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The Fundamentals of Boxing Stances

14th Jan 19

Boxing is an extremely versatile sport, and the strategies used are applicable to your fitness training. Bag work is the biggest beneficiary of boxing stances, but it’s essential information to know to perfect your technique.

Your stance should change depending on the type of training that you’re doing. Different equipment, for example, will require different boxing stances if you want a fuller experience. If you are trying to improve your punching power, you’ll be training with different bag weights. If you are trying to get a full-body cardio workout, focus pads may be better suited.


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The Basics

Starting with the more basic principles of boxing stances, you have two main types of stance. They are almost universal in your boxing positioning and need to be mastered before you can even think about doing anything else. Orthodox and southpaw are the two main categories to know about. The orthodox is the primary stance for right-handed people, so we’ll look at this first.

Orthodox

woman in a boxing ring

The orthodox stance is relatively easy to get to grips with, but that doesn’t make it any less important. The idea is to Place your left foot forward so that your body is angled facing the right. This places your right foot behind it but in line so that you have a lot of thrusting and defensive power.

This means that your right hand will be tighter wind than your left to as you put your guard up. Your left hand will be your jab because of this, with all of your power being held in your right so that you can do the most damage when the opportunity comes your way. This means that you’ve got the best tactical position for your defence and your offence while you are still able to move around the ring freely to keep yourself in good stead.

Southpaw

woman in a boxing ring

The reverse of this point is the southpaw stance. This is essentially the same as the orthodox but mirrored, meaning that you’re leading with your right so that you have the defensive and offensive power on your left side. This is so that if you are left-handed, you have the same tactical advantage.

It’s not all as simple as it may seem, though. These different stances mean that there can be complications when the two are both in the ring simultaneously. If you come across someone with the opposite stance, you will find that the attacks you are receiving are coming from the wrong side so that you can’t defend yourself as well, nor find the chance to unleash your dominant hand. You will have to rely on your jabs to make an opportunity for yourself, and that’s when boxing style comes into play.

Training

Now, when you’re working on your punch bag skills, of course, these stances are not much of a factor. If you train with a speedball, you won’t be as tactical as we’ve discussed above. However, if you’re going for a heavy bag it’s essential to have it perfected. The bag will be the same no matter which direction you’re facing, but you still need to remember to get into the habit of having your strong side behind you if you want to be able to really use your full potential.


Before beginning any exercise or nutrition program, consult your physician, doctor or other professional. This is especially important for individuals over the age of 35 or persons with pre-existing health problems. Exercise.co.uk assumes no responsibility for personal injury or property damage sustained using our advice.

If you experience dizziness, nausea, chest pain, or any other abnormal symptoms, stop the workout at once and consult a physician or doctor immediately.

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