🙂
Hi, interesting article.
I still have issues for a conclusion and need advise:
used to box orthodox. my right hand is way stronger than the left.
BUT: balance (and legs and hip movement) allays felt more comfortable standing southpaw (and as kick-boxing teenager i used to switch stances very often). In addition to that i Recently found out that my left eye is clearly dominant.
So, should i completely adapt and go southpaw (even if the left cross feels rather week)?
thanks in advance
Thats why lennox lewis is one the greatest heavyweights of all time, his simple 1-2 was a killer combo, smart and quick fighter
train both left handed and right, always put strong side forward, lead with your greatest weapon, i dont have time to dance and open up and look to attack, just attack. so youre telling me that if you are right handed you will fight left arm forward. okay so if you are in a knife fight are you going to hold the knife with your right hand far away from the opponent? or are you going to lead with in your right hand toward the opponent? the weaker arm should be back as it requires more travel time to genrate power. but just train both, cause one day you may need both
Please. This is boxing. If you’re going to reference from wisdom, let it from boxing wisdom not knife-fighting wisdom.
Hey Johnny,
I am naturally left handed and fight southpaw, but just found out that I am right eye dominant. Should I switch to orthodox?
Read the title of the article…
Great site! I’m right-handed but goofy footed so I had some trouble with this at first. Now I usually train Orthodox but I’ll switch footing once in a while for a round or two to train my other side so I can strengthen it just in case I had to fight southpaw.
I am left eye dominant..but right handed. Is there hope as an orthodox?
Hi Johnny, I have read all the comments but cannot find anyone in the same position as me. I really need your help choosing the best stance for me.
I am left handed when I write, my left hand is strongest, fastest.
My left foot is strongest, if I was to kick a ball as hard as I can I would do it with my left foot.
However I am right eye dominate!. Does this mean I am inaccurate if I were to fight southpaw
I currently fight using orthodox stance, my strong hand infront.
I feel comfortable, my left is fast and explosive, my right hand feels good at hooks.
However i feel my left hand would be much more powerful if I were to swing using southpaw.
I’m just worried because of my eye dominance is right. Should I change my stance to southpaw or keep it as orthodox
Please reply soon! I would be very greatful.
Doesn’t matter which eye is dominant, put your dominant hand in back.
Oh also my base feels stronger with my left foot forwards (orthodox). If I was to start running I would start with my left foot forwards. If I were to push a heavy object such as a car I would have my right foot behind (orthodox).
Hi!
I started going to the gym to learn boxing 3 months ago, I’m right handed so I use orthodox stance.
But since it take me much time to learn how to properly punch with my right hand, I usually mostly jabbed the bag, to the point that now my left hand is way more powerful that my right arm.
Should I start doing some kind of special training with the right hand? It will stabilize with time? Or should I reverse my stance and I’m really left handed when it comes to punching?
I write with my right hand but I always switched both my hands in another tasks, I barely notice difference in ability between them, besides writing.
I’m Left foot dominat, Left eye dominat, but right hand dominat
My right cross is heavy and slow, but my left cross is fast and accurate?
Do you think I should go for southpaw?
Johnny, I need some help figuring out which stance I should be in. I write with right hand but eat with left hand. My stronger leg for kicking is always my left leg. Naturally, I should go for a Southpaw stance. However, many years ago, I dislocated my “Right Shoulder” and had surgery on my rotatorcuff. Now the more I jab with my right hand, the more i feel sored with my right shoulder. Should I switch to go back to Orthodox and use my left arm to punch more? I love boxing but as I get old (above 40). This little problems start to become bigger problems. Thanks.
hello
i just start boxing trining a couple of months ago
i started in ortodox stance even when i am a left handed person
but i made your eye test and i find my dominant eye is also the left, what is not surprising, so i turn to southpaw
but my dominant foot is the right! i played soccer in my youth with my right foot (but was a pretty bad player by the way) i find i can punch good crosses with both hands but i´d rather feel my the stronger ones comes from my right hand.
how can i decide what stance is better for me before my first real fight?
ty in advance
Hi johnny,
I started boxing last year. I’ve recently been wondering whether I wrongly got taught to fight as an orthodox. I use a computer mouse with my right, I kick a ball with my right.. But before that I had many street fights & I would naturally go into southpaw. Also when I arm wrestled I am positive my left hand is my strong one too.
Also, when I first switched to orthodox it just didn’t feel like my natural stance. When I first started sparring (a couple days after changing to orthodox) I would naturally go straight into south paw under pressure.
Now I am unsure what my natural stance is, as I now seem very co-ordinated as a orthodox (not sure whether it’s just a result of a lot of practice)
Give me your thoughts on what you think I should do?
