Wondering how to fight a shorter opponent?
Use your height to your advantage! You have a longer arm for jabs and your head is out of reach because of your height.
Your jab will be your best friend here. Use it to control the range and to direct your opponent into accurate combinations.
Keep reading to learn how to fight a shorter opponent!
How To Fight A Shorter Opponent
To fight a shorter opponent:
- Have Multiple Layers Of Defense Ready
- Keep Him On The Outside
- Land Your Combinations At Mid-Range
- Stay Tight and Balanced At Close Range
Have Multiple Layers Of Defense Ready
First, have multiple layers of defense ready against a shorter opponent.
Beforehand, you should know that a shorter fighter will look to get past your jab and fight on the inside.
He’ll also probably attack your body in hopes that you’ll bring your guard down so that he can open your head up for attack.
Knowing this, you should be ready to mix up your jab at long range, and to use your footwork to control the range if he gets too close.
If your opponent is in close range, expect looping overhand power punches that he uses to compensate for his height.
Keep Him On The Outside
Next, keep your shorter opponent on the outside.
Your first layer of defense will be the jab. Use it to control the range.
Don’t stay in one place or step back and let your opponent carve angles into you. You don’t want this to be a linear fight. As you jab, sidestep to change the angle so that your opponent doesn’t walk straight in.
Keep him chasing: if you give up a little distance, make up for it by taking an angle. If you give up an angle, make up for it by creating distance with your footwork and jab.
Stay sharp and unpredictable with your jabs. At long range, a shorter opponent can still land an overhand right or a gazelle hook to overwhelm your jab.
Since your opponent is trying to time your jab and maneuver to get inside, use your jabs to direct your opponent into tight, accurate uppercuts.
Watch the video below to study how Wladimir Klitschko uses his jab as if he’s fencing, always keeping his opponent on the outside.
Land Your Combinations At Mid-Range
Next, land your combinations at mid-range against a shorter opponent.
For your second layer of defense, use your jabs and footwork to set up your combinations at mid-range.
Here you’re at the perfect range where your jabs control the distance but you can also land your power shots.
If your opponent continues to dip his head low and step forward, you’ll continue to land your rear uppercut and then pivot out.
Your goal here is to use your angles and combinations to land clean combinations here and then get back to long-range. You don’t want to trade shots here or let him get inside.
Watch the video to see how Lennox Lewis controlled Mike Tyson by keeping him at long- and mid-range with jabs and uppercuts, negating Tyson’s close-range fighting.
Stay Tight and Balanced At Close Range
Next, stay tight and balanced at close range against a shorter opponent.
For this last layer of defense, your jab is useless here and your rolls and slips are difficult to pull off because of the height difference.
Your footwork will be crucial at close range and will allow you to respond with your own hooks and uppercuts, instead of curling up.
You can still deal damage here, so make your shorter opponent pay on the inside and he won’t want to come back.
If your opponent leans forward and tries to roll from slot to slot for body shots, use your glove to manipulate his head so that he’s off-balance and then angle out.
As a last resort, use your forearms to push your opponent back to mid-range or clinch. When the referee breaks it up, the range resets, so you can start from the beginning and work your jab.
Watch the video below to see how Tommy Hearns dominates the close-range by throwing tight, curving hooks in the clinch and forcing the fight back to mid-range where he can use his jab.
Conclusion
Now that you know these tips, you’re better equipped to fight a shorter opponent.
The advice for shorter fighters is to get past the jab, get inside, and attack the body. However, most of them are not ready to face multiple layers of defense.
Shorter fighters are not prepared for a taller fighter who doesn’t just rely on the jab, who can fight at all ranges, and who can use footwork to fight efficiently.
If you want to study these ideas in action, along with the before-mentioned Klitschko, Lewis, and Hearns, study Tyson Fury, Larry Holmes, and Paul Williams to start with.
If you’re having trouble deciding what boxing equipment to get, check out these articles: