Orthodox stance

In combat sports such as boxing, an orthodox stance is one in which the boxer places their left foot in front of the right foot, thus having their left side closer to the opponent.[1] Because it places the right side, which is the stronger side for most people (see laterality), in the rear, the orthodox stance can generate more power with punches by further exploiting the already stronger right side, allowing for more rotation and distance to accelerate right sided strikes. [2] This is why it is the most common stance in boxing,[3] as well as MMA,[4] and primarily used by right-handed boxers.

Kurt Prenzel, boxer of the 1920s, displaying orthodox stance with left hand and left foot to the fore

Alternative stances

The corresponding designation for a left-handed boxer is southpaw and is generally a mirror image of the orthodox stance. A southpaw boxer guards and jabs with their right hand. Some famous boxers who use southpaw are Marvelous Marvin Hagler, Victor Ortiz, Sultan Ibragimov, Naseem Hamed, Joe Calzaghe, Manny Pacquiao, and Lucian Bute. Francisco Palacios, Andre Ward, and Terence Crawford normally fight as orthodox, but occasionally switch to a southpaw stance to confuse their opponents. Hagler was the opposite, normally fighting southpaw but able to switch to orthodox. Some fighters who are naturally left-handed fight in the orthodox stance with the advantage of a fast, hard jab and left hook, including Oscar De La Hoya, Sonny Liston, Miguel Angel Cotto, Gerry Cooney, and Marco Antonio Barrera. Likewise, Vasiliy Lomachenko is a naturally right-handed fighter who stands in the southpaw stance, as the same with Shakur Stevenson.

References
  1. Lissenden, Hilary (8 January 2015). The Complete Guide to Boxing Fitness: A non-contact boxing training manual. Bloomsbury Publishing. pp. 33–52. ISBN 978-1-4729-0281-8.
  2. "Deciding Between Orthodox or Southpaw". How to Box | ExpertBoxing. 23 December 2009. Retrieved 20 October 2023.
  3. boxingtimmy (20 October 2023). "Boxing Stances: Explained - Boxing Daily". Retrieved 20 October 2023.
  4. Spartacus (20 January 2023). "Maximize Your MMA Skills with the Right Fighting Stance". Spartacus MMA. Retrieved 20 October 2023.
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