The Speed Bag; Advancing Your Hands 

The Speed Bag can be used to improve the following Hand-eye coordination and Rhythm and timing. You will have to learn how to move with the bag and control your punching power. First, Punching Power Adjustment.

You will need to have some shadow boxing skill and mitt work to learn how to properly throw punches at the bag so you will not develop bad footwork and punching technique. Next, Set your bag height and start to control.

Controlling the Bag

Gaining control of the speed bag is not easy at first but it will become second nature. Start off slow. Approach the speed bag; first make sure you are half an arms length away for beginners. Make sure you are always in ready position (hands up in front).

Take your dominant hand or your jab hand and slowly with your hand cuffed like a C shape hit the bag lightly. You will start to notice that the bag returns quickly and it seems you can’t keep up, that is when the control factor comes in hit the bag lightly.

Feel and Hear it

As you are hitting the bag you hear a beat like a drum. Well you want to start hitting it every third beat it will go 1,2,3hit, 1,2,3hit is the rhythm it should always be on an odd number also. First off get the rhythm with your jab or 1 the build up to your cross or 2. After awhile then you can start alternating and moving your feet too. This is something people just don’t usually walk into the gym and are able to do it takes practice, control, and focus.

For conditioning

As you progress into using the speed bag it is a very good upper body and shoulder workout. It can also be a great conditioning tool if used correctly. That’s where you are moving around the speed bag like you do a heavy bag, but not stationary. You can move left to right, or right to left. Its best to move while you work the speed bag with a little bounce in your step like you step when you throw punches at the heavy bag.