Is it just old fashioned to teach the orthodox stance?

[TheLeprechaun]

Oscar DLH
Miguel Cotto
Michael Moorer
Andre Ward

Are just some guys who kept their dominant hand out front rather than behind. I have to say when I walked into a boxing gym as a kid it felt more natural to have my strong hand in front and fight as a southpaw (im right handed) but I was trained to have an orthodox stance.

Considering you throw 75%+ of your punches with your lead hand, why not have that hand out front? Especially if you're right handed because that makes you now a southpaw which is much more awkward for opponents.

[coneye]

Personaly i've always felt its the feet that should dictate what you are ,, lots of people are like me , ambidexerous , can use both hands equally has well ,, but a true southpaw will kick with his left foot ..

[dalcumly]

I'm left handed and when I first went to a boxing club in the 70's i boxed southpaw. But all I could do was throw big left handers ( they caused problems right enough!!) and my right hand was hopeless. In later years as a trainer and I was 'playing about' it was more natural to be orthodox because I could do more with my left as a lead.
Dave Charnley was right handed but boxed southpaw. For years as a top amateur and then world level professional he caught so many people with his strong right hand it was simply incredible. Even when Dave got to the top his opponents STILL treated him as a southpaw and so many were knocked out by right hooks.

[Boxerbeetle]

Personaly i've always felt its the feet that should dictate what you are ,, lots of people are like me , ambidexerous , can use both hands equally has well ,, but a true southpaw will kick with his left foot ..

I’m usually considered left handed because I write left handed... but I do pretty much everything else right handed, and box orthodox. Seems to be no rhyme or reason to it sometimes.

[paddy chavez]

It creates one handed fighter that are easy to read most of the time

[Oiky]

A lot of people say they feel more comfortable boxing southpaw

I can go both, but I mainly stick in orthodox

[TheLeprechaun]

I'm left handed and when I first went to a boxing club in the 70's i boxed southpaw. But all I could do was throw big left handers ( they caused problems right enough!!) and my right hand was hopeless. In later years as a trainer and I was 'playing about' it was more natural to be orthodox because I could do more with my left as a lead.
Dave Charnley was right handed but boxed southpaw. For years as a top amateur and then world level professional he caught so many people with his strong right hand it was simply incredible. Even when Dave got to the top his opponents STILL treated him as a southpaw and so many were knocked out by right hooks.

Andy lee is a good example too. That right hook got him out of trouble many times.

[Tony1244]

I write right and eat left. My power is close but I feel more vulnerable defensively from a southpaw stance.

[ElJefe]

Is anyone else right handed and left footed or vice versa? How does that affect you, if at all?

[Controversial]

Is anyone else right handed and left footed or vice versa? How does that affect you, if at all?

I'm left handed and right footed. Even though I'm left handed I'm actually stronger with my right and punch harder with it. I throw a ball left handed but play tennis right handed. Not sure how that works lol. I boxed orthodox but could switch albeit I wasn't as comfortable fighting southpaw.

[Vincent stevenson]

I would NEVER turn a lefty orhadox because he gives up his advantages straight away. Although there are serious exemptions to the rule ie. De la hoya and cotto. But then if you look at these greats against southpaws then they have struggled a wee bit. Paul butler ( a left handed orthadox) was totally outclassed by tete. But i dont think he would have been had his back hand been more affective. I would generally teach lefty southpaw righty orthadox. Specially from the start

[Controversial]

I would NEVER turn a lefty orhadox because he gives up his advantages straight away. Although there are serious exemptions to the rule ie. De la hoya and cotto. But then if you look at these greats against southpaws then they have struggled a wee bit. Paul butler ( a left handed orthadox) was totally outclassed by tete. But i dont think he would have been had his back hand been more affective. I would generally teach lefty southpaw righty orthadox. Specially from the start

I’m a left handed orthodox but it gave me an advantage as my power hand was to the rear and I was very comfortable jabbing with my left, not so comfortable jabbing with my right.

[coneye]

Is anyone else right handed and left footed or vice versa? How does that affect you, if at all?

I'm left handed and right footed. Even though I'm left handed I'm actually stronger with my right and punch harder with it. I throw a ball left handed but play tennis right handed. Not sure how that works lol. I boxed orthodox but could switch albeit I wasn't as comfortable fighting southpaw.

Your not the only one , I can use either hand to work , write , eat , equally has good , but i'm right footed ,, I could box ok southpaw ,but was alwys uncofortable under pressure ,, thats because , being righ footed i'm a true orthodox

[mickey1975]

I'm left handed and when I first went to a boxing club in the 70's i boxed southpaw. But all I could do was throw big left handers ( they caused problems right enough!!) and my right hand was hopeless. In later years as a trainer and I was 'playing about' it was more natural to be orthodox because I could do more with my left as a lead.
Dave Charnley was right handed but boxed southpaw. For years as a top amateur and then world level professional he caught so many people with his strong right hand it was simply incredible. Even when Dave got to the top his opponents STILL treated him as a southpaw and so many were knocked out by right hooks.

Same with Henry, Jim. Left handed orthodox.

