How to counter the Jab for Southpaws

JULY 22, 2022 BOXINGVIDEOS / BY FAYZ

How to counter the Jab for Southpaws

 

How to counter the Jab – Southpaw vs Orthodox

The majority of articles on how to counter the jab tend to focus on countering the jab for an orthodox fighter, I have previously written on how to counter the jab and this was aimed at orthodox fighters and covered the counters to be used against both orthodox and southpaw opposition. In this article I will give three counters which can used to counter the jab of an orthodox fighter if you happen to be a southpaw.

Southpaws tend to have the advantage against orthodox fighters, simply because as an orthodox fighter you mostly come up against other orthodox fighters, whereas if you are a southpaw you also tend to face mostly orthodox fighters because most people are right handed, whilst as a southpaw you are used to commonly fighting orthodox boxers, as an orthodox boxer you are not as often seeing southpaws.

The first thing you have to remember when there is a fight between southpaw and orthodox boxers is the lead foot position, you must gain outside lead foot position. A failure to do this will result in you as the southpaw getting caught out by the orthodox boxers right hand – specifically their right hand lead.

1. Parry the jab down with your lead hand, you are simply slapping the opponents glove down with a flick of your wrist and then in one motion going over the top and jabbing with your lead hand. Keep your lead hand close and do not extend it out to parry the jab to prevent your opponent from feinting you with the jab, right hand lead. This is an effective counter when fighting an orthodox boxer because the angles have changed and works extremely well. Step in with the jab to give it a little more pop.

2. The lead hand hook. As a southpaw you will be hooking with your right hand. This lead hook is a deadly weapon against orthodox fighters because your hook is now very close and within a comfortable range. When the orthodox boxer throws a jab, your aim is to time this and counter with your right hook. Follow the right hook with your left cross. This is a timing counter so will take a lot more practice than other counters to get it right.

3. Block the orthodox jab with your rear hand(left hand) and then counter with your right hook followed by your left cross. Very similar to the above counter except in this counter you are blocking the jab first before throwing the right hook, left cross. Above we are throwing the hook as the orthodox jab comes in. This counter is safer than no.2 so try perfecting this counter before you try timing the hook to counter the jab.

4. Hooking off the jab. It makes sense that because your lead hand and lead hook is closer to your opponent, that hooking off the jab will be a very useful addition to countering the jab. You could even use this combined with counter number one. Parry down the jab with your lead hand and immediately hook off your jab, then throw the left cross off the hook. So parry down the jab with your right hand, throw the jab in one motion, hook off the jab, left cross down the middle.
Also, you don’t just have to use hooking off the jab as a counter, if you are a southpaw fighting an orthodox boxer, hook off the jab when initiating the action too.

5. The straight left. When the orthodox boxer is throwing their jab, you can slip to the outside whilst throwing your straight left right down the middle, or down the pipe as many would say. Perform this by dipping the right shoulder and taking the head off the centre line whilst following through with the straight left hand. This is an extremely dangerous counter because if the orthodox boxer steps in with their jab, they end up stepping in to your left hand, which is your power shot so the effect is magnified. Don’t be surprised if this results in a knock out blow, you can even tweak this to throw an overhand left instead of the straight left.

About the author 

Fayz

Boxing Coach
Strength and Conditioning Coach
Boxing Author of:

The Boxing Cheat Sheet - Your Ultimate Guide to Ring Survival

Strength and Conditioning for Boxing - Work out Hits to get you Fighting Fit!

Forgotten Legends of the Ring - Ten Past Masters of the Squared Circle

*Any videos or images used on this site to support my articles that are copyrighted are used for educational purposes and in accordance to the fair use act and are not my own - all credit is due to the respective owners. No copyright infringement intended.


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How To Counter The Jab, how to counter the jab southpaw vs orthodox, jab counters for southpaws


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