Discipulus
Black Belt
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Pacquiao vs. Bradley 2 was easily superior to the first fight, with Bradley finding an unexpected amount of success with his right hand. Looking at this fight again, there are a lot of lessons to be learned about footwork and angles, especially interesting in the midst of so much misinformation regarding orthodox vs. southpaw strategy.
Let me know what you think!
Pacquiao vs. Bradley 2: Fun with Angles, part 1
There are a lot of confusing opinions and "rules" out there when it comes to fights between orthodox and southpaw fighters. Typically, you will hear that the jab is out as a viable option, and the rear hand is the key weapon. This is a textbook case of fans and pundits recognizing a point, and then heavily overstating it. Yes, against a southpaw you are faced with a shoulder in the way of your jab, and an unusually clear lane for your cross, but to forego the jab and rely almost entirely on the rear hand is tactical suicide.
No one is a better example of this than Manny Pacquiao. Watch any of Pacquiao's first 34 bouts, before he came under the tutelage of Freddie Roach, and you'll see a talented southpaw who follows the conventional wisdom to a T, and nothing else. Left hand after left hand brought Pacquiao a long way, but it took Freddie Roach's jab and right hook to make him the powerhouse that he is today.
So what better than a Pacquiao fight to delve deeper into the complex and little-understood game of angles that is the southpaw vs. orthodox matchup? Better yet was the fact that Tim Bradley found unparalleled success with his right hand, meaning that we can examine both he strengths and weaknesses of each angle available to the open stance fighter.
(Note: I'll be using the term "open stance" which, while not native to boxing, is a convenient term for an encounter between a left-hand-lead and right-hand-lead fighter.)
BASIC FOOTWORK
Before we jump into the fight, let's break down the basic angles available to fighters in an open stance fight. First, and most basic, is the simple step off the center line.
Blue and Red start in neutral position, with their front feet lined up. You will see this position constantly in open stance bouts, as both fighters attempt to get past the lead foot of their opponent, and the opponent makes adjustments to stop them doing so. Once this angle has been attained, Blue's left (rear) hand is lined up with Red's center line. This also opens up the lane for a short left hook over Red's left shoulder.
I myself have lazily referred to this movement as "taking an outside angle" in the past, though I can't really consider it a true outside angle. Blue has indeed moved to the outside of Red's lead foot, threatening his center line, but his own center line is exposed. This is where a sharp, quick jab from Red could stop Blue in his tracks. Red can also make a tiny adjustment and have Blue completely at his mercy--more on that in a moment.
Because this angular movement, though necessary, is not "safe" as stronger angles are, I'll refer to it as a "weak outside angle." To be clear, no angle will ever truly protect one fighter from another who knows how to position himself. It's just that this weak angle can be thwarted by Red without Red even having to readjust, while a true angle should force the defender to turn to protect himself or attack, during which movement the aggressor will have a window of opportunity.
Next, let's take a look at a true outside angle.
Here, Blue not only steps outside Red's left foot, but pivots counter-clockwise. You can see immediately how this is a safer, and therefore more threatening angle than the weak outside angle above. Blue can throw virtually any punch he wants, depending on the distance and what targets the position of Red's upper body present to him. Red, meanwhile, cannot hit Blue without first turning to face him. Again, if Red is smart he will adjust immediately, but it is during that adjustment that Blue can essentially hit him for free.
If Blue moves to the outside of Red's lead foot for an outside angle, then of course he would pivot in the opposite direction to take the inside angle. That looks like this:
Blue pivots clockwise, to his left. Once again, Red has no punches immediately available to him, while Blue has a great selection. This is an angle you don't often see in open stance bouts strictly because most boxers have it hammered into their heads that they should always move away from their opponent's rear hand, not into it. But as you can see, by moving toward Red's right hand, Blue has actually passed its trajectory, while giving himself and even better lane for punches with either hand than afforded by the outside angle.
The true beauty of the inside angle is how it can be used to kill the weak outside angle, like so...
Continues at Bloody Elbow...
Let me know what you think!
Pacquiao vs. Bradley 2: Fun with Angles, part 1
There are a lot of confusing opinions and "rules" out there when it comes to fights between orthodox and southpaw fighters. Typically, you will hear that the jab is out as a viable option, and the rear hand is the key weapon. This is a textbook case of fans and pundits recognizing a point, and then heavily overstating it. Yes, against a southpaw you are faced with a shoulder in the way of your jab, and an unusually clear lane for your cross, but to forego the jab and rely almost entirely on the rear hand is tactical suicide.
No one is a better example of this than Manny Pacquiao. Watch any of Pacquiao's first 34 bouts, before he came under the tutelage of Freddie Roach, and you'll see a talented southpaw who follows the conventional wisdom to a T, and nothing else. Left hand after left hand brought Pacquiao a long way, but it took Freddie Roach's jab and right hook to make him the powerhouse that he is today.
So what better than a Pacquiao fight to delve deeper into the complex and little-understood game of angles that is the southpaw vs. orthodox matchup? Better yet was the fact that Tim Bradley found unparalleled success with his right hand, meaning that we can examine both he strengths and weaknesses of each angle available to the open stance fighter.
(Note: I'll be using the term "open stance" which, while not native to boxing, is a convenient term for an encounter between a left-hand-lead and right-hand-lead fighter.)
BASIC FOOTWORK
Before we jump into the fight, let's break down the basic angles available to fighters in an open stance fight. First, and most basic, is the simple step off the center line.
Blue and Red start in neutral position, with their front feet lined up. You will see this position constantly in open stance bouts, as both fighters attempt to get past the lead foot of their opponent, and the opponent makes adjustments to stop them doing so. Once this angle has been attained, Blue's left (rear) hand is lined up with Red's center line. This also opens up the lane for a short left hook over Red's left shoulder.
I myself have lazily referred to this movement as "taking an outside angle" in the past, though I can't really consider it a true outside angle. Blue has indeed moved to the outside of Red's lead foot, threatening his center line, but his own center line is exposed. This is where a sharp, quick jab from Red could stop Blue in his tracks. Red can also make a tiny adjustment and have Blue completely at his mercy--more on that in a moment.
Because this angular movement, though necessary, is not "safe" as stronger angles are, I'll refer to it as a "weak outside angle." To be clear, no angle will ever truly protect one fighter from another who knows how to position himself. It's just that this weak angle can be thwarted by Red without Red even having to readjust, while a true angle should force the defender to turn to protect himself or attack, during which movement the aggressor will have a window of opportunity.
Next, let's take a look at a true outside angle.
Here, Blue not only steps outside Red's left foot, but pivots counter-clockwise. You can see immediately how this is a safer, and therefore more threatening angle than the weak outside angle above. Blue can throw virtually any punch he wants, depending on the distance and what targets the position of Red's upper body present to him. Red, meanwhile, cannot hit Blue without first turning to face him. Again, if Red is smart he will adjust immediately, but it is during that adjustment that Blue can essentially hit him for free.
If Blue moves to the outside of Red's lead foot for an outside angle, then of course he would pivot in the opposite direction to take the inside angle. That looks like this:
Blue pivots clockwise, to his left. Once again, Red has no punches immediately available to him, while Blue has a great selection. This is an angle you don't often see in open stance bouts strictly because most boxers have it hammered into their heads that they should always move away from their opponent's rear hand, not into it. But as you can see, by moving toward Red's right hand, Blue has actually passed its trajectory, while giving himself and even better lane for punches with either hand than afforded by the outside angle.
The true beauty of the inside angle is how it can be used to kill the weak outside angle, like so...
Continues at Bloody Elbow...
). And of course, the video itself is educational, you have a sharp eye.
