Best tactics against awkward boxers

[ironalex]

Obviously when the opponent is awkward they are difficult to look good against. There's an awkward guy at my gym who just windmills punches and does unorthodox things with his stance etc, so how do you look good against these guys? What tactics do you use? Feints? Combinations? Compact and just make a fight out of it as they're technically flawed?

[Ray Corso]

You don't need to "look good" to win.
Back him up! Awkward guys usually stand up straight when their backed up!
Any time you can back up an opponent you do it, especially awkward styles.

Ray

[WarVeteranO01]

A jab, plan and simple. Trust it, gain range, and control rhythm with it, once that happens everything will fall in line.

[Redd Foxx]

A jab, plan and simple. Trust it, gain range, and control rhythm with it, once that happens everything will fall in line.

^This. When things look complicated, go to your fundamentals. Awkward guys succeed when they can get guys to play their game. You're not going to beat him at his game, so enforce yours. Be the first to punch. Put that jab in his face and move. You'll force him to continually reset and re-think his approach.

[ironalex]

You don't need to "look good" to win.
Back him up! Awkward guys usually stand up straight when their backed up!
Any time you can back up an opponent you do it, especially awkward styles.

Ray

Hey Ray,

Thanks for the response - so basically back him up with a jab and as he stands up straight throw the cross to the body? And when someone throws he just windmills combinations like slaps - so catch and counter and basically fight him? As he's not compact at all

[WarVeteranO01]

^This. When things look complicated, go to your fundamentals. Awkward guys succeed when they can get guys to play their game. You're not going to beat him at his game, so enforce yours. Be the first to punch. Put that jab in his face and move. You'll force him to continually reset and re-think his approach.

Exactly! Awkward fighters try & make things just that "awkward" you fall into their game & u lose, trust in fundementals. I like how u said be first too, of course defense is always key but awkward fighters expect most to cover up and let them wail on them. If u are first & up the middle, u stop em in their place setting up an angle or a combo.

[ironalex]

Exactly! Awkward fighters try & make things just that "awkward" you fall into their game & u lose, trust in fundementals. I like how u said be first too, of course defense is always key but awkward fighters expect most to cover up and let them wail on them. If u are first & up the middle, u stop em in their place setting up an angle or a combo.

I agree. So basically - chin down, compact, be first and throw combinations and back him up

[Rock&Roll]

Some good advice so far. I'd try and get some footage of you and him sparring so you can study it. Unless you have someone knowledgable telling you what he's doing, its hard to remeber exactly what he does and how he does it.
If u can't get footage, try to do what the guys above mentioned for a round and maybe then try and be calculated for a round a figure him out. Once you've dissected what he does, only then (perhaps next sparring - after you've thought about it) can you figure out how to combat it.
For example; youtube eddie futch video on explaining how he trained Joe Frazier and Ken Norton to beat Ali - both differnt ways. He dissected Ali's style, found some flaws and trained both guys to victories.
I'm sorry i can't explain specifics (anything that can be explained in a nutshell should remain there).
Goodluck.

[Suckmedry]

As everyone has said, stick to fundamentals. Straight punches, hands high. You particularly don't want to be trading wide shots with most awkward guys.

Don't let him back you straight up and lean on you. The check hook is your best friend against a guy who lunges in.

[AddiX]

Jabs and body shots. Double and triple it up. A good body jab too. Good body jabs are damn near non existent, if you can learn it you can use it freeze opponents up really easy. I stole that move from Floyd when he fought Miguel Cotto's brother. He did it early and often and it just froze Cotto right up.

A lot of guys are hard to hit in the head, plus it's a smaller target that can move around a lot.

But the body? Doesn't move so much, easier to find. Jab to get them where you want them or to get them to cover up, than slam some body shots. If that drops the elbows go back upstairs to the head.