You have surely heard the motto that offense is the best defense. This may be true, but aside from that, a rock-solid defense is a must for every boxer. Out of the many defensive styles and moves in boxing, a very distinctive one is the shoulder roll.
While blocking with a high guard may be the easiest to learn, you still get impact from the strikes through the gloves. The shoulder roll is a technique that avoids that by using the lead shoulder to deflect incoming punches and the backhand to block and parry. While this may seem easy at first, it’s a pretty advanced technique that requires a good understanding of it, sharp reflexes, and a lot of practice.
Read on to understand why and how to use the shoulder roll in boxing and see some examples of great fighters that have used it with significant success at the highest levels.
What is the shoulder roll in boxing?
The shoulder roll is a defensive movement that uses the shoulder to deflect incoming punches. Tucking the chin behind the lead shoulder securely protects the most vulnerable part of the head. At the same time, the rear hand stays glued nice and tight to the head ready to block or parry any incoming shots from the opposite side.
The lead arm is usually held at the midsection to protect from all body shots, in a position closely resembling holding a shield. The shoulder “roll” is done by rotating the body away from the shot and thus deflecting it. But the technique is not only the single roll but the use of subtle movements of the upper body to deflect with the lead shoulder AND parry and block with the rear hand and can be used to effectively negate whole combinations without too much effort.
Although the shoulder roll is primarily a defensive maneuver, it also serves as a great setup for devastating counterattacks. The mechanics of the rotation used to roll punches perfectly load up the rear hand that protects the head to fire a rapid straight or an uppercut.
What stance can the shoulder roll be used with?
For maximum effectiveness of the shoulder roll, you should always use a more bladed, sideways stance. This way the opponent is presented with a very small target area which on top of that is guarded by the lowered lead hand. This guard is also called the “Philly Shell” and if used correctly it is without a doubt one of the most impenetrable defenses in boxing. It’s no surprise that the absolute master of defensive boxing Floyd Mayweather relied extensively on the Philly shell as his primary guard.
A big drawback of the shoulder roll can be found when the fighters are in an open stance, meaning one is orthodox and the other is in the southpaw. The main goal of the technique is to use the shoulder to guard against the powerful rear attacks of the opponent. In an open stance, the situation becomes the opposite and the cross comes from an awkward angle.
The best defense for it from the southpaw cross from the “shell” is by ducking and pivoting away or simply moving back (just don’t step back in straight lines too often). See examples below:
Ducking
Moving Back
Reasons to use the shoulder roll
Energy effective– the shoulder roll uses almost exclusively upper body motions which makes it more energy effective than other evasive moves like rolling under shots and using elaborate footwork. In addition to that, it’s more effective than blocking. Using your hands to block powerful shots will inevitably send some of the impacts through your hands and straight to the brain. Yes, it’s better than landing, but deflection and parrying save you all impact and should always be prioritized.
Great for counter-attacks– Every cross you deflect leaves the opponent open for a counter. The rotation from the roll loads up your own rear hand to blast a quick straight or uppercut.
It’s actually easy to execute – this may not sound very reasonable, but actually once you get the timing and technique right the shoulder roll comes pretty intuitively. Parrying with the hands requires very strict timing and missing even a beat can lead to heavy repercussions. Parrying with the shoulder with a slight lean back is actually easier to execute. In addition, the lead hand “shield” blocks body shots almost automatically.
Tips to use the shoulder roll
There are a few tick boxes that you need to check every time you use the Philly shell. The shoulder roll relies on rhythm and is a great skill to train even if you don’t prefer using it as a main defensive tactic. Rolling away from strikes is an invaluable skill in boxing because it significantly reduces the impact even if the punch lands. Canelo is a prime example of this and can be often seen turning his head away with a received punch. Now here are a few pointers:
- Always keep the chin tucked
- Don’t lose sight of the opponent
- Never let the right hand leave your face
- Don’t stay only on the defensive. Use the successful rolls to counter-attack often
- Follow the rhythm of the opponent and rotate your shoulders with this rhythm. You will be surprised at your success rate.
Here is great example of Mayweather using the shoulder roll and countering to perfection vs Shane Mosley below
Great fighters using the shoulder roll
Throughout the rich history of boxing, many fighters used the shoulder roll with great success.
Floyd Mayweather Jr
The first fighter to come to mind is obviously Floyd Mayweather. He cemented his place in history with an astonishing 50-0 professional statistic that was built on the foundation of his Philly shell stance.
James Toney
Another fighter from the recent past that relied heavily on the shoulder roll was James Toney. “Light out” was a counterstriking genius and many of his best works came from the very stance we are discussing.
Nicolino Locche
And if you want to a look further back in time and enjoy a black and white film from another age of boxing, Argentine legend and a hall of famer Nicolino Locche will provide you with great entertainment. This is due to overall defensive skill set which made one of the hardest fighters to hit.
Jaron Ennis
If you want to watch a current fighter that uses the philly shell, you should look no further than Philadelphia boxer Jaron Ennis. A native from where the philly shell shoulder roll was born. Ennis is a fighter who can box from both stances and has very slick defense and counterpunching abilities. It’s truly impressive!
The shoulder roll is just one aspect of the very deep and diverse game of boxing. The use of moves and techniques like this is what elevated boxing above the common consensus brawl. And if you are into boxing yourself study the greats, use the tips above, experiment a bit and you may surprise the opposition with a new tool in the box.
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