A couple of guys I spar tend to circle to their left most of the time, so I usually move to my right and cut them off. I try throwing straight rights or right hooks as they move, but I can't seem to land clean shots. They'll either block it, or I'll miss completely. I always hear it's dangerous to move toward your opponent's power hand. I always assumed that's cuz it makes it easier for them to hit you with it if you do. Not sure what I'm doing wrong. What do you guys usually do if your opponent tends to move toward your power hand?
Most orthodox fighters move that way, to their left, and a suprising number can only move that way (and punch). It sounds like he is either drawing your punch and stepping around it, or you are telegraphing it, allowing him to avoid your right hand. You want to time your right hand so he is moving into it. Slide your lead foot close to his-this will change the angle, when he circles he'll still be within your range, if I'm making sense. Also, when you go to your right, start by sliding your left foot to the right (right into his lead foot, in fact), then pivot on it. This gives you better position to land your right hand. I hope that makes sense? I could show you very easily, but I don't think I am explaining it too well.
I don't think he's drawing my punch. He usually circles to the left to avoid my jab. There have been times where I feinted jabs or threw pawing jabs to make him go left and surprised him by throwing the right, but I wasn't able to land. Maybe his reflexes are just faster than my punches. Now that I think about it, I actually did land some clean right hands this way the very first time we sparred. Hasn't worked these last two times though. I'll work on trying to time it better next time so he moves into it. Not 100% sure I understand what you mean about moving my lead foot closer to his. So as he moves left, try to move in unison to the right and far enough that my lead foot runs into his? And I should start by moving my lead foot the right, not my right foot? The part about pivoting makes sense. That would give me a better angle and make it harder for him to defend and pretty much impossible for him to hit after I pivot, right? Thanks for the reply btw.
The thing about circling left and an opponent's jab is this: Suppose you jab at me, get your punch off first. I can circle to my left, even a small arc, and get my jab to you before your jab gets to me because I cut the distance. Generally when you are boxing somebody, your lead foot (if you are both orthodox) will be roughly in line with the center of his body, and his with yours. Get your left foot real close to his, so your body is off to his right. This makes him step left, in order to have an angle to land his jab/right hand, but then, instead of him moving around your right hand, it moves him into it. It also makes it easier for you to slip outside his left jab, turn him back on his feet, and allow you to land a "profile" right hand. if my memory is correct, the McGirt/Howard davis fight will illustrate this. Your understanding of the pivot to the right is spot on. That is why you want to move the left foot first; otherwise you are expanding that angle. Watch the video of the Ali/Marciano 'fight', the sparring that was filmed for the computer bout. Marciano does what I am talking about, and he had to, because Ali always moved to his left.
:good But do you mean my body would be to his left, my right? Think I get it now. If I were to relate it to the slip rope, having my lead foot closer to his would be like being on the right side of the slip rope, so his jab (the rope in this case) would be to the left of my head. Then when he moves to his left to try and realign himself to my center, he'd move into my right?
