Why aren't Boxers being taught to switch-hit??

Remember watching George Best being interviewed and he was incredulous that guys on £100,000 couldn't kick a ball with both feet...he apparently spent months just using his weaker foot and basically became strong with both...In days gone by In some Countries If you were left handed you were forced to use your right!!

Hagler was one of a small band of fighters who taught himself the balance, timing... basically everything you need to fight both ways...

I see Fury is trying although he looks sloppy...but good luck to him..he is a trier..

Not only is switch-hitting disconcerting to the opponent...It also offers a plan B.....

Why aren't more Boxers taught to switch-hit........?... seems crazy to me..

Probably because in football if you screw a shot, its no big deal. In boxing if you make a mistake, its the ceiling you could be looking at and lots of zeros running out of your bank account.

But I agree that boxers should learn to switch hit. They could use it when in trouble just to get a breather or make the opponent think. But very risky.

Good points.......

Bramble was another good switch hitter...

expertly used against Crawley...

.Just breaks up the opponents game plan and makes him think..

Young amateur boxers on average train at their club about three times a week for about an hour and half.

If you aren't naturally athletic then it takes an age just to learn and perfect orthodox. There are alot of boxers with average athleticism.

It seems some boxers never manage to grasp orthodox, and still turn pro!

I agree that it's better to fine tune plan A......But as you know some people are ordinary.....makes sense for them to try todo things different or conversely If you are a natural why not add more skill...

Bramble traded on switchhitting..............Nunn could do both...just ask Tate!!

Thanks for the post..

Bit of a dud this one. Get on my Taboo thread TRUSS, it's so taboo...

Hiya.

You're very rude.....

For a mass published Wildean type.... I expect better manners!!

davidemore wrote:Bit of a dud this one. Get on my Taboo thread TRUSS, it's so taboo...

Hiya.

I think it's a great article and point, however think Az and MM, have summed it up better than I could.

Cheers

Rodders

Thank you Rodders..You're of the Marquis of Queensbury persuasion...

like me!!

Think the Ingle stable and the Oyster gym...are probably the only ones who have the vision to see it's useful-ness over here..

Every other stable seems too rough and ready....oooooh

Who you talkin' about, Rodders?

Decent article i admit.

Have you got an opinion......

Or are you above an article like this....

Both.

I agree actually, you make some epic points, i agree and bow, sincerely.

emore

James Degale switch hits very well. And Tyson Fury did it in his last outing. It aint a dead art, yet.

Bromance.

Andre Ward switch hits in fact he fights with his weaker hand ODLH did the same. Makes sense as you don't use your stronger hand as much as the other 1.

Gerry Cooney was left handed but fought orthodox.

It works well for fighters especially if you are heavy handed like ODLH and Cooney.

Cotto and Barrera do it as well, makes a lot of sense to lead with your stronger hand and for that reason i'm surprised more boxers don't do it.

Its not natural Ghosty. It takes dedicated practice. It has worked well for Ward just look at the first knock down against Dawson.

I've always wondered why southpaws look awkward or odd when throwing a straight left. And why a right hook doesn't look as aesthetically pleasing as a left hook.

It may not be natural if you start out as a southpaw but if your left handed and start out orthodox then it's going to be just as natural.

Its not just hands though, its feet too that are affected by the stance. If your naturally right handed chances are you will also be naturally right footed. Having your stronger foot as the lead foot can change the fluidity of your movement or balance or how you generate power. It can often leave a fighter a bit more "square" in terms of their stance. I would say the impact it has on footwork/balance in terms of your strong/weak leg is probably just as important as if not more so that the impact it has on the fists.

ryan rhodes was a great switch hitter, as were most ingle fighters. kid galahan is carrying the torch at the moment.

azania wrote:I've always wondered why southpaws look awkward or odd when throwing a straight left. And why a right hook doesn't look as aesthetically pleasing as a left hook.

I notice that too, and historically most great power punchers seem to be orthodox. Obviously there will be more thanks to there simply being more orthodox boxers overall but I struggle to think of many genuine power hitters with a left backhand. Hamed and Moorer...

Craig McCewan was a good switch hitter as an amateur, I've not seen him box as a pro though.

JBW

Pacquiao is one and could possibly say Saldivar and Hagler but other than that can't think of many powerful southpaws.

Michael Conlan, Irish Bronze medalist at the recent Olympics, is a great example. Fought his first fight Orthodox, second (for a medal) bout entirely southpaw.

Victor Ortiz is a right hander that converted to southpaw and but still uses many of his power punches off the lead right hand - mostly a lead right hook. Not sure if he switches back all that much though. Seems to confuse him as much as giving him an advantage...

ive always taught myself to go lefty on occasion, its not exactly any more difficult to pull off just feels less natural. Im all for it in the pros!

I posted an article asking about boxers fighting from an 'unnatural' stance a while back. It didn't garner too many responses but the ones that are there might add to this thread in some way. Here it is:

https://www.606v2.com/t7279-left-handed-orthodox-fighters-and-right-handed-southpaws

I remember Ortiz saying he just fel more comfortable in a southpaw stance.

As others have said I guess it takes most an age to perfect their natural stance and to be comfortable enough to switch is not for most professionals let alone your run of the mill boxers.

Credit to Fury who tried it against the cab driver (no offence implied I literally canno think of his name!)

I've read your link IG,

My theory (which I've seen happen) on why some southpaws fight out of an orthodox stance, is less to do with a defined master plan and all to do with chance...

Every rand handed kid that goes to a boxing club for the first time assumes the southpaw stance. To begin with, it seems natural for every right hander to fight this way. The coach knowing there are more right handers than left handers in the world, knows the kid is probably not a southpaw, ask's "what handed are you"?

He then explains why Righties box in the orthodox stance and the kid think's, "what the F......??" Then struggles to learn a stance which seems counter intuitive.

Conversely, when a left hander turns up for the first time, it feels natural for him, to jab with his left hand (fight orthodox). If the left hander is naturally coordinated and throws his right hand quite well in the orthodox stance, then the coach, so used to seeing the orthodox stance, forgets to ask "what handed are you?"

...before the coach realises his new charge is left handed and `should` be fighting southpaw, the lad has perfected the orthodox stance.

When the coach eventually finds out he has a left hander in his gym what invariabley happens is, he thinks....

"he's perfected orthodox stance now", and in the back of his mind he thinks..

"thank goodness, its a pain in the @rse teaching southpaws" then he justifies his own laziness and reluctance to change the lad by adding...

"it would only confuse him to teach him southpaw at this advanced stage"


And there you have it....

A Southpaw becomes a Righty!

Missed your article IG but thanks for the link..

Some good responses....and some interesting Boxers being put forward..

All of whom had Whittaker's number!!