Developing a more reliable Southpaw jab

[AndyMaBobs]

Most of you that know me/read my posts etc will no doubt know that I'm a southpaw, and I'm wondering what opinions others on the best methods to land a southpaw jab. I train predominantly in Muay Thai now, but I used to box an I'd like to hear methods of landing a southpaw jab from people from all sorts of styles!

I have four go to's to land a southpaw jab:

A pawing, Guillermo Rigondeaux style tap of the gloves (which usually sets up my left straight to the body) where it's not working so much as an authoritative jab as much as it does a distance measurer and a way of covering up when I throw a stiff jab.

Feinting hands to set up a jab, usually faking a few jabs before throwing the actual one, or shifting forward etc.

Feinting a lead teep to land a jab - this is a Giorgio Petrosyan move, because I quite often throw a lead side teep (I've always had trouble actually getting a lead straight teep to land nicely on an orthodox opponent) I use the lifting of the leg to set up a jab. Bare in mind this is not a superman jab, the foot comes back down before the jab is thrown.

Jabbing off a returning kick - pretty standard and similar to a superman punch except the kick actually lands, this is something you can see my coach doing to success in a local friendly interclub, he also uses the same technique to throw a left hand:


That said, I wouldn't describe myself as a particularly adept jabber, I'd like to think I have nice form on it but I usually rely on my left straight and lead hooks and uppercuts more than any jab.

I'd like to actually fix that, so please do tell me about any ways that you or pro/amateur fighters (from any martial art) use movement and techniques to set up, what is quite typically a hard technique to land.

 

[Higus]

Not a southpaw, but against southpaws I always had an easier time landing a jab by attacking from an inside angle rather than trying to position myself outside their lead leg. It was easier to get the jab to land between their arms rather than over or around their lead arm from the outside.

 

[Sinister]

^That's because the more your hand is lined up with the center line of an opposite-handed fighter, the easier it is to attack them with that hand.

 

[cshireman4]

Not a southpaw, but against southpaws I always had an easier time landing a jab by attacking from an inside angle rather than trying to position myself outside their lead leg. It was easier to get the jab to land between their arms rather than over or around their lead arm from the outside.

This. I also like to parry their jab downward and throw my jab over top of it without retracting first, so the opponent doesn't have the time to recover his defense. Another way I have found success is to drop my hips when entering and throwing the up jab. Sometimes you can open up their defense with lead hand hooks, then crack the jab once they start defending the hook.

 

[ssullivan80]

A pawing, Guillermo Rigondeaux style tap of the gloves (which usually sets up my left straight to the body) where it's not working so much as an authoritative jab as much as it does a distance measurer and a way of covering up when I throw a stiff jab.

Feinting hands to set up a jab, usually faking a few jabs before throwing the actual one, or shifting forward etc.

I'm not a southpaw, but as an orth fighter that trains with a lot of southpaws i'll give you my insight. First off, I'm primarily an outfighter (tall/long) that lives off my jab, so I throw a lot of jabs. The Southpaws that give me trouble with their jab, in the simplest sense are the ones that match my output and throw their jab just as often. Whether or not there's a reach adv/dis volume jabbing Southpaws that keep their feet under them always are tricky for me and do slow up my jab output (hence my effectiveness). Most those jabs end up landing on my gloves, forearms, shoulders, etc, but nonetheless it keeps me from really finding my range and timing with my own jab. Then the SP's who can mix in the feints combined with the volume (annoyance jabbing) are the ones who start catching me clean with their jabs.

More refined and technical SP's that give me real trouble with their jab are the ones that as Sinister noted, can bait me into giving them that inside angle. As you mentioned with Rigo, the Sp's that circle using that pawing jab, but also blend in subtle lateral movements while they circle/paw/feint (bait me into giving them the inside angle, beat me to it) and fire off the jab low to high when they get that angle.......... those fuckers ruin my day! x2 if they've got a good lead hook too.

Any southpaw with a good lead hook, one that i'm cautious of, has an easier time getting that inside angle and being effective with their jab also.

 

[ssullivan80]

This. I also like to parry their jab downward and throw my jab over top of it without retracting first, so the opponent doesn't have the time to recover his defense.

This is certainly effective, but if it's overused or too heavily relied on a reasonably savvy opponent will make you pay for it. There are several ways, but a few of them that I like are: with a feint jab followed with a lead hook (over top of the reaching pawing jab), Feint jab - slip outside (opponents jab) - straight right hand, or my personal favorite - feint jab, slide in underneath (under pawing jab) with body jab (quick, short, stabbing jab) - up the middle with big rear UC !

