SpeedBag 101 – Learning How to SpeedBag

Training Session Outline

Most people are aware of the SpeedBag… They have seen it on “Rocky”.. so how hard can it be ?? Most people discover however, when they first try to use a speedbag, that it is harder than it looks… The bag doesn’t move and bounce as easily as it looks… and it is much harder to hit than they expect.

Some people hit around the bag for a bit… decide it is “too hard”… and move on to something else. Some people however, treat it as a personal challenge… spend a bit more time and effort… and are rewarded with the ability to control the bag.

Many of those who do persevere become “hooked” and discover that the Speedbag is a great challenge, and awesome exercise tool… and a LOT of FUN.

Anyone, with a little Patience and Perseverance CAN learn to Master the Speed Bag

Overview

This workout is for complete beginners and is designed to guide them through a series of steps along the way to learning how to Control and eventually Master the Speed Bag.

Workouts

The process of learning to use the SpeedBag will take time. It is as much a cognitive process (training your brain) as it is physical (training your muscles), and you are much better off doing a number of short sessions, than 1 long session.
5 x 3 minute workouts over a week is almost certain to be much more effective than a single 15 minute session :

Open Hand Workout

• Slap It !!! – Before you start smashing at the bag with your fists… get a feel for how it moves and bounces, by “pushing” it relatively gently and softly with an open (or cupped) hand.
  Do NOT hit it hard or fast… the harder you hit, it the faster it will move, and the more difficult (initially) you will find it.
• Feel the Rhythm – get a feel for the rhythm of the bounces, and LISTEN for the bounce pattern. For most speedbag strikes (including the basic punches) you will be using a triple bounce pattern… i.e. three bounces off the drum between hits. The pattern you will be trying to make is :
  • Hit / Bounce / Bounce /Bounce
  • Hit / Bounce / Bounce /Bounce
  • Hit / Bounce / Bounce /Bounce
  • Hit / Bounce / Bounce /Bounce
  • etc…
• Repeat Repeat Repeat – Before you start using a closed fist, make sure you can consistently hit the bag after the 3rd bounce

Once you are comfortable with the rhythm you can start to punch the bag :

Punch Workout

There are various types of punches you can try (Fist, Backhand, Hammer, etc..)… but most find a Hammer Punch the most comfortable to start with :

• Start Slow – start with gentle, slow strikes to get a feel for the rhythm. Once you have the basic feel of the punch, start to speed up a little (it is often easier to punch a speedbag at a medium pace rather than too slow).
  tip: try learning new punches bare handed, so you can see/feel what is going on better, and you minimise mishits caused by seams or lumps in your warps/gloves
• One Hand – once you have the basic punch dynamics right, concentrate on a single hand (probably your lead hand – but whatever is most comfortable) and do 100 consecutive strikes. Once you can consistently get 100 strikes with few or no mishits, move on
• Other Hand – once you are comfortable with one hand swap over, and work on the other … again building up to 100 successful consecutive strikes.
• Alternate Hands – once you are comfortable with either hand, start to alternate them… initially with 10 punches on each hand, but gradually reducing this number down to single alternating strikes on each hand.
• Speed Up – Increase the power and the speed of your punches… There is usually a “sweet spot” (which varies depending on the type of punch and your bag setup) where the power/speed feels most comfortable and creates a sustainable regular rhythm