countering or being countered by a southpaw

[Yuzo]

when a guy throws a straight punch his arms return back to his body in two ways. they fall to his hip or they retract back to his body in a v shape. now, why is that important to a southpaw? the punch to beat a southpaw is the right hand. everybody knows that. especially a southpaw. when you throw your jab and right hand at a southpaw, there is a tiny gap, between the jab and the right hand, as your jab is retracting back to you in a v shape, and your right hand is extending, that will very briefly open up, that a counter hook - why dont we call that a check hook - can slot into.



as your hips are rotating, and your right hand is extending, you turn face first into the check hook, and because your jab is retracting back to you in a v shape, you cant block the punch. the check hook fits into that slot as you turn face first into the punch.



when you throw your jab and right hand at a southpaw, he is going to try to throw his check hook into that slot in between those two punches, right? but this is where the choreography gets a bit tricky. because you have to try to not get hit by his check hook and he has to try to not get hit by your right hand. but how?



because you cant block his check hook (because your arm is retracting in a v shape) you have to try to get your head in front or underneath this punch, and he, conversely, has to try to keep you from doing that.



when you throw your right hand (just pretend thats a right hand, ok?) you have to try to move your head out in front of where he thinks your head will be, which is going to be just past that v shaped slot which is created when your jab is retracting.



and the other way is to try to get your head under where he thinks your head will be. basically, you are just throwing your right hand and in the same motion ducking underneath his check hook.

[Yuzo]

when you are throwing your right hand, you have to try to get your head in front or underneath his check hook, but he has to try to not get hit by your right hand too - and theres a few things he can do when he is throwing his check hook to try to create that separation.



when a southpaw throws his hook (just pretend thats a right hook, ok?) and he presses down and twists on the ball of his front foot and swings over the heel of his back foot, he creates a sharp and sudden break away action.



by pivoting on the ball of his front foot, a southpaw can slot in his check hook into the space that you have provided and in the same motion avoid getting hit by your right hand.



the other kind of check hook is a step back check hook. this is a pretty tricky punch. here a southpaw is basically trying to get you to overreach and fall into his check hook, but, to do that, he must step back adequately enough to make your right hand fall just short, but not so much that he cant hit you with his check hook. you will discover when you are boxing with a southpaw that much of what the pair of you are doing is negotiating just how much you will need to get your head in front and therefore past his check hook when you throw your right hand and just how much he will need to step back to get you to overreach and fall into his check hook instead. the push and pull of who gets to hit who is determined by whoever has negotiated to have the best spacing.

[Tarquin Tarpaulin IV]

Traditionally Southpaws are left handed, for writing, eating etc., and make up just 10% of the population. In other words there are a lot less southpaws than orthodox boxers.

It follows that southpaws will box against far more orthodox fighters most of whom will have been told to throw plenty of right hands'. The southpaw will have far more experience dealing with them which gives them an immediate advantage.

How to beat a Southpaw? Use your left jab, come over the top of their right hand lead!

[Yuzo]

when you are boxing with a southpaw he can keep you from throwing your jab just by throwing his jab.



when a southpaw is keeping his jab out, you can't jab, but you can slip and counter his jab in one smooth motion with your right hand.



the only thing that can deter a southpaw from keeping his jab out is that counter. when you show that counter to a southpaw, just by showing it, his jab will immediately desist. thats how to get a southpaw keeping his jab out to put away his jab.

but since a jabbing southpaw knows you can't jab, he will know that you want to throw your right hand, and because he knows that, he just has to wait for his cue. that is, when he is jabbing, he is actually actively waiting for a cue, in this case that will be your head slipping his jab. as soon as he sees your head slipping his jab and he has confirmed his cue, he will have you timed and he can counter your counter.



when you pick up your right elbow to throw a right hand, your body becomes exposed, and as soon as he sees you throwing your counter right hand, he can counter you downstairs to your body, specifically to your wide open liver. in other words, when you throw, he throws. because a jabbing southpaw knows that when you can't jab, that you want to throw your right hand, that means he always has an advantage because he is always one step ahead of you and he simply has to wait for you to do what he already knows you will do.