Tall, rangy southpaws can be awkward and tricky to handle. In this article we will examine 5 ways to deal with and counter a tall, long range southpaw. There are 5 main techniques which can help you obtain the upper hand over a tall southpaw, and these are:
- Win The Lead Foot Battle
- Jab While Circling To Your Left
- Use The Right Cross
- Use The Left Hook
- Get On The Inside Safely
Let’s examine each tactic in further detail and look at why they are effective against a tall southpaw.
- Win The Lead Foot Battle
One of the major skills to master when fighting a tall southpaw is the ability to win the battle to have your lead foot on the outside – this simple means that your left foot is always placed on the outside of your opponent’s right foot. Though simple, this trick can help ensure that you control the fight. Having your lead foot on the outside allows you to place yourself in a better position to move and attack, and allows you to take the lead and force your opponent’s moves to benefit you. You will also be in a better position to throw left hooks, crosses and jabs, all of which land slightly to the side of the enemy – they will constantly be on the defense in an attempt to keep your punches at bay, allowing you to go in for the full attack.
There are a few simple ways to achieve this:
- Walk Over
If you are fighting an opponent not known for their foot work, you may simply be able to step over, placing your foot in the advantageous position, without them realising that you are gaining the upper hand.
- Bob and Weave or Slip
When you have a chance and your enemy is on the offensive, you can use your shorter height to your full advantage. Move quickly, bobbing and weaving to avoid their blows and punches, but move to the left while you do this – this will provide the perfect opportunity to place your foot on the outside, instantly allowing you to turn the fight,
- Sidestep Jab
Jabs are an essential tool against taller southpaws, as they allow you to use your opponent’s weight against them, Take advantage of this by sidestepping everytime you let loose with a double or triple jab; the jab will keep your opponent busy and distracted, allowing you to place your foot firmly on the outside. These jabs can also be used to set up a cross once you are in position, offering a dual attack to blindside your opponent.
- Jab While Circling To Your Left
Once you have placed your lead food on the outside – and worked to keep it there – you need to also make the most of movement. As a shorter fighter, you have the advantage of agility over a taller southpaw; every inch in height will slow them down, forcing their reactions to take a nanosecond longer, while the mirror effect of their southpaw stance can be disarming, causing focus to lapse. Once your foot is in place, you can start to circle to the left while jabbing; this has two advantages. You will be in a perfect position to throw a cross and keep up a steady flurry of jabs, and, at the same time, are blocking crosses from the southpaw, allowing you to focus solely on right hooks or the occasional jab. This frees up your focus, allowing you to move more quickly and deliver fast, effective blows.
- Use The Right Cross
A right cross is a counter which crosses over the left lead hand of your opponent, and can be a real benefit when facing a southpaw – especially for orthodox fighters who will be using their strength the opposite way. Using both of the techniques we discussed above – gaining the outside advantage and circling – you can set up a flawless right cross to the head, without your opponent seeing the movie coming. If you are really fast, you can even throw a right cross at the same time your enemy throws his jab – this will really throw them off guard and could see you claim the upper hand. Feints are also great for setting up right crosses; feint a jab to bait your opponent, and then go in with a killer right cross they never see coming. With enough speed and agility behind you, their height will no longer be an advantage.
- Use The Left Hook
In addition to a strong right cross, perfecting your left hook can also help you to obtain the element of surprise, and is super easy to set up once you have gained the lead food on the outside advantage. This footwork will leave your opponent continually attempting to establish their lead food on the outside, and a left hook delivered at the right time can totally block this. This will lso force the other fighter to move to the left – perfectly in line with the right cross you are setting up. Continually circling left will also help to offset the balance and rhythm of the fight, keeping you in control, and this means that your enemy is more likely to miss – remember, it takes a lot for energy to swing and miss when you are tall. Over time, this allows you to wear down your opponent, forcing them to constantly fight on the defence, and leaving their guard wide open for you to go in with a killer left hook.
You can also defend yourself this way; every time they go in with a jab or cross, counter with a left hook, while simultaneously pulling back with the lead foot and swinging clockwise, moving you neatly out of harm’s way while still attacking.
- Get On The Inside Safely
Getting close enough to cause some damage is often a real challenge for shorter fighters, especially if you are an orthodox taking on a taller southpaw; this can get confusing very quickly, causing you to make silly mistakes and lose the advantage. Getting on the inside as a shorter fighter is really all about speed and agility, and so feints and jabs will become your new best friends. The trick is to keep the opponent on the defence as much as possible, using a series of quick-fire jabs and combos, as well as circling to the left, to reduce their chance of getting in a clean hit.
The goal is to get inside, deliver your blow, and move out of range as quickly as possible – preferably in the same move. The left hook can be a killer weapon here if used correctly – use your weight to move your lead foot back as you follow through on the punch, allowing you to pivot out of range and get back on the outside. Using a combination of inside and outside will help to tire out your opponent, while keeping your energy up and your footwork slick for fast, effective movements. Jabs are also key here – you can get in, attack and get out before the opponent has a chance to react.
Orthodox V Southpaw: How To Secure A Win
A fight between an orthodox and a southpaw is always going to raise a few interesting challenges, and can be a great way to test your skills, versatility and flexibility. The tips above can really make the difference between a win or lose if used correctly – remember that your footwork is likely to be a key aspect to success or failure, so run plenty of drills to work on this.
It can also help to observe a real ourthodox v southpaw fight in action, to see what these tips look like in a genuine fight. Some of the major matches to analyse are exploded below.
- Floyd Mayweather Jr vs Zab Judah
This fight is a great example for those looking to study the benefits of a strong right hand cross. Mayweather started the fight at a disadvantage thanks to Judah’s speed and solid left cross; this was designed to unbalance Mayweather, leaving him continually fighting on the defence. Using lead right crosses, Mayweather regained the advantage, blending these with left hooks to the head and body to turn the tables and keep Judah on the back foot.
- Lucas Matthysse vs Demarcus Corley
Corley’s southpaw style has seen him enjoy wins over some of the best fighters in history, making him a formidable foe. Matthysse managed to gain the upper hand using a powerful left hook, set up by a right cross as we discussed earlier. This allows Matthysse to use his strengths – a killer punch and deadly combos – to his full advantage, even when fighting a southpaw.
- Erik Morales v Manny Pacquiano
A blend of left hooks and right crosses helped Morales defeat Pacquiao’s famous left cross’ prior knowledge of this favored move allowed Morales to unleash a combination which kept Pacquiao on the back foot and fighting on the defense, backing him into a corner to allow Morales to head safely on the inside and unleash punches until he emerged victorious.