Having trouble sparring shorter opponent

Develop a stiff jab and use it frequently. Also use your footwork to stay out of his range and to keep him at the end of your punches. Moving laterally with your feet will make it difficult for him to rush you. As your punches and footwork get sharper, I think this strategy could work very well for your build. It gets very frustrating fighting taller guys who pepper you with straight shots and run as soon as you try get in range!

 

stick that jab out in his face to obstruct his vision and always keep circling. Watching Augie Sanchez vs Floyd Mayweather Jr (amatuers) is a good example of how you fight a shorter opponent.

Also, if he manages to come near you and have you against the ropes, you could always clinch him tightly to prevent him from working on the inside where you will be at the disadvantage.

in short, footwork + jab

 

pivot steps laterial movement and a hard jab...its ok to take a step back..but than jab and step around.

 

If your Jab is not good enough to keep him off learn to pivot left and right circle both directions and step to him, he keeping you on your heals taking your power away. Feint a step back and brin a straight power punch if you miss grab and hold. He making you run so hes in control of the ring you have to take that control back by not doing what he expect you to do. You have to learn to mix it up improve you inside game it may not be as good as his but make his pay for coming inside. Mayweather/Castillio Mayweather with a great jab great reflexes, and great foot work could keep Castillio out but to get there and once he was there it was no walk in the park. You have to make him want to fight where you want him to. For a tall guy your inside game is usually your weakest, don't be the normal tall guy, improve on you in fighting while you have this short opponent in front of you, work on short crisp punches, improve you jab. You will most likely be faced with short guys your whole career, and everyone of them will want to be inside work on making them wanting to step outside where you will do your best work. being a well rounded fighter will take you farther than being just able to be on the outside jabbing. If you watch him he coming to get inside when he gets there load up on a nice hook to the body or short sharp uppercut, and tell him hello welcome to my house. Grab and hold move to the out side jab, when he moves inside stand your ground and welcome him into your house again. Don't let him work the inside and when he get there make him feel like he made a mistake.

 

I'm usually a bit taller than my opponents as well.

It's boring, but a good jab is really necessary. Figure out how to neutralize his jab and land yours constantly, not while backing away.

Learn how to stop and counter. It's ok to make him chase you but at times you need to walk him into punches. Usually a straight right followed by a left uppercut or hook downstairs.

When he has you near the ropes, draw a punch and turn him into the ropes.

Fight him on the inside with body shots.

Watch a lot of Salvador Sanchez, Mike McCallum, Ricardo Lopez, Erik Morales, etc.

The biggest thing to remember when you're a tall fighter is you have to earn the opponent's respect early. Everybody expects to be stronger than you, hit harder than you, and to have to chase you. You have to shake up their gameplan by hurting them early on, usually to the body, or even with a jab. You aren't limited to backing up and throwing jabs and straight rights. Sometimes you need to initiate infighting and land a hard uppercut or bodyshot. Don't be a runner just because you're tall.

 

The biggest problem is probably that your proportioning your weight badly between your front and back leg.

 

stab him

 

Well done you just picked the worst piece of advice to investigate. :good

 

Watch how Wlad uses and varies the jab. There are so many ways to control distance with the lead hand.

It all starts at the feet though, worry about the base before anything else.

 

:good

 

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