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Why a Speed Ball Is an Important Part of Your Training Routine
16 November 2016

Why a Speed Ball Is an Important Part of Your Training Routine

Despite the fact that the speed ball, or speed bag as some people call it, has been a ubiquitous sight in boxing gyms across the world for well over a hundred years, some coaches are not convinced of its value. However, if you take a look at the advantages that training with a speed ball on a regular basis has to offer, we are sure you will agree it really should feature in your weekly workout schedule. Below, we do just that.

 

The Benefits of Training with a Speed Ball

There are several very good reasons to consider investing in a good quality speed ball and incorporating it into your training routine, which we have outlined for you.

  • Hand-to-Eye Coordination – One of the biggest reasons that speed bags have been a fixture in boxing gyms for so many years is the fact they help boxers to develop hand-to-eye coordination. For anybody that plans to fight in competitive bouts or even just a few sparring sessions at the local boxing gym, hand-to-eye coordination is obviously of vital importance.
     
  • Hand Positioning – Most people who are new to the sport of boxing have a tendency to drop their guard, i.e. lower their hands, when they are in the ring. Keