What do you consider impressive heavy bag punching? Personally I consider any sort of "power" that you can't actually use in a boxing fight useless. Maybe you can throw some powerful wide looping hooks on the heavy bag or whatever, but actually hitting someone who knows what to do in the ring is much more difficult. Also, how would you know how powerful punches on a heavy bag really are? If you judge by the sound well the sound depends on the kind of glove and bag used. If the bag moves a lot it could be that you're just "pushing" too much with your punches.
I was once told something along the lines of "Ask the blind man who has greater punching power"...or something to that effect. I think what it means is the sound the punches make when making contact with the bag. IMO how far the bag is "thrown" for lack of a better word does also denote power. Just look at Foreman, Dempsey, and Liston when they hit the heavy bag. That boy goes flying. Foreman had do have somebody hold it for him and that still wasn't enough sometimes.
Yea I think it does promote power. I like gyms where they have several sized (weight wise) bags and you slowly build up. You start off punching 100lb bags and before you know it youre moving 250lb bags. So impressive bag work can show power or like stated above sometimes its just the gloves and bag material
Yeah but doing too much heavy bag work isn't that good. Shadowboxing > heavy bag. I'm tired of people constantly banging the heavy bag in the gym with some wide power shots and then when you see them shadowbox their technique is atrocious and they can't even move like boxers. I judge person's boxing on shadowboxing much more than the heavy bag
If you can punch the bag hard, then you can punch hard, as stupid as that sounds. The differences is that boxing is far more reactive then simply punching the bag, so the rate at which you can develop force in response to the situational demands of a real life boxing match becomes far more important. You don't have the same amount of time to "load up" compared to hitting the bag. Still, it's undoubtedly an effective training tool.
Power=(accuracy+timing+speed)/distance traveled. So if you can move around an 100lb heavy bag, you can certainly move around someones 8lb head. It's about can you hit a small moving target (that's trying to hit you), instead of a large immobile one. Double end bag, speed bag along with heavy bag is the way to go.
Power is only good if you are able to utilize and connect it well + on a consistent basis with different types of fighters you come across. Hard heavy bag work doesn't really prove you will hit hard and accurate with a moving, thinking and reacting opponent in the ring. ^ It is just a tool to develop power and to an extent work on your footwork around a still object. I feel it is more important to work on timing, accuracy, defense, movement first... while speed/power will come when it comes. For me mitt work and double end bag work is more important than wailing away on the heavy bags. What is the point of developing all that power/speed if you are not able to utilize it in the ring with another opponent??
Force i.e power equals mass times acceleration; if you have developed speed and power are these not qualities a fighter needs in the boxing ring? Will these qualites not help to defeat an opponent?
Also the punch bag is not still if you know how to use the bag properly, the bag can swing forward just like an oncoming opponent, the bag can move backwards like an opponent moving away from you. Timing an opponent is a lot harder but the physics is the same, the bag the mass the opponent the mass. There are speed ***** that move faster than some opponents and also there are opponents that move slower than an heavy bag!
Working the H-Bag well is a sign of potential at being able to damage an opponent, like many have said here it's a piece of the puzzle. Think of tanks in warfare, no matter how big their cannon is they need maneuverability and accuracy to stand a chance of win the day. The Landkreuzer was all power and to little maneuverability, the British Mk I was weak and slow, where the Panzer were well balance.
punching with power is a bit misunderstood. instinct and precision are what is actually power. People that throw "hard" aren't boxing with a relaxed mind and hands.