[mickey1975]

Is anyone else right handed and left footed or vice versa? How does that affect you, if at all?

Left footed, right handed.

[TheLeprechaun]

I think modern trainers shouldn't be so rigid. Test the kids out in both stances and maybe even encourage a right handed fighter to be a southpaw.

[darkrobot]

Left handed to write with although fairly ambidextrous with most things. Right Footed. Switch-hit but am slightly more comfortable orthodox.

Am also right-eyed- I wonder how much of a role dominant eye plays as well?

[KiwiRider]

I think you can train the body.
Back in the day school teachers would give you a whack across the knuckles with a ruler if you picked up your pen with your left hand. Cuba trains southpaws in the Am's and has done for decades. When these guys defect and go to the pros they don't tend to turn back to orthodox.

[stujones]

I seem to do fine motor skills with the left hand, write, play darts, eat - but then I play Tennis and Cricket right handed. I am very strong right footed.... boxed authodox, but could switch..... and basically it was my stance and a fall out with a new coach was a huge part why I said "fornicate it" - moved to a new city (Uni) and the coach of the local gym was adamant that I fought Southpaw or I wouldn't get any fights (I was active in my previous gym) - really pee'd me off got me training with novices. I was embarrising them in light sparring but the coach would give me bollocking everytime I switch to Authodox (my more natural stance).

I think it is all about the legs and whatever you feel comfortable in - I don't think you so switch from the stance you first do when your coach says put one leg infront of the other.

[Controversial]

I seem to do fine motor skills with the left hand, write, play darts, eat - but then I play Tennis and Cricket right handed. I am very strong right footed.... boxed authodox, but could switch.....

That’s me to a tee, as you say more intricate things left handed but power activities with the right

[dalcumly]

I'm actually stunned!! I never thought anyone could be left handed and right footed , or the opposite. I think its amazing. I've only got a right hand and a right foot to keep me balanced !!!! Playing football I didn't have a bad left foot but if someone told me to take a kick out with my right foot I'd look like a big lassie. ( Sorry, apparently that's sexist and I might get reported to the FA and it may also be discriminatory in particular against Scottish/Geordie and North Yorkshire females. You've got be careful nowadays).
Personally I think that if a young lad comes into the gym you tell them to have a go on the bags and they just fall into what stance comes naturally. You might , if they get to the very top as either an amateur or professional consider switching them if you see potential and they're comfortable.

Mickey - yes Henry had a tremendous left hand. So did SIBBO - I've got a thing about left handers. So did the other Henry ( Cooper). That's another debate , are Left handers usually harder punchers?

[orbtastic]

Yeah I'd have said Wharton too. Fairly sure both Hagler and Frazier were left handed. I think Frazier even claims in his book he's the first "southpaw" heavyweight champ.

My dad was/is left handed, he said at school they tried to slap it out of him and alternated between telling him he was mentally subnormal or in league with the devil. when I boxed the coach didn't try slap it out of you but he made the point everyone hated Southpaws. My mate who went the same time as me as a keggy handed and it was nightmare sparring him, I never ever got the hang of it. The (right handed) jab always came from a much shorter distance and I could never handle it.

[SAPFO]

I think as someone said its all about how your legs fit, as punching can be taught, but that natural stance is just what you are, well in my case anyway.

I'm right handed, and lead with it as a southpaw, although I can switch. I find it makes me very evasive and hard to hit from this stance, while also giving me that strong right hook and a nice stiff jab. The oppo seems to feel the power from the supposed 'weaker' hand and it makes them think twice about taking backhand. All about levels though, and I'm at the bottom of the level scale.

Strangley, I've found it easier against fellow southpaws.

[Kilsby]

Another left hander here in regard to writing, but orthodox when throwing a punch or ball etc. I also kick with my right foot.

I hit harder with my right hand though - at least according to them punch machines

[darkrobot]

Yeah I'd have said Wharton too. Fairly sure both Hagler and Frazier were left handed. I think Frazier even claims in his book he's the first "southpaw" heavyweight champ.

My dad was/is left handed, he said at school they tried to slap it out of him and alternated between telling him he was mentally subnormal or in league with the devil. when I boxed the coach didn't try slap it out of you but he made the point everyone hated Southpaws. My mate who went the same time as me as a keggy handed and it was nightmare sparring him, I never ever got the hang of it. The (right handed) jab always came from a much shorter distance and I could never handle it.

Don't think it's the same book, but I've got another one by Joe Frazier where he doesn't specify whether he's left handed himself, but that when a left-hander comes (came) to his gym for coaching he'd train them to fight orthodox as it would give them a strong jab and left hook, and the right hand could be worked on later. He said that his son Marvis, also a coach, did the opposite- he figured it was the way god made them so why change it? So trained them as southpaws. I think it's called "Box Like The Pros".

Interesting different approaches from a father and son coaching at the same gym. I can't remember the exact wording as the book is currently in my In-Laws shed, but that's the gist.

Personally I think it's best to learn to switch-hit if you can learn to do so fluidly with the correct footwork, but not many coaches are able to teach it. It's so much more versatile. (If you can get the hang of it).