If you watched boxing matches, you probably noticed the comparison between the two boxers before the fight. There you can see things like their age, their weight, and height, and also the reaches they have. But why the reach is even there?
Why is measured in boxing? The reach is important because it can be a huge factor in a boxing match. Usually, the boxer with the longer reach has an advantage, because he can use it to hit his opponent from a long distance. That can be a problem for some boxers, especially if they can’t close the distance properly. Imagine fighting someone who can hit you from a distance where you just can’t. That can be a nightmare…
How is reach measured
Arm span or reach is the total length of a boxer’s arms. It’s measured from fingertip to fingertip. When is measured, it’s important that arms need to be parallel to the ground.
Usually, the reach correlates to the height of the person. The taller individuals have longer reaches and the people with short reaches, most of the times are short. But of course, there are exceptions.
The long reach can be an advantage not only in boxing but also in sports like basketball, volleyball, swimming, etc. But also, it can be a huge disadvantage in other sports such as weightlifting, street fitness, and gymnastics.
Reach vs Arm Length
According to many people, in boxing, the reach isn’t as important as the arm length. The difference between both things is that the reach includes the size of a boxer’s chest and shoulders and the arm length doesn’t.
Sometimes a boxer who has a wide chest but short arms can have a longer reach than someone with a small chest and long arms.
A good example of the this is Floyd Mayweather. He has really long arms, but his total reach isn’t something special. Some people think that in the boxing, only the length of the arms matters. A wider chest or shoulders can’t help the boxer to reach his opponent from a long distance.
Others said that because of the semi-sideways stance of the boxers, the length across the back enters into the equation. That means that boxers can benefit from their wide chests and shoulders, except if they fight squared up all the time.
That’s true especially when the fighters throw a jab because they usually turn with it. Thus they can use the size of their chest and shoulders to increase the distance from where they can hit the other boxer.
Both positions can be true, according to the way a boxer fights. If he doesn’t use the size of his chest, then only the length of his arms matters.
Respectively if the boxer learns how to turn with his punches properly, he can benefit from the total length of his reach.
Boxers with long reaches
Larry Holmes (81” reach)- the boxer who stopped Muhammad Ali in 1984. He was very good at patiently destroying his opponents, fighting outside. His jab was rated as one of the best in the history of boxing.
Deontay Wilder (83” reach) – considered to be one of the most intimidating boxers of our time, Deontay Wilder uses his reach to knock his rivals out from a distance where they can’t even touch him. He isn’t the most technical boxer, but his record speaks for itself – 40 wins with 39 KOs.
Sonny Liston (84” reach) – fighting at the heavyweight division, Sonny Liston had a reach of 84 inches. He was a powerful puncher and used his reach to throw vicious jabs at his opponents. He really committed with those jabs, trying to knock the other boxer out.
How to use the reach properly
If you are blessed with a long reach, the way to benefit from this is to start fighting outside. That means to keep a distance from your opponent and to use your jab a lot.
You need to develop good footwork, so you can move quickly backward or sideways when the other boxer tries to come closer to you. It isn’t necessary to use the high guard (like most of the boxers who fight in a close distance do), because it can slow you down and prevent you to see the punches coming at you.
When I fight at a long distance, I like to use almost sideways stance, so I can easily step back if my opponent decides to blitz at me. This is a wide stance and it isn’t so popular in boxing, but in sports like MMA, fighters such as Conor McGregor use it with great efficiency. The pros of such a stance are that you will be able to move very quickly forward or backward and to keep the distance between you and your rival easily.
Also, you will be able to use the total length of your reach when you are throwing straight punches. The cons are that you can’t move easily sideways so you won’t be able to create angles in the way that most boxers do it. If you want to move sideways, for example, if the other boxer presses you against the ropes and you want to get out of there, you will need to use side steps, which aren’t a great offensive maneuver.
The other problem is that your balance may be disrupted when you throw a rear hook, because of that, that your feet are positioned in a straight line with your body. So in such a stance, it’s easier to lose balance, than in a normal boxing stance.
It’s a great stance for throwing straight shots, but not for hooks. That’s why I use it only when I am fighting from a distance, where the jab and the cross are the most commonly used punches.
Another great footwork example of outside fighting is the circular movement that boxers such as Muhammad Ali used. Usually, he circled to his left (because he is an orthodox fighter), so he can throw his jab while doing so.
Such a movement allows you to create angles and to dodge your opponent’s punches. But you need to be careful – if you are circling only in one direction throughout the entire fight, you may start being kinda predictable. Also if you are fighting against an orthodox boxer, and you are circling to your left, you need to know that you are circling to his power hand.
That can put you in a dangerous position. Your opponent may try to catch you with a right hook or cross. In such situations, most of the times, Ali used his left shoulder to block the shots.
Short reach
In case you have a short reach, you need to take a totally different approach. The other boxer will try to keep you at a distance and to jab you every time you try to come close.
Your goal is to close that distance so you can start fighting inside where your opponent can’t use the advantages of his longer reach. There are two ways you can do that:
Bobbing and weaving – Wait for your rival to punch and then move your head under the blow or slip it outside/inside. After that, you can easily close the distance and counterpunch him.
Fighters such as Joe Frazier and Rocky Marciano used these techniques a lot. Frazier also liked to use the crossguard when he tried to close the distance, so he can block all of his opponent’s punches. However, such an approach requires good head movement and also a great sense of timing.
The last thing you want is to be caught when you try to close the distance. Because that can be really nasty.
Close the distance using double jab – This technique is the better choice, especially if you are a beginner.
It requires less skill – you just need to walk towards your rival, while throwing a doubled jab. Thus, even if the first jab doesn’t land, you can use it to block the vision of the other boxer and mask your steps while coming closer. That means, that you don’t need to commit with the jabs. You can just throw them, without any power, just to distract the attention from your moves.
You can use them also as a set up for bigger punches. Let your opponent react to your jabs and then throw heavier blows such as the cross or the rear hook.
One of the most commonly used combinations with the jab is – a jab to the head and then a rear hook to the body. That can be a great combination, especially if you are a southpaw (because your rear hand will land on the right side of your rival’s body – right in the liver. Which can be really devastating).
Conclusion
The reach can be a deciding factor in a boxing match. That’s why is measured and it’s so important. But what you need to know is that there is a difference between the arm length and the total reach.
This can make a huge difference according to the way that a boxer fights.