Switching stances in boxing is not a joke, and many people don't even consider doing it. But we know we have to go out of our comfort zone to engage ourselves in an attempt to be the best in anything. The same goes for boxing. Switching stances while you train in boxing is not a widely recommended thing. It is also not done commonly. But the surprising thing is that you learn a lot by switching stances during training, and your boxing game improves to the next level. So, there is no point in thinking whether you should do stance switching in boxing training or not. You should definitely do it. But let's explore why you should do it and what benefits you can get from it.
Table of content
1. What is The Southpaw Stance in Boxing?
Southpaw stance is a stance in boxing in which you use your right hand as your lead hand and keep it in front. Your left hand, which is a power punching hand for you, is at the back compared to your right hand. Besides this, you also bring your right foot in front of yourself and keep your left foot at the back, as compared to your right foot. Let's summarize:
Your right foot is at the front.
Your right hand leads you.
Your left hand is at the back, which is a power source for punches.
2. Switching Stance: A New Form of Training
Switching stance was not a common training element in boxing, but recently, the concept has become popular. Southpaw stance is a stance that is mostly used by left-handed boxers. It has no relation to the right-handed boxer training. But they should include the southpaw stance in their training. The is the enormous benefits they get from the switch. It might be an awkward training element for some right-handed boxers, but it is worth the effort and puts them at an advantage over their opponents.
3. Why Right-Handed Boxers Should Do Southpaw Stance Training Element?
The following are some of the benefits that give you the reasons to do the southpaw stance training:

3.1 Improvement in Body Awareness and Balance
If you continue doing one thing in one way, you will never know how it feels by doing the same thing in other ways. You don't know the other side unless you are on that side yourself. Moreover, if you keep on doing the same thing, your body will become adjusted to that. So the next time you have to do something else, you will not be able to do the same thing as effectively and efficiently as others. If you keep using one part of your body for a specific purpose, your other part will not be the same in terms of activity.
Also, you need to explore every way to see which way suits you the best. The same thing goes for boxing stances. If you are a left-handed boxer, you will obviously do the southpaw stance training. But the right-handed boxers don't do that stance for many reasons. They think that they will be as effective in their stance if they switch to another stance.
Being a right-handed boxer, if you switch your stance and do southpaw training in boxing, you will learn many things. You will learn new moves, techniques, and various strategies. You will come to know how many great moves you can execute just by switching the stance. Your other hand will also get powerful.
Just think for a while, if you do not do the southpaw stance training, you will only have one hand as your main source of power punches. But if you do the stance switching, then you will also make your other hand powerful. Besides this, your body becomes adapted to various moves, defenses, and strategies that you will adopt in your professional boxing match.
3.2 Unlocks Various Opportunities For Attacks And Defenses
How will you know about the new ways of punching if you keep on training the punch in the same way for your whole boxing career? So the simple way to open the new opportunities to explore different approaches to do anything. The same example fits with the southpaw training stance.
When you switch the stance with which you have never practiced or trained before, you learn a lot of things. You are not just switching the stance; you are switching your foot and hands, too. For example, if you were having your left foot forward, then after switching, you will move and keep your front foot forward. Your hands also, if your right hand were your power punching hand, then after switching the power, you will generate entirely from the left hand.
This switching creates opportunities for you to attack in different situations and in different ways. You develop different punching techniques with both your hands. When you become adapted to both types of stances, you also learn the defense. So the next time, no matter what stance your opponent follows, you can easily defend yourself against their attacks and movements.
Moreover, it develops in the mind that there are a lot of other ways to punch your opponent. When you become so versatile, it keeps your opponent confused. So they will find it very difficult to counter your attacks, and they will prefer to keep themselves in a defensive mode.
3.3 Develops a Strong Defense Like Steel
- Another benefit you get from switching to the southpaw stance is that your defense improves to a great extent. You learn different punching techniques against your opponent, and at the same time, you learn the techniques that your opponent might use against you. So you know how your opponent will attack you. This is particularly true when your opponent is following a southpaw stance. When you learn a position, technique, or move, or any strategy your opponent is going to use against you, then you automatically know how you can defend yourself against your opponent if they follow the same exact technique. So in this way, your defense improves.
- Moreover, your defense becomes multifold. It means that you are no longer able to protect yourself against the one stance because you have been following and training that particular stance throughout your boxing career. Instead, you know how you can defend yourself against multiple stances. Your opponent will throw or use any move or technique against you, and you will easily counter that. So switching your stance to the southpaw stance is a very effective way to improve your defensive skills against various types of opponents.
3.4 You Become Perfect Against The Southpaw Boxers
- You might have noticed yourself if you are a boxing fan or a beginner that most of the boxers who fight in the orthodox stance are always reluctant whenever they face a southpaw boxer. They are not very confident. They have a fear in their mind that they will lose to them. The opponent can be of any category, but if they are following the southpaw stance, then the orthodox fighters will always be hopeless against them.
- This is because they think that they are not very good against such fighters and the techniques and moves they know can't be very useful to a major extent for them. They also think that the southpaw boxers are at an upper hand against them because of the techniques and moves they know to utilize against the orthodox ones.
- So, what is the solution here? Stay less confident and lose the match? No! The solution is very simple, and that is to try and practice some sessions at least in the southpaw stance. This quill gives them a lot of edge against them. In this way, they will know about the techniques and moves that only the southpaw boxers know. They will know the exact same strategy the southpaw boxers follow. They will train in the same manner.
- They will develop their own unique strategy by learning all the moves and techniques and then thinking about the possible defenses against them. They will list out all such defenses and then execute them at the right time against the sourpaw boxer, helping them to win the match. This is how they can counter them. This will also develop confidence in them, and they will fight with the hope and in mind that they are better than their opponents, and they know all of their strategies. So they easily win against them.
3.5 They Give a Surprise To Their Opponents
Another benefit is that everyone knows that the orthodox fighter will obviously fight in the orthodox stance, and also they don't know anything about the southpaw stance, and the skills and techniques you can execute in that stance. So when they are fighting against an opponent, particularly against Southpaw one, then they will surprise their opponent by executing the same techniques that their opponent thinks only they can execute effectively. So it will be a big surprise for the southpaw ones, and this surprise can be a winning element for the orthodox fighters.
4. Last Words
Switching stance to a new one only during boxing training time is no longer an awkward concept. This is a very good strategy to equip yourself with some extra techniques and moves that you are not expected to have, and learn as much as you want. So learning them will give you a huge advantage, and you will be able to win against your opponents, particularly southpaw stance boxers, by fighting against them confidently.
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