Outline · Standard · [ Linear+ ] Southpaw Or Conventional?, How do you determine which stance?

[D35TR00]

When you are working with a new guy who never boxed, how do you determine if you will train the person to fight as a southpaw or conventional?



Personally I ask the person these three questions;

A ) If you are throwing a baseball, which had do you use to throw it?
B ) Show me how you would stand if you are about to run a race
C ) Which hand do you write with?

I ask these three questions because I used to think it was enough to ask which hand they write with until a kid said, "I write with my left but I throw a baseball with my right." Then a few months ago a kid surprised me when he said he write with his right but then he showed me a southpaw stance when he is ready to run a race.


What do you guys do to determine if you will train the person to be conventional or southpaw?

[Ali]

When you are working with a new guy who never boxed, how do you determine if you will train the person to fight as a southpaw or conventional?
Personally I ask the person these three questions;

A ) If you are throwing a baseball, which had do you use to throw it?
B ) Show me how you would stand if you are about to run a race
C ) Which hand do you write with?

I ask these three questions because I used to think it was enough to ask which hand they write with until a kid said, "I right with my left but I throw a baseball with my right." Then a few months ago a kid surprised me when he said he write with his right but then he showed me a southpaw stance when he is ready to run a race.
What do you guys do to determine if you will train the person to be conventional or southpaw?

i used to be real old school and just do what hand they wrote with,but now i hand them a ball and make them throw it,and ask them a series of questions because i have gotten it wrong a few times and it's hard to switch guys after they have started.

[daprofessor]

i think the feet are a little more important than which hand is their strong hand. u can always develop a weak jab or cross....but it takes much longer to develop good footwork. if a guy feels more natural in one stance over the other...and it's a huge difference...i'll go with the way he feels more natural. but if it's close....then i'll favor his strong hand with a conventional stance or saving his strong hand for the cross.

[stevieb_8006]

whatever hand you choke the chicken with is ur back hand.

[D35TR00]

i think the feet are a little more important than which hand is their strong hand. u can always develop a weak jab or cross....but it takes much longer to develop good footwork. if a guy feels more natural in one stance over the other...and it's a huge difference...i'll go with the way he feels more natural. but if it's close....then i'll favor his strong hand with a conventional stance or saving his strong hand for the cross.

I'd have to disagree. If a newbie goes with what feels more natural then all right-handers would be boxing southpaw and you've just re-written the history of boxing.

As I mentioned, I used to train based on which hand ppl write with but this was very wrong because many parents still force their left-handed children to write with their right due to old wives tales of left-handers being inferior. Same for how a kid holds a baseball bat or hockey stick.

[daprofessor]

I'd have to disagree. If a newbie goes with what feels more natural then all right-handers would be boxing southpaw and you've just re-written the history of boxing.

As I mentioned, I used to train based on which hand ppl write with but this was very wrong because many parents still force their left-handed children to write with their right due to old wives tales of left-handers being inferior. Same for how a kid holds a baseball bat or hockey stick.

i use the 'running a race' stance plus knowing which hand is their strong hand. depending on what style they are going to fight...that also comes in to play....we figure out what stance is best.