Thanks, Josh
I’m not convinced you’re a true southpaw if you’re writing and kicking with your right. Seems to me your right hand is your dominant side even if your left is stronger. Try throwing 100 southpaw right jabs and 100 orthodox left jabs, and see which performs better. Try not to care only about strength, but also power, speed, snappiness, and accuracy.
i’m having a hard time deciding if i’m southpaw or orthodox my right hand is faster but i’m unsure which one of my arms is dominant e.i my power hand.
Hey I was just wondering fighters like Vasyl Lomachenko, Andre ward, Marvin Hagler, Oscar De La Hoya, Miguel cotto, and ect had great success fighting with their dominant hand in front. Do you think It’s possible to have that same success as those fighters
lomachenko and pacquaio are righthaded southpaw doesnt matter weak hand in the back
Hello Johnny thanks for the great information you give out here! I am left eyed and left leg dominant, I write with my right but recently have developed my left hand as well and can do many things with it including writing. I am also quite ambidextrous because I am a professional drummer and play the piano.When I was younger I used to skateboard in the regular stance, left leg in front. Do you think I can be a southpaw or should I stick with orthodox?
Thanks
Try hitting the speed bag 500 times with your left, and also 500 times with your right. Whichever hits faster and more accurately is probably the right one. But even without that test, I’d say you’re very clearly an orthodox fighter to me.
Not anymore, we all have grown over the last 30 years. I fought in boxing many years orthodox and MMA right lead many more. Both now depending on the time and place. My front right jab was pretty devastating, then the cross and finish with the right hook. My left jab (double, triple stop hit, etc) was really good for many years.) 1,2,3 (the hook was well….ruined because of bad boxing teaching on hooking a heavy bag.)
Don’t limit yourself. What works for one may not be right for you. Be like water and flow to adapt to the situation.
LOMACHENKO.
Bruce Lee used power hand and power kick in front . I studied his style , it was effective for him . I believe because he combined punches and kicks it worked , Bill Wallace ( super foot) was undefeated. He was a one sided fighter . Mike Tyson used hooks and uppetcuts that worked for him . I say learn all the basics correctly first like what you say I agree you are spot on. Every person will develop their own style you have to Be very good with basics ,train train . What can work for one fighter may be good for him not for you .
You are 100% correct., sorry to bring karate into boxing . I like different styles of fighting .
what if your stronger arm is the right but your left leg is stronger? for example many right hand shooting basketball players jump off their left leg dunking or on layups.
Read the title of the guide? (And actually that cross-chain coordination makes sense as your front leg does more work as well.)
Yes, I know that the strong arm belongs in the back according to the guide, but I was looking for some different strategies for how to leverage a stronger left leg in a traditional stance above and beyond what was discussed. You raise a good point on the cross chain coordination, though.
The traditional stance already puts more weight on the front leg and therefore it does more work. There’s not much more to leveraging it further other than keeping with good footwork technique.
Good point again. I was reading the article yesterday and it just occurred to me, maybe this isn’t something that anyone has thought of before, LOL. But yes, stronger dominant leg in front and dominant hand in back makes sense! Excellent site by the way. I only started boxing at age 50, but I also shared your love of the sport watching on TV for decades. I did Tae Kwon Do as a black belt when I was much much younger, but I want to get into boxing for health and better self defense.
Well done with this article! It was so great and gave me a big lightbulb moment, so I had to comment! I’m fairly new to boxing (it’s been about 9 or 10 months now) and am training under a well-known boxing coach in my area who definitely knows his stuff. I come from a traditional martial arts background (Karate, Taekwondo, Aikido, and Hwa Rang Do). I was one of those guys who bought into the whole “traditional martial arts are superior” crap for years and years. I’ve always been fascinated by boxing. So when I had a little falling out at the last traditional school I was at for around 12 years, I decided to get out of my comfort zone and walk into a boxing gym. Best decision I ever made! I just love boxing and am very passionate about it. I’m almost 40 now, so I doubt I’ll ever be able to compete or anything. But everything I’m learning about boxing just makes sense…it’s very practical and effective. Traditional martial arts definitely have some great benefits. But only now after training in boxing am I finally getting confident in my actual fighting ability. Now I’m seeing what the whole boxing and MMA craze is all about. But I digress. The point I wanted to make was this: Since I started training in boxing with my coach, I’ve been using the proper stance as you suggested (I’m right handed, so my power hand is in the back). However, until reading this great article, I never fully understood why boxing traditionally don’t switch stances like in traditional martial arts. But now I get it and it makes perfect sense! Thanks Johnny and keep up the great work! I’m using your website to compliment my training in the gym. Once I absorb all of your free content, I will be purchasing your courses.
Hello Johnny, I am fighting with an orthodox stance, but my left hand is stronger and faster. But, since I am kickboxing, I have developed my front kicks, making it very uncomfortable for me to switch stances. Also, it’s a bit harder for me to balance from a southpaw stance.