How do you defeat the Philly Shell Defense?

[Adrien_Boner]

It is simple

If you're an orthodox, just wing punches to the back and over the shoulder, forget about the body and chin.

If you're southpaw. Well, you can't even use the philly shell against a southpaw. Fast, straight punches will crush the philly shell defense, just look at Mayweather vs Judah.

[LoadedWraps]

Who cares? Very few people use it and only 1 person of that group use it very well.

I wish someone would use that style on me. I'd have the most fun cause I'd never get hit and I'd pick them apart.

lol you should come spar me then, I furstrate people all the time, it's my most comfortable stance, most people give up trying to tag me upstairs and just focus on my body but anyone with slow hands I am going to block both top and bottom fast enough, people with greater speed, and good counter punchers are my weakness, but that's easier said than done as long as my legs are there to get me out of there if you start to hurt me.

It's not used alot because it isn't taught alot, because it's considered an advanced stance, I was never formerly taught it either, both my trainers don't use it or teach it but I worked on it on my own time and studied tape often so when I started using it in the ring my trainer had/has zero problems with it, I only get yelled at if I am fooling around, like Mayorga or something, or if I don't look sharp, which again is on me for slacking on my diet or hungover or just plain lack of conditioning.

[escudo]

There is always something a fighter does better or worse when in a philly shell, rarely are people 100% flawless in their tendencies and habits defending, I excel at protecting my head but I can get tagged to the body easily from distance, in a phonebooth fight if I feel I can win it I stay inside and force the issue, a common misconception is that the philly shell variations are purely defensive, they can be lethal when used offensively, inside my hooks and uppercuts come out quickly and I can roll most everything up top then just drop down a level and roll more or pivot. Counters are the worst, if you start to take away my weapons I will jump on my bicycle and potshot you with my jab and if you get too close I will put that 2 on your chin and peddal out of their with a quickness. I live and die by my straight right, if you neutralize it, I might pull a Kneeguel Cotto, or Ortiz.

Are you getting hit to the body with hooks or straight shots? Are you in the shell or the peek a boo when getting hit? Sorry I'm seeing this so late I was just doing some research and came across this.

[LoadedWraps]

Are you getting hit to the body with hooks or straight shots? Are you in the shell or the peek a boo when getting hit? Sorry I'm seeing this so late I was just doing some research and came across this.

LOL @ this old bump.

It depends on what they are throwing and what their combinations are like.

Personally I get hit to the body more with hooks than anything else, and I get hit more to the body than the head because I prioritize taking care of my head over my body. I wouldn't say it's the right thing to do, but it's the way I prioritize what area I will protect over others.

When I am in a peekaboo, I tend to get hit more often straight down the pipe because it's harder for me to stop those shots sneaking in the middle, but that's also probably because I don't work out of that stance enough.

[OctoberRed]

LOL @ this old bump.

It depends on what they are throwing and what their combinations are like.

Personally I get hit to the body more with hooks than anything else, and I get hit more to the body than the head because I prioritize taking care of my head over my body. I wouldn't say it's the right thing to do, but it's the way I prioritize what area I will protect over others.

When I am in a peekaboo, I tend to get hit more often straight down the pipe because it's harder for me to stop those shots sneaking in the middle, but that's also probably because I don't work out of that stance enough.

I always keep my elbows low. I hate, hate, hate shots to the body. I hate them more than Kovalev does.

[McNulty]

When I spar I use this a lot, and the only weakness I can really tell is that a) you're not in the best angle to fire power powershots and b) if you tip your hat (or dodge lazily) you're more vulnerable to uppercuts.

But obviously Mayweather uses this to great effect (I think it helps that he keeps a wide base stance which requires boxers to "reach" more, giving him time to deflect). He doesn't really get good shots with it though, seems to rely more on reflex and hand speed, so I don't know how great this style is with amateur boxing.

The amateur in yellow in this fight (youtube.com /watch?v=x9-S4y4s57E) starts using the philly shell defense to pretty good effect. He might also be taking advantage of speed and reflexes, but it seems to work.

Thoughts?

So my initial thoughts regarding Mayweather and if my memory serves correct --- is he didn't use a Philly Shell that much in the Am's. He used a traditional high guard and a Zombie guard and when he got comfortable he would change.

The way to beat the Philly shell on Mayweather is feints, settings traps, and counters on a master level which is very very difficult to do because he's a master himself. The false blueprint was Castillo like tempo.

For instance. Shane sets classic trap by throwing the jab to the body which Floyd tries to parry to deep, but Shane was only using it to draw the attention away from the right hand that was going to rock Mayweather.



Jab to the body, right hand to the head, jab to the body or (left) hook to the head are master level combinations. The jab is only being used to get the other guy to drop their hands or whatever guard is being used. Mayweather does it all the time. He feints a jab to the head but in one motion drops the feint jab to the head into a jab to the body. Ward remarks about that tech and says he uses it and learned if from Floyd. Nate Jones called it the Stab Jab.

Look at how he fools Coralles...



On anyone else, it depends on the boxing brain of the fighter. The shell itself isn't hard to penetrate and doesn't require special punches, it just really depends on who's doing it --- then we have to analyze from there.

Regarding Titus Williams (great fight btw, thanks for sharing), he wasn't using a shell hardly at all. Mostly his hands were low and Vasquez ate him up in the first round.

The second round Williams dominated but only because of his conditioning and power. Titus almost lost the 3rd and had to rally at the end but mostly Vasquez was to blame for not shoe-shining Williams on the ropes and being first. I thought Vasquez was winning or even until Williams came on late.

The thing you have to remember in scoring an amateur fight is you can't score power which is takes me a minute or so to adjust to. In a pro fight, Williams won 2 out of 3, but those power shots are just one punch namsayin?

But to answer the question as it stands, nothing special is needed to defeat the Philly Shell. It just depends on who's doing it and if you feint, set traps, throw combinations, punch first, and counter you can beat ANY defense.

[Lomadeaux]

First off, I don’t call the shoulder roll defense a name that Fight Night 3 made up.

And the answer is, with a well timed jab.

[Beercules]

Punches to the balls.

[OctoberRed]

Punches to the balls.

It's funny you say that. I saw someone do just that in the gym the other day when getting frustrated over the shell defense.