Increase Your Boxing Skill - How to Hit a Speed Bag

One tool that many boxers use to increase their hand-eye coordination and punching speed is the speed bag. If you don't know what a speed bag is, I can almost guarantee you've seen one in a movie or a cartoon before. A speed bag itself looks somewhat like a tear, and it hangs from a board that is usually mounted in a wall. The speed bag should be at about eye level, or a little higher.

The most important aspect of hitting a speed bag is timing. Without timing there is no way to know when to swing at the speed bag. When hitting a speed bag the best way to measure you timing is by counting 1-2-3 repeatedly. But how fast should you count to 3, and loop it in your mind?

A speed bag generally bounces around pretty fast, so I will explain in the best way possible on how to time yourself when striking a speed bag. For anyone who knows what 4/4 timing is for music, the timing of a speed bag is about a quarter of a 4/4 measure. So, one swing usually equals two beats in a measure. But not everyone knows how to count 1/4 beats in a generic musical measure, so I will also use the comparison of syllables as well. One count to 3 when striking a speed bag is about equal to 1 and a half syllables. Of course this is mere observation, and there a lot more factors that play into timing such as strength, accuracy, and speed of the speed bag itself.

When counting 1-2-3, each number stands for something physical that is happening to the speed bag. You will notice a head board above the speed bag that the bag bounces on once you strike it. Once you initially strike the speed bag it will hit the board, but the side opposing you. Once the bag hits the board, count 1. The speed bag will now come back towards you to strike the board again, but this time it's coming to the side you're on. Once the bag hits the board on this side, count 2. The bag will now travel back away from you and hit the board again. Once it hits the board on the opposing side, that's count 3.