I have been posting boxing training videos for a long time. I’m often asked by southpaw boxers to make videos specific for them. But, this feels a bit like whining. As a southpaw, you have a big advantage over orthodox boxers…it’s down to familiarity.
When it comes to boxing training videos specifically for southpaws, it’s really very simple. Remember, you have a huge advantage because orthodox boxers are generally not used to you. Only 1 in 10 people are left handed. That means 9 out of 10 people we meet are orthodox. You are more familiar with them than they are with you.
All boxing skills that coaches like me teach are the same. The mechanics are the same and the faults that occur are the same. So, if I’m teaching someone how to throw a jab, it will be exactly the same but in absolute reverse.
Boxing skills don’t care about southpaw or orthodox, they just want to be executed well. So, reverse them.
Tactics are slightly different. There are some basic tactics to deploy when you meet an opponent of an opposing stance. So, a southpaw vs orthodox and vice versa.
But the reverse rule is in play here too.
If I’m coaching a southpaw to box against an orthodox, there are some simple tactics that I would encourage:
- Dominate the lead hand exchanges
- Dominate the ground to your right (get your lead foot outside theirs)
- When moving left, move slightly away to nullify their right hand
If I’m coaching an orthodox against a southpaw, I get them to do the exact same but I reverse the final two:
- Dominate the lead hand exchanges
- Dominate the ground to your left
- When moving right move slightly away.
Cheers
Fran
by 
There is another strategy to boxing a sth paw and it requires a high level of cardio,
Get in your opponents face and keep them square, now a left punch is a left punch and a right punch is a right punch, google the ‘drowning’ boxing style, other than that, everything that Fran has said all ng with the contributed comments is pretty much all she wrote!
Phil McDonald
Boxing coach Australia
Phil
Yes, absolutely…a really good point. An opposing stance is not an issue once the boxer is in the intensity of the close range exchanges when we often square up for power. Great coaching point pal👍
I’m a southpaw with a few years of amateur experience. I can see what you mean here, but I have to say my experience is that being a southpaw boxer is not simply reversing what an orthodox does against a southpaw. Yes 85% of it is reversing. But if you spend years boxing as a southpaw you find that there are some subtle tactics you do against an orthodox that an orthodox would not be coached to do against southpaws. Jab tactics are a great example. Foot work and foot advantage is another. Rigondeaux is a singular southpaw.
Boxing your life as a southpaw you discover that orthodox coaches don’t completely get there are some lessons unique to southpaws; understandable, because they haven’t experienced what you have experienced. But it is very disappointing that this is being dismissed as whining. We should all keep an open mind to what people of different experiences are saying. If you hear it that much, you may be able to learn something by listening not dismissing.
Yeah but that’s essentially what he was saying, that the majority of his skills videos & drills videos can be used for either stance & just switched. He didn’t say all of them. You yourself even said 85% is simply reversing. I’m sure he has videos in his MyboxingCoach package that are specific to southpaws, when it comes to techniques & tactics. As well as certain strategies for orthodox also. Fran can’t very well make 50% of his videos for conventional & 50% for lefties. That’s just not realistic to make that many.
I do take your points. A 50/50 split wouldn’t be reasonable, for sure. But, honest inquiry, if 10% of boxers are southpaw, why aren’t 1 out of 10 boxing videos or boxing coaches aimed at southpaws? Why is it so hard hard for southpaws to find coaching aimed toward their specific situation? And is it unreasonable for them to wish they had it?
I have a wonderful coach but have at times wished I had access to a coach who is southpaw and understands the nuances of always facing an opposite stance opponent. The experiences are just different, and frequently dismissed. The human body is not bi-symmetrical.
Thanks for your contribution Adam. As mentioned in the video, I love working with southpaws. Over many years I think I have become quite good at getting the most out of southpaw boxers. Many coaches I know don’t like working pads with southpaws, I love it and have practiced for many years to get good at it – it’s hard. I did touch upon lead hand work in the video and I did touch upon footwork even talking about the space to seek to dominate and the areas where caution should be exercised. This was a general, high level tactics video, not a deep techniques video – the advice to reverse tactics (as opposed to skills) was directed at orthodox boxers. When it comes to the whining principle, this was intended to be tongue in cheek, I’m sorry this did not come across.
Understood.
Your past southpaw videos have been excellent, and your coverage of topics like the Soviet system and Eastern European styles are unparalleled in terms of western boxing coaches. Thank you 🙏
Thanks Adam. Don’t stop challenging, always be inquisitive. Contributions you make not anly assist me in thinking about things in different ways but I’m sure they also help others using the site 👍
I love this video. I am a southpaw so this one really spoke to me. Thanks for the advice. I have found myself being one of the whiners just not to you, so learning from this will help me to realize that I just need to adapt. Thanks Fred. 🤣 Just kidding, I appreciate all of your lessons Coach Sands.
Glad you like it Joshua 👍. Bit of gym humour really, I’m regularly calling my boxers whingers and whiners even though they are working hard…I kind of feel obligated😀. Really glad this worked for you though.