Boxers must be in top condition if they are planning to get in the ring with a competent opponent. When you get into the ring, you are trying to deliver powerful punches to your opponent's head and body, and he is trying to do the same to you. Having strength and power will help you deliver harder punches, but weightlifting strength may not necessarily translate into punching power. Hitting the heavy bag with a plan and purpose will help you learn to hit harder in the ring.
Step 1
Walk up to the heavy bag and prepare to punch it by taking a proper boxer's stance. Your left shoulder--for a right-handed boxer--needs to be facing the bag. This is the same stance you would take in the ring against your opponent. Start punching the bag with your left hand, as if you are throwing a jab. You must use your full body behind the punch. Power punching comes from your entire body, not just your hands and arms. It starts at your feet, goes through your glutes and core and then includes your chest, shoulder and arms.
Step 2
Throw combination punches at the bag. Start with your left jab and then hit it with a right cross. Then throw a left jab, a right cross and a left hook. Follow that with a left jab, right cross, left hook and right uppercut. Most boxers don't knock out their opponent with a single punch. It's usually a combination of punches that will help you knock out your opponent. This is how trainer Freddie Roach works with his boxers. Roach, considered among the best in the world and the trainer of welterweight champion Manny Pacquiao, emphasizes combination punches on the heavy bag. "It's not enough to count on a one-punch knockout," Roach said in January 2010 HBO interview. "You need a combination of punches and that's where your work on the heavy bag pays off."
Step 3
Hit the heavy bag for three minutes at a time. This will mimic the amount of time you spend in the ring for one round of boxing. Make every punch count and throw each one with your full body. Develop a sense of timing and rhythm for throwing dangerous punches while maintaining a strong defensive posture. This will help you when sparring prior to a fight and in the fight itself.
Step 4
Do the punch-out drill on the heavy bag. In this drill, alternate left-hand and right-hand power punches on the heavy bag. Throw these punches nonstop for 30 seconds when you first start. Eventually, you will build yourself up to two minutes in this game. This can be an exhausting drill that will culminate with your arms having a leaden feeling. Take a two-minute break and repeat the drill. Former middleweight champion "Marvelous" Marvin Hagler was noted for his demanding training routines and used this drill to prepare for his biggest fights, including his 1985 third-round knockout victory over Thomas Hearns.
Member Comments