Boxing Stance: Traditional / Classical and Modern

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Here I am going to put down some of my thoughts and knowledge on boxing stance and positioning at the request of @Hannibal Barca .

I am not saying I am the most knowledgeable source, so any additional input or criticism is appreciated. I will also link some additional resources related below. This isn't a full treatise, as this subject covers a whole book, which you can find by more knowledgeable authors.

Stance

The stance of a boxer is imperative to his success in the ring, and the consensus on what a boxing stance should be, and what it should facilitate, has changed over a long period of time. Stances can be widely varied, and changed, due to an individual. I will write about two types of stance, the ‘traditional’ or ‘classical’ stances, and the more ‘modern stances, and their uses. Note, that just because they are widely called this, does not mean all old timers used a ‘classical’ stance, nor that all modern boxers use a ‘modern’ stance. Jack ‘kid’ Berg and Floyd Mayweather are two boxers off the top of my head who fight differently to the norms of their era, in regards to stance, and had high success. Both stances have various Pros and cons, so I am not advocating for one eras methods as better, just trying to explain certain concepts.

Classical Stance

Named such as it was the foremost stance taught in earlier boxing eras. This stance is characterized by the front foot facing the center, with the stance in more of an L pattern, and with weight distribution being around 70 / 30 towards the back leg. Many boxers were familiar with the classical stance, even those who did not use it. Here is an image example of several boxers.

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With the weight predisposed more to the back leg, and with the feet being at around a 45 degree angle, the lead shoulder is naturally raised as a line of defense, and the head is kept off center line, off the center line of the body. This was vital in eras of smaller gloves that did not allow ‘earmuffs’ defense. This allows for a ‘false’ attack target for the opponent, and punches will take longer to reach you. Take a look at this photo of Sandy Saddler.

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(image is flipped for some reason)
Notice how his head is tilted away from the center of his body? If you drew a line down the middle of his body, it would only go through the outer left half of his head.With a stance like this, defense becomes less reactionary and more naturally ingrained to your way of standing and moving, and therefore more energy efficient when mastered. An L stance also makes turning to the right smaller and easier, as weight is already on the back foot. You do not have to be a pure boxer to implement this, as it works very well for pressuring also, especially when holding the center line properly, which I will talk about later.

Using a classical stance, the right / rear hand is more loaded for a powerful shot or counter. However, due to the stance, throwing the right hand may be slower as it has to travel a further distance to the opponent. This stance may also not be the ideal for large amounts of combination punching, however it can be done, and I think there is little difference between the two, especially with proper positioning.

Modern stance

The modern stance is stance that has developed throughout the decades of boxing. Some may say this is because of the ‘death’ of old school knowledge, which I only partially agree with. The modern stance is indeed inefficient, when taught incorrectly. The pound for pound best today, Vasyl Lomachenko, is an exquisite user of this stance. Here is an image to provide reference.

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(Modern vs Old School)
Using a modern stance, the weight is usually more balanced, or in favor of the front foot 60 /40 weight distribution. This is great for explosive foot movements, ala Loma and Tyson, and allows for quick speedy punches and forward foot movement, which combined with the larger gloves of today makes it ideal to pressure and stalk and opponent.

However, as you can see in the De La Hoya image, your head directly lines up with the center, the opponents line of attack. This means defense is more reliant on reflexes and anticipation than built in. this can lead to wasted energy and needless damage being taken by a boxer. Could this shorten a career? It depends on the boxer.

However, both these stances are less effective if a boxer cannot hold the center line properly.

The center line

What a lot of fighter miss today is this, its small but it’s important, and has to do with how yours toes point. Lots of fighters today, emulating Mayweather or whoever, have their front foot facing sideways, like a skateboarder, and this lead to loss of position, vision and presence. Ideally, the front foot should face forward towards the center of an opponents body. Small, but many fighters don’t do it. This directly threatens a fighter, and allows a boxer to have a fuller range of vision in regards to what is coming at them, and they are less likely to be caught (if acted upon properly). This makes boxing a more precise plan (if both employ it), rather than reactive. It is my theory that paces of older bouts are slightly different due to this (alongside the obvious like longer distance).

Here is a further link to learn about center line, from more knowledgeable person than me.

https://forums.sherdog.com/threads/facing-the-center-line.2408841/

That’s bout all I can write at the moment, I've probably missed something. Oh well.

Here are some further resources to lead off:

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