The Philly Shell is an effective style. Little wonder, it’s used by some boxers who are at the very top of their game. Fortunately, there’s no perfect, impenetrable style. In this article, we’d check out tips that’d help you crack boxers who use it.
Top 5 Tips Against Philly Shell:
- Attack The Body
- Keep Your Lead Foot On The Outside
- Double Your Jab
- Throw The Overhand Right
- Take The Fight To The Inside
Shane Mosley used some of these tips in his fight against Floyd Mayweather. In fact, at one point, he almost knocked Floyd out. We saw Floyd’s knees buckled, and he seemed a tad dizzy. Now, let’s check out each tip and how you can use them effectively.
- Attack The Body
The shell is effective, but if you’re observant, you’d notice that there are openings in the lower part of the body and a part of the chest that may be exposed. Of course, your opponent will try to protect these areas. And, now and then, in the heat of the action, their defense will crack. One trick you could use is to feint. You could make them believe you’re about to crack them on the head, so they’d raise their lead shoulder (and consequently the lead hand). Instead, use the left to unleash a couple of jabs to the exposed part of the body. And aim for your initial target (head), before they’re able to get back into the shell.
You’ve got to repeatedly attack their body anytime you get a chance. And also use jabs to create openings. The goal of attacking the body is to wear them down. Since the shell offers them relatively good defense, you want to rob them of energy, so that an uppercut or dizzying hook from you could crack their shell. A right hook to the body is highly effective too. You’d want to aim behind the elbow, otherwise, they’d simply block it.
Julius Caesar Chaves focused mainly on attacks to the body to win his fight with Roger Mayweather (Floyd’s uncle and trainer) who’s a Philly Shell fighter. At one point, the attacks on his body took a toll on him, and he couldn’t continue the fight.
2. Keep Your Lead Foot On The Outside
The Philly shell is a great position. I must have expressed that sentiment before. So, one of the ways to beat it is to also work on your own positioning. Don’t keep your lead foot on the inside. If you do, you’d limit your ability to move fast and you won’t have much access to the side of their body, which is a great place to target and hit repeatedly. So, keep your lead foot on the outside. Compare having it inside and then outside while you’re training with a partner and see the difference.
When you’ve got your lead foot on the outside, it’s also easier for you to duck and roll, and it’s a bit more difficult for some of the punches he’s gonna be aiming at you to reach you. One of the best ways to get this foot position right is to do it while you’re punching them. Don’t make it too obvious. Another way is to bait your opponent to throw a jab, and then slip outside when they do. That way, it feels natural. If it’s obvious, a good boxer may move back or sideways to prevent you from getting into that position, because they’re hip to the damage that can be done from that angle.
3. Double Your Jab
The jab as you know is the most versatile punch. It’s also the most vital punch, and you can use it for a variety of purposes. Naturally, you’d need it to weaken your opponent’s defense. Against a Philly Shell boxer, you want to employ consecutive jabs to the head, midsection, and lower torso, which are uncovered. They’d try to cover them, but if your jabs are consecutive, and coupled with feints, you’d be able to weaken the defense and then land unexpected hooks and crosses.
So, you want to use consecutive jabs, now and then, to upset their defense and set up power punches. Being in the shell makes your opponent a bit secure. You want to heighten the pace of the fight and make them insecure by throwing consecutive jabs. Let them know who’s in charge.
4. Throw The Overhand Right
It’s hard for many Philly Shell (PS) fighters to defend the overhand right. So, you wanna capitalize on this weakness. The overhand right is “the nemesis” of many who use the PS. You can use it well if you’re taller than your opponent or if you’re quick at pivoting. But it’s also effective, even if you’re about the same height. When you crack them with an overhand right, it destabilizes them. It’d probably push them back a bit. Don’t waste this opportunity, unleash a flurry of punches. If they move out of the shell, use an uppercut to end them.
When you deploy an overhand right correctly (and you’re not too short) it’d connect with a side of the opponent’s head. If you’re able to make it a sucker punch, then it’s more lethal. If your opponent’s got experience with the PS, they’d angle their body back and shoulder roll. So, to get them, aim, expecting they’d lean back and let your punch follow the trajectory of their head movement. Let it connect. Make it count.
5. Take The Fight To The Inside
Many fighters who use the Philly Shell often focus on defense (and they’re good at it). So, they’re more comfy when they’re not too close to their opponent. One way to trounce them is to take the fight inside: that’s to say, take the fight really close to them. Close the distance. They’d feel uncomfortable psychologically and vulnerable physically. Take the fight inside. This will help you heighten the intensity of the fight. It’d put more pressure on your opponent and they can become easily frustrated as they find it difficult to execute their playbook.
You’d be able to crack their defense and exploit any opportunity the intensity opens up. The pressure can also help negate some advantages they may have over you. Because you’re close to them, jabs would be a tad difficult, but you can wield hooks and uppercuts, and both are even more lethal. So, you’ve gotta take the fight to ‘em. Smoke ‘em outta their shells.
Read on for more effective tips to help you clip the wings of Philly Shell boxers.
Heighten The Pace
If you study many PS fighters, they’re kind of laid back and cool. They focus more on the defense. Of course, they’re studying you, looking for an opportunity to clip you. Rob them of that “calm” demeanor. Increase your speed and be alert to openings as you do this. Ruffle their feathers. Roy Jones did this excellently in his fight against James Toney. Toney is a strong PS dude. Jones didn’t allow him to enjoy being in the shell, he was all over him. He used blows to the body and some powerful uppercuts to prise open the shell.
Jones was fast and gave Toney a lot of grief. In fact, he kept rushing him and unleashed about 5 blows to Toney’s head! By the second round, we could see that Jones’ approach was already yielding fruit. He almost knocked Toney out! In the third round, Toney fell. He could stand, but the shell had been cracked.
Be in Great Shape
Truth be told, cracking a master of the PS won’t be a walk in the park. They’re gonna be able to parry and block a considerable chunk of your punches. In addition to all the points we’ve explored above, one subtle, yet effective way to trounce them is to work on your conditioning. When Zab Judah was asked why he thought Floyd Mayweather was the greatest boxer ever, he said Floyd’s work ethic was crazy. The kind of dude that’d go on a 10-mile run immediately after a 5-6 hour gym session!
So, you’d better come correct if you’re gonna crack dudes like that. Being in great shape would make you more mobile and swifter and your punches would pack more power. In the words of the great poet and pugilist (:-)), you’d be able to “float like a butterfly and sting like a bee.” What’s not to like. A great PS fighter is calculating. He’s looking for an opportunity to make you eat sucker punches. If you’re in great shape, you’d be nimble, and it’d be easy for you to duck, roll, pivot… And you’d make the best of the few openings you’re gonna get.
The game doesn’t belong to the person who threw the most punches. The game belongs to the master of defense, who also makes the best of the shots they get (however few they may be). Think Pareto Principle. Boxing is a cerebral game, champ. That’s why it’s called the “sweet science.” Master the tips we explored in this article, they’d help you create bitter experiences for those confident, Philly Shell fighters.