Using punching bag equipment can injure your arms and hands. If you don't already have good boxing form, you must take lessons from an expert trainer, or you will risk hurting yourself while working with punching bag equipment. Even if you don't hurt yourself, practicing with poor form reinforces bad habits and compromises your overall boxing ability. Contact local boxing associations and gyms to find a reputable trainer who can show you how to box safely and effectively.
Considerations
You should have learned during your boxing training how to wrap your hands properly to prevent injury. If you don't know how, you must have an expert show you, otherwise you risk damaging your knuckles and fingers. You'll need boxing wraps, which you circle around your hands several times to reinforce your fists. Also, you'll need boxing gloves designed for working with bags, which are different from those you would use in a match.
Speed Bags
Speed bags are effective for improving your timing, rhythm and accuracy because they are small and hang from low platforms. Every time you hit a speed bag, it bounces back quickly, forcing you to react immediately. Use a speed bag to develop fast, rhythmic punching. Coordinated punching is an essential element of an effective boxer's performance. Punching a speed bag helps you memorize combinations and movements, and develops an almost unconscious ability to perform proper punches. In the heat of a match, automatic reflexes are vital because you won't have time to think, especially if your mind is cloudy from exhaustion or from being hit.
Heavy Bags
Two major elements of boxing fitness are power and conditioning, both of which you can improve with a heavy-bag routine. Heavy bags provide more resistance than speed bags, so they can handle more force. Also, they are larger, so punching a heavy bag allows you to practice how you would punch an actual opponent. Heavy bags often hang from chains, but if your home lacks proper ceiling structural support, you can buy models that have a weighted floor base.
Double-End Bags
Double-end bags are similar to speed bags in size and shape, but they are suspended between the floor and ceiling by elastic cord and rope. When you hit them, they rebound back at you, allowing you to develop your defensive skills. For example, you could throw a left-hand punch, then dodge to the left to avoid the rebounding bag while throwing a right-hand punch. Double-end bags are effective for simultaneously developing defensive and offensive skills.
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