Power = Speed X Mass

If the physics in boxing is a beauty... more weight and more speed, that's why Wilder was such a strong guy... that right hand was very fast... and he had a lot of bone density... another thing... he threw the overhand well... because he used centripetal force... there are several things in boxing that seem to have been done by a physicist... I don't know how the people who contributed to this sport have evolved and I really don't know how they did this.

 

I was saying the same thing a few days ago in another thread.

 

I think there is an ideal fighting weight where both your speed and power are the best. That’s the weight at which you are most explosive. If you are lighter or faster then that you will suffer in both speed and power.

 

Right on, good thread subject.

 

Good thread. I think it's definitely a factor in how hard your punches can be, along with speed and proper technique.

 

In general I agree. There's more nuance though, two fighters the same weight and with same hand speed won't always have the same power.

Technique will be the difference, you may have the same mass as bigger puncher but if you can't turn that mass/bodyweight into actual force delivered to the point of contact with your fist then you won't have the same power.

In the Parker weight thread there was talk of why fighters who move up in weight like Chris Byrd didn't increase punching power. That's a flawed argument as how do we know he didn't increase power? It's not like we had his power tested as he moved up to know it stayed the same. Also as you move up you are facing bigger men who can take bigger punches. It could be that at 168 Byrd would of had more KO's than at heavyweight because he would be punching men the same size and weight as him and not fighting guys considerably bigger who were used to taking punches off bigger more powerful men.

 

His boxing technique sucked in terms of what we regards as boxing skills, but he knew how to generate power. Long levers, knew how to plant his feet and he loaded up a lot with his punches.

Some of the best technical boxers were not known for power, being skilled in the art of hitting and not being hit isn't always the same as having the technique to generate the most power. If what we regard as good boxing technique also meant maximum power, guys like Mayweather, Hopkins etc would have hit a lot harder than they did.

 

You forget about the energy transfer. Depending on the alignment of your bones and some obscure factors you will transfer a different percentage. This is maybe the most important factor. And more important than the overall total energy is the time in which you transfer this energy. This also depends on your body structure, composition

 

Power punching is not just speed and mass. For instance look at weight divisions where the boxers are roughly the same mass, are the fast punchers always top power punchers? No they are not.

At Heavyweight Marciano did not usually have more mass than his opponents and did not have great hand speed but was one of the hardest punchers. Ali usually had a mass advantage and had some of the best hand speed ever and has underrated power but was not a great power puncher.

 

Who made up this formula pretending to be a mathematician? Lol

1) in maths or physics (it’s been a while) but I can’t recall this equation of power equalling mass x speed (velocity).

2) many formulae questions also state a qualifying term prior, (if 2 particles travelling on an equal plane etc) this is to calculate things mathematically, you are having some constants and removing things like (on a moving car) drag, friction, centre of mass, body shape etc etc all factor into a collision. Intentions when throwing a punch matter, physics doesn’t calculate for this.

3) as pointed out by a previous poster, pick guys in the same weight division…why do some hit way harder than others?

4) Yes there is an X factor in boxing for power. This is the well known status quo.

5) newcomers have often tried to science up sports but it rarely works as they are arts with lots of factors involved. Intention being one of them that science cannot factor in.

 

I'm sure there has been studies and some science on how the mechanics of it all works.

I recently saw a video where George Lockhart said power is a result of how quickly and easily a fighter can generate ans move power from their feet right through to their punch.

I don't know how true this is, but it makes sense to me. So it's not just weight and speed, it's also the mechanics and efficiency of energy transfer through the body which will rely on a bunch of different things like muscle density, length and composition, bone structure, tendons and ligaments, technique etc etc.

So some people are just made to be punchers, though people can improve with training and technique work, as well of course as just adding more weight. But they are never going to become a natural power puncher.