Speed Bag Usefulness

What do people mean by improving "hand speed"? If you mean punching speed, it won't. To make your punches faster you have to do that specific punch over and over. You have to teach your body a certain movement for each punch, this movement becomes more efficient (faster and stronger) the more it's practiced. Doing a completely different movement i.e. speed bag, won't help with this at all.

 

The times our speedbags get the most workouts in our gym, is when a new hot girl shows up, or the tv news crew is doing a story. Otherwise, it's more of a warm up mechanism.

 

LOL! :yep

I agree, we also have a bunch of really hot girls training in the gym.

And that's when the speedbag is most useful. Guys actually start lining up to use it; it's like they're going for an audition or something...

 

If the speed bag is pretty useless, then why do top fighters(Floyd Mayweather, De La hoya, Pacquiao) use them?

 

Maybe they have hot girls working out in their gyms as well.

 

As usual the "Well the pros do it so I'll just follow" mind set comes in. I bet if they stopped using it they wouldn't start losing matches, lets put it that way.

Maybe you can tell us why they use them?

 

maybe they use it as sort of a break from the more tiring exercises?

 

I think to mistaken my post as being a smart ass. I'm seriously asking why since people here believe it's pretty much useless.

 

I wouldnt say useless. It has its merits, but just imo not as important as say the heavy bag, or dbl end bag. Once mastered it becomes quite boring, but impressive to watch for someone not used to seeing it fly.

My point was just an observation, and really true. I find it hilarious to see guys jump on the speed bags when a hot new girl arrives at the gym. And yea when the tv crews come cuz we are having a show or they are doing a story on someone, they always want the speed bag in there. And often other members not in the story are trying to jump into the action too.

We are funny creatures, is all.

 

We use speed balls in our gym but sparingly. For the pro fighters they have all used them and are proficient but as time goes on some drop it altogether and don't seem to suffer.

For recreational boxers I think it is good as it does give good feedback and challenges - it is important that good basic stance is used. Has been useful for some that have problems keeping their hands up (rather than them getting their teeth knocked out) and general coordination.

 

Same in our gym. :rofl

 

I just posted a similar query on a recent thread, then found this one.

What I wrote there: ( http://www.eastsideboxing.com/forum/showthread.php?p=10496567 )
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I've never understood why boxers work on the bag. Well, OK maybe it's better than nothing, something to do in the gym when 2 other guys are using the ring, but I'm still waiting to see an actual match in which one opponent moves his head like a speed bag.

The best hand-eye training (specifically for boxing) that I've ever seen was that contraption Evander Holyfield used to use. Remember? It was basically a boxing dummy on a stand, with motors to make it move & (IIRC) punch like a real human. Evander spent countless hours in front of it, practising defense & counter-punching. (I wonder if there's a video of that somewhere?)

 

The speed bag is anything but useless.

Boxing is a rythym sport too, and there isn't anything better than this tool to develop rythym (if you do it properly).

It teaches you to relax too. Don't buy it? Anyone who knows how to do it should try this: Next time you are very angry or anxious, get to the speed bag. You'll find that it forces you to relax to do it right. Now that's valuable. It teaches you to relax despite your feelings and to concentrate on the matter at hand. Fighters need that skill.

It also forces you to learn the technique until it becomes second nature, so that you can do it with your eyes closed -and that's what you want in the ring --you want your technique to become second nature, where you don't have to think about it.

It is also good to develop power, believe it or not. Forget the brutes wtih the overdeveloped pecs who slam it -power is enhanced through technique and the speed bag can help if you turn that wrist loosely at impact. I had an old-school trainer who told me that if you can do a short left hook/right cross combination on it and the bag freezes -that's perfect punching.

Trainer Al Certo had no speed bags in his gym. He believes that it was useless. I think he was wrong. Hell, his man Andrew Golota should have been on it 3 hours a day. It may have helped him and his demons.

 

There's a difference between the rythym of a fight and punching a speed bag.

You relax because you're concetrating on something, nothing special about the speed bag.

Yes, you'll learn technique, the technique of how to hit a speed bag... useless.

If you punch in a fight the same way you hit the speed bag you need to start over.

Developing power using a speed bag? Lol.

 

If chicks come to your gym? It might help you "beat up" something.

Other than that? Useless.