need tips on how to handle a southpaw

...... 9 years off??? How old are you?

 

The basics:

move to your right.....be conscious of his straight left as he will need to be from your straight right, and get confortable with delivering your left hook moving to your right.....

 

Straight right.

 

As others have given advice, straight right and move. I change my gaurd a bit IE orthodox Right hand left cheek/chin, move it as I see fit. I will not let a south paw move inside when I do not want one too, so I move alot waiting to hit back when Im confident.

 

most people recommend leading with a straight right and finishing with wide left hook.

 

One of the best weapons against a S paw, is the straight right, but it must be fast and sneaky,

a little head fake before the execution of the straight right is also a good measure

 

from a southpaw fighter myself a sriaght right can be a nucence but you have to be close.

take a look at this very simple diagram
southpaw:\ (left foot back right hand foreward)
orthodox:/ (right foot back left foot foreward)

now when 2 orthies meet it's goes / / (both men have equal distance to each other)

but when your fighting southy - orthy it's \ /

now notice how far away the cross is it has to traval littl bit more a nd a good southpaw would counter with a right hand hook while you lunge....sooooo

my plan would be to jab move to the right get inside throw left hooks to the body (which the liver is closer) and then retreat

throw the right hand cross to confuze and keep them back to show business and make it you main weapon but use it sparingly...in my shoes if somone starts to throw the right hand like a jab (snappy ,repetative) basicly then i would throw lefts down the pipe becuase even as much as a right hand aginst a soutpaw is good a left cross at a southpaw is alsot very good.

from a southy

 

Additionally if he keeps leaning back or placing weight on his rear leg, it's even more damaging to hit the body. With his weight there he also has difficulty circling towards his inside unless he pushes off the front foot, that means he has either shifted forward or is temporarily out of balance while turning inwards to face you. You can take advantage of that gap when he is rotating.

 

The guy I spar with alot is southpaw and throws tons of uppercuts and hooks in combinations and rarely throws straight punches. Should i use a more "earmuff" style defense to avoid being hit or... what? He's shorter than me and likes to attack the body so I should jab and move right?

 

I myself am a southpaw, i have natural slickness, and pretty good instincts, good speed, and **** for power haha.

But what hurts me the most is when i can't control where my opponent moves, and when he punchs...
So my advice to you, try and control the fight, and fight your own fight, dont fight the southpaws fight..
ALSO left hooks usually slip through my defense when im on my way out.

The way i fight is stick and move, bounce in (this usually involves dodging a few) throw a flurry, bounce out, stick and move again..

Hopefully that explains what i mean when i say "on the way out"

 

I've got a few ideas that might work:

First, there is the usuall advice...stay on the outside of his/her lead foot, and step to their right, use straight rights... this should work, once you get used to it, fghting a southpaw is actually easy (unless, they are THAT much better than you)

Second. I find that southpaws are not so used to fighting other southpaws. If you know how to switch, give it a try. However, if you are the SLIGHTEST bit uncomfortable fighting out of a southpaw stance, don't do this.

Third. You say he/she likes to hang outside and counter... take the fight to him. Square up, and maul him on the inside. When he tries to get away, grab, hold and maul some more. Throw him/her in the conrner and punch away!

Fourth. He/she likes to counter... run away! Most of the time if you make a counter-puncher go on the offensive, it throws them of their game. Make them chase you, then you jab and run.

 

Straight rights.

 

Good points here. I do agree much with the part about SPs not being used to fighting other SPs. Even if an Orthodox has some control in the other stance, and switches to engage a SouthPaw, that can make it equally awkward for the guy who is not used to it. I remember seeing Winky Wright get his indomitable defenses ripped up by another SouthPaw, and that is telling in itself.