 

[ssullivan80]

Here, if you want to see pure Genius on how to bait and find angles with the jab (or any punch for that matter) watch Lomachenko. He blends all the aforementioned and he does it so subtly that his opponents don't recognize the nuances and essentially get "clowned". One of the those nuances that you should watch for in this clip (or any of his fights) is how he's constantly baiting and probing with his front foot. He does it moving in-out, laterally, circling, etc..... he'll simply probe/feint with that front foot to get his opponents to commit (move) and then take the angle. In short, he baits the opponent into going where he wants them to go by making them think he's going elsewhere........ but instead, he beats them to where there going. Then by the time they realize it he's already smaked them and is someplace else....... shit's truly Genius. Try watching only his front foot first, notice how he'll blend in short quick steps with long ones, move it inside - outside of the opponents front foot, probe with it - then go the other direction or pivot, etc...... But just watching only the front foot first, that's the "nuance" that combined with all the other mentioned (feints, level change, lateral movement) makes it look effortless for Lomachenko to constantly be in places where he can hit and not be hit.

 

[DoctorTaco]

I'm a southpaw, and the success of my jab comes from throwing it down different lanes. I'll go over their own jab, I'll go under it to the body. I'll try and "split the goal posts" and land it directly between their arms. Over their lead hand, or direct to their chest. Across the body and under their back arm, etc.

 

[cshireman4]

This is certainly effective, but if it's overused or too heavily relied on a reasonably savvy opponent will make you pay for it. There are several ways, but a few of them that I like are: with a feint jab followed with a lead hook (over top of the reaching pawing jab), Feint jab - slip outside (opponents jab) - straight right hand, or my personal favorite - feint jab, slide in underneath (under pawing jab) with body jab (quick, short, stabbing jab) - up the middle with big rear UC !

I appreciate the input. I typically spar in a small town with a mix of skill levels, none of which are far greater than my own. It's good to hear from more skilled fighters without having to learn the hard way. I'll try and work some of these techniques into my trainin and add them to my repertoire.

I'm a southpaw, and the success of my jab comes from throwing it down different lanes. I'll go over their own jab, I'll go under it to the body. I'll try and "split the goal posts" and land it directly between their arms. Over their lead hand, or direct to their chest. Across the body and under their back arm, etc.

I almost added something similar to this to my initial post. It seems like the more varied your jab is, the more you find your mark with it. A light 'touch' style jab with a power jab thrown in the mix works wonders. Double up the jab, throwing it low to the chest, etc. Another jab I almost forgot about is a a defensive jab. My coach always refers to it as waving goodbye after you throw your combo and look to exit. An opponent trying to close the distance will often eat these on their way in.

 

[MilesP4P]

I think everyone in this thread have made excellent points. But a recurring theme in this thread seems to be the varying of targets,angle and avenues for the jab. Attacking over your opponents lead shoulder, jabbing between the hands(up the middle/ splitting the goal post) and attacking the body are all things to keep in mind when aiming to have an educated jab against an opponent in a opposite stance.

 

[ssullivan80]

I think everyone in this thread have made excellent points. But a recurring theme in this thread seems to be the varying of targets,angle and avenues for the jab. Attacking over your opponents lead shoulder, jabbing between the hands(up the middle/ splitting the goal post) and attacking the body are all things to keep in mind when aiming to have an educated jab against an opponent in a opposite stance.

Well said. Yeah, the thing about the jab is it's the most versatile "tool" in your "toolbox" . The more you ways, times and situations you use it in........ the more confident you'll be in "building" with it and identifying opportunities/situations when other "tools" can be used to "finish the job".

 

[Pope Leo VII]

great advice going on in this thread, most of my favorites have already been advocated..

one that comes to mind (pun intended) is following up your cross with the jab

 

[AndyMaBobs]

Here, if you want to see pure Genius on how to bait and find angles with the jab (or any punch for that matter) watch Lomachenko. He blends all the aforementioned and he does it so subtly that his opponents don't recognize the nuances and essentially get "clowned". One of the those nuances that you should watch for in this clip (or any of his fights) is how he's constantly baiting and probing with his front foot. He does it moving in-out, laterally, circling, etc..... he'll simply probe/feint with that front foot to get his opponents to commit (move) and then take the angle. In short, he baits the opponent into going where he wants them to go by making them think he's going elsewhere........ but instead, he beats them to where there going. Then by the time they realize it he's already smaked them and is someplace else....... shit's truly Genius. Try watching only his front foot first, notice how he'll blend in short quick steps with long ones, move it inside - outside of the opponents front foot, probe with it - then go the other direction or pivot, etc...... But just watching only the front foot first, that's the "nuance" that combined with all the other mentioned (feints, level change, lateral movement) makes it look effortless for Lomachenko to constantly be in places where he can hit and not be hit.

Man, I do love Lomachenko.

All great suggestions so far guys! Loving them!

 

[Frode Falch]

I like the hook better then the jab when i go against southpaws

 

[ssullivan80]

I like the hook better then the jab when i go against southpaws

So do I..... but opportunities to land those hooks are far more consistent if you're getting your jab on them too. Particularly against a sp, that parries with the lead hand or has a tendency to slip to the outside. From my experience, the threat of the jab is the best way to set up the lead hook.