Your boxing stance is the single most crucial aspect of boxing that you learn. Without a good, practical boxing stance you’ll simply not get anything like the performance levels you want. Boxing stances can be classified into two broad types – bladed and squared. This post will help you understand the boxing stances and decide which one you should use and when.
The Bladed Boxing Stance
The bladed boxing stance is the one that is taught most extensively in boxing, especially Olympic style boxing. The word bladed comes from the fact that the upper body is aligned to the opponent. This body alignment is a natural consequence of the front foot and rear foot being almost aligned, with a slight offset. This offset is based upon an imaginary line going from the toe of the front foot to the heel on the back foot.
The bladed boxing stance enables greater mobility, especiually when being on the balls of your feet. You are much more able to cover straight line distances more quickly and efficiently. The bladed stance can be used at all ranges, from out of range up to close range.
All of the various footwork skills are open when using the bladed stance, pivots, side steps and so on. The bladed boxing stance is also tailor made to deliver long range straights, hooks and uppercuts but is versatile enough work those shorter hooks and uppercuts.
The Squared Boxing Stance
The squared boxing stance is what it says, that rear foot comes out and the upper body is opened up. The squared boxing stance is best deployed at close range. The feet flatten and the squared stance is all about power. Basically you sacrifice mobility for power (for more on this check out this video on how to punch harder and faster).
When using the squared stance, your boxing defenses relies on head movement (slips and rolls) and blocks to hooks and uppercuts. Your feet don’t really add to your defensive capability. If you use the squared stance at long range, you are relying on the opponent committing to the attack simply because you can’t really cover the ground at speed from the squared stance.
Which Boxing Stance is Best?
Simple this one. Learn the bladed stance as your default. This stance will give you the most versatility, you can use it at all ranges. Once you’ve mastered the bladed stance, you can then think about using the squared boxing stance for your close range work. Taking this approach means that you can be mobile when you need to and you can go for power shots when you need to.
Check out the video and let me have your thoughts below.
Cheers
Fran
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Great blog! It clearly explains the difference between bladed and squared boxing stances and helps beginners understand which one suits their style best. Simple, practical, and easy to follow — perfect for anyone starting their boxing journey.
Good stuff Fran, would you ever recommend going square from the outside a la Bivol? Not sure how he does it so frequently and gets it to work? lol I mean, you do get the extra reach on the right handed punches, but lose it on the left side, then make yourself a bigger target, lose some balance etc. Just wanted to ask, to see what your opinion was on this sir.
What a great question Dan. So, Bivol is very unusual. He squares his upper body but fights out of a bladed stance. I’ve never seen any other boxer do this. Helps him absorb punches with the double block, gives him an over-powered jab and still lets him keep power in the straight back hand (because he still has all of that hip rotation. Covered it here – https://www.myboxingcoach.com/the-bivol-supremacy-bivol-style-analysis/ Thanks Dan, great question.
Thanks for the insightful reply Fran, appreciate it! Dimitri is definitely one of a kind!