Ok, So I was working on offense with one of the pros in the gym. When the bell rang, he said he had some tricks to teach me. Immediately I realized I couldn't land my jab for ****, and was getting pelted by a middleweight jab( I'm only 125, chin held up quite well btw). Anyway, his freaking foot was always outside mine, no matter how hard I tried, he had the ring perfectly cut off and I couldn't get my foot outside of his, I couldn't do **** but attempt a straight left to the body. Question: How do I improve my footwork,, especially since a small fella is getting out classed by a heaver man when It comes to footspeed.
Given the weight difference, I'm guessing he was taller than you as well? Taken into consideration, that makes it pretty easy for him to step around you and rain jabs on you. He has a height and reach advantage, steps around and drops his jab over your jab. Once his foot is outside yours, hook his belly. Make him throw his right hand, get under it and throw your left. Or hook off his right. Step in with your jab, inside his. You have a ton of options, any of which is more productive, punching-wise, than trying to skip around him to remove yourself from punching range and angles. Look, his jab was frustrating you. Learn to work off that jab from the inside position and you'll be miles ahaead
This is never easy. I faced a southpaw in the gym who was taller, longer, faster, and much heavier, and I couldn't really get my foot on the outside because I couldn't pivot out behind him like I would someone of similar size. He also waited to counter and did so with a barrage of punches that neutralized my own offense. What I would try to do is encourage him to turn that way, and get the drop in him from the other side. What I mean by that is, instead of trying to follow him playing catch-up as he gets the drop on you pivoting out with his lead foot on the outside, turn onto that same side with him to the extent that you are no longer in position to be hit by his right hand, but you can clearly land your left, like so: This content is protected It's hard to do but if you can feint before stepping over or slip and time the turn just as he pivots to jab, you can put yourself in position to land a left this way and follow up with a variety of other shots.
But, you know, you don't need, or even want, your foot outside his. LET HIM get outside you, then get under his jab and hook his body real hard. Throw your back hand (I'm not sure who is the southpaw in this discussion, but it works both ways) uppercut into his body. When you are looking to punch, you want the inside punching position. By him stepping outside your lead foot, he surrenders that position.
Getting your lead foot on the outside simply gets you a slight angle advantage where it makes it easier to avoid his southpaw left but still keeping him lines up for your straight right. Conversely, if you can step to the right, outside his left, you again give yourself an angle advantage. So, if he is already to your left, you can easily step to the right and create an angle opportunity. But it is best done behind a feint or setup punch or combo to mask the sidestep. Come back with the real punches right away. Just remember, stepping to the left against a southpaw is only the first line of strategy. Stepping to the right is your next option if the southpaw negates the first one. About negating someone's footwork. You can use feints to do the trick. With footwork, you can move in one direction, suddenly shift direction, but for only one step, then go back to the original direction. If you punch at this moment, you will find that your opponent is still facing the wrong way from when you changed direction the first time, and if he is fast, is changing back to face you and will run into your punches.
