For starters I can recommend you watch Roman Gonzalez footwork and how he expertly shuffles his feet so he can properly defend and punch while never being out of position. ANOTHER example I can think of is Floyd May weather who uses his wide stance to walk opponents down and him using his lateral footwork to escape the ropes on aggressive opponents. If you want a perfect example of this execution go on YouTube and watch a video called" Mayweather Maidana Appreciation" then watch how he escapes the ropes perfectly. I think it stats on minute six
Common newbie mistake is crossing their feet when sidestepping, instead of leading with the outside foot - then maintaining a few inches between feet when shuffling. The approximate width between feet should be about shoulder width. Other common mistakes: Getting too square in front of opponent Extending feet too far apart, i.e. reaching too far for a punch, therefore losing leverage/power.
yeah, i'd say the biggest beginner mistake is positioning their feet in such a way that makes them to square on, or putting their feet too close together when their moving, like you would if you was just standing normally, getting tagged and then this knocks them off of balance
