How to Fight a Shorter Opponent Successfully!

Introduction

When searching around YouTube it struck me that there tends to be a bunch of video tutorials on how to fight a taller opponent. Don’t get me wrong, I’m all for getting advice on beating taller guys being a towering 5’6” myself, but I want to redress the balance.

I have put together a 90 Second Boxing Tips video on how to fight an aggressive shorter opponent. You know the type, one of those squat guys who tries to chase you down, climb all over you like a cheap suit and turn your face and body into a collection of bumps and bruises.

In this video I’ll give you 3 tips on how to deal with a shorter opponent, plus an additional tip for when you are up close.

Boxing Tip #1 – Maintain Your Range

If you possess a height and reach advantage over your opponent then it stands to reason that during a fight you want to maximize those advantages. The way to maximize your reach advantage is to maintain your range at edge of range/long range.

During the fight, use the simple push away combined with a jab to maintain distance. Time your movement to coincide with your opponent’s drive forward and when it suits you let your right cross go for good measure – that will help convince your opponent to stop trying to rush you.

Boxing Tip #2 – Use Angled Punches

Straight shots are fantastic. The old one-two takes some beating. However, when working out how to fight a shorter opponent and be successful it is worth considering a couple of simple facts.

Firstly, a shorter opponent when trying to close the ground on you will use lots of head movement; slips, rolling and ducking. Secondly, the opponent will often seek to make their height work to their advantage by ducking low.

With these two considerations in mind, vary your long range punching to incorporate long range hooks and long range uppercuts. This will increase your chances of landing your punches effectively as your opponent’s head cuts across your line of fire. This is a very simple but very effective boxing tip in your quest to work out how to fight the short guy.

Boxing Tip #3 – Pivot to Deflect the Attack

The pivot, to my mind, is one of the most often used yet under appreciated skills used in boxing. The pivot is incredibly effective in all types of different fight situations, both offensive and defensive. I feel that when working out how to fight a shorter opponent then the pivot provides a great option.

As a shorter opponent attacks, you can use the pivot to ‘deflect’ that attack. They will attack down a center-line, fully committed, and you can simply pivot off that center-line to leave the opponent ‘chasing shadows’.

This deflection of the attack provided by the pivot is great. What is even better is combining the pivot with a left hook, you can happily then add injury to insult. This ability to leave the opponent punching the air whilst still delivering your own hits too me is true art of boxing.

Bonus Boxing Tip

Each of our 3 boxing tips on how to fight against a shorter opponent are geared toward maintaining your range. This is pretty much common sense. However, the laws of averages mean that however good you are at maintaining range on occasion you will still find yourself at close range with a shorter opponent.

When you do get up close during a fight against a shorter opponent, you can of course try to tie the guy up, hold and grab for all of your worth. I don’t like that approach though, especially in a short duration boxing match. Rather than holding, hammer off 3 or 4 short range punches and then quickly depart to long range again.

By hitting at close range and then moving back to long range it means that you are dictating the situation, you are in control and you can use whatever tactics you like and still come out on top.

So that’s it, a 90 second video on how to fight a shorter opponent. Keep it simple and work to your advantages.

Comments and questions below please.

Cheers

Fran

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