Switch to Southpaw

[Hyper Knuckles]

So I'm a natural righty with a fluid jab fighting out of traditional stance. Started up at a new gym and met with a decorated trainer who worked on my movement/pads.Now, I've fought orthodox for as long as I can remember but for whatever reason he tells me he's unsure about my form and switches me to southpaw, where I feel less light on my feet but throw a heavier jab and quick straight left. Is this a good thing? He tells me my balance is good and wants to convert me into a technical fighter/counter puncher. For the record, this is my first experience at a full blown boxing gym as I've only otherwise been to boxing fitness clubs and 24 hr fitness centers.

[sugar555]

I thought about it but found i get much much more power out of my punches and my balance feels and looks better as a orthodox. But i guess the difference is that i've been at a full blown boxing gym since i started. I mean if your trainers feels that it could do you better than do it stick to it and it will in a month or so you will notice southpaw will feel natural for you. Its quite logical have your jab hand as your dominant your going to be throwing more than half your punches with the lead hand might as well have it there.

[Hyper Knuckles]

I just feel like it's crude, is there a logic to switching to southpaw when I can just as easily work out the kinks I'm facing as a flawed orthodox fighter? I mean it's literally my second day there, why not atleast wait it out and see if I can improve the wrinkles in my game? I honestly felt like my footwork and jab were phenomenal as an orthodox boxer.. I mean my trainer is an ex-champ and obviously knows what he's talking about but I'm not sold on it yet. I can work from a southpaw stance because I've always tried my best to practice switch hitting but now idk.. do the advantages outweigh the disadvantages? Is it frowned upon in boxing?

[Pez]

give both stances a try and go with what you're comfortable with. and no, it's not frowned upon. de la hoya, cotto, and ortiz fight with their dominant hand in the front and no one criticizes them for it.

[Hyper Knuckles]

give both stances a try and go with what you're comfortable with. and no, it's not frowned upon. de la hoya, cotto, and ortiz fight with their dominant hand in the front and no one criticizes them for it.

Thanks brother, I'm having difficulty processing this. The thought of facing a natural lefty is a bit jarring as I'm hardwiring my brain to adjust to possessing a dominant lead hand, what about the guy who can subconsciously do it with bad intentions? I don't want to become a one handed fighter.. my favorite punch is the jab and I feel like it's been robbed from my arsenal. I'll follow Cotto/Hoya/Ortiz's example and try my best to become a converted stance boxer.

[sugar555]

Only second day? Then id stick with orthdox. But thats a personal preference. The advantages would be when fighting a orthodox what i love is to get that straight left hand straight down the pipe when slipping the orthodox jab, and study sergio martinezs footwork he has amazing footwork dont copy his hands down stuff though. Southpaws like shinsuke yamanaka are a good watch too i like how nishioka threw his left hand over the top and hos uppercut as well. Learn the basic footwork first. Footwork is the first thing i learned then i finally was taught how to punch after that. Also counterpunhing seems to be a great thing southpaws are able to do against orthodox fighters it works like a charm. But anyway stick with it you'll get used to it.

[sugar555]

If all this doesn't work or you really feel orthodox is your way to go then go orthodox and never look back.

[Hyper Knuckles]

If all this doesn't work or you really feel orthodox is your way to go then go orthodox and never look back.

I'll give it my best shot and examine the fighters you brought up, thanks so much. It really helps to know there are people out there who can flesh things out for me. Green.

[Debopam Roy]

I don't know if this is what you wanted...but I'll tell you how I do it. I switch stances in between a fight. That throws the opposition's plan out of the window. Since I can decently manage both stances, its maddeningly frustrating for the opposition, who begins to second guess their moves.

Personally, I felt that the Southpaws have a slight edge over the orthodox stance. So, if you can develop a accurate and powerful jab, then southpaw is your best choice. The jab, here, is the deciding factor for me.