So im 17 have been boxing for 5 years now and i realized iv kinda hit a wall in progress, by progress i specifically mean my speed. My dream to become a great boxer started when i saw sugar ray leonard fight roberto duran for a second time, ever since iv been trying to become like sugar ray leonard . Not personality wise just boxing wise i wanna move like him and i wanna punch like him, its just something about his style . Every time i think about how my perfect style would be i always end up thinking about sugar ray leonard, it annoys me because i feel like im copying him but the thing is everything he does seems so right and just completely suits my idea of a perfect style . Basically i wanna become a sugar ray leonard v 2.0 i hate to say that but its true and yea im a copycat but i cant help it . So enough of my drizzle drazzel . I need advice on how to become faster. Any workouts/activities/routines i could do etc ? Btw what kind of forum is this ? Is this a boxing forum that focuses more on advice or is it one that focuses on talking about the history of boxing etc because i checked this forum out called Boxing scene and 99% of all the threads there were about mayweather so i didnt even bother registering, when i checked this one out i saw a few threads about duran and hagler and kinda got the feeling this is the place im looking for . Was i correct ?
Speed is mostly down to technique, becoming efficient at a specific movement. Once you get to the limit of your current speed the next way to improve is to increase strength which in turn will increase speed.
Speed's essentially genetic and, as Virus says, largely honed by skills work. More important, I'd say, is your level of conditioning to maintain speed and quickness during an entire fight.
If your looking for straight up hand-speed, punching with resistance bands works great cause it teaches your shoulders to recruit the maximum amount of fibers when snapping punches out and back. The resistance bands work better than using dumbbells since holding dumbbells creates an unnatural balance with the weight pulling your hands down instead of the resistance being outward. I felt a big difference when I added this into my routine but I think it can only help you improve so much till it comes down to skill like these guys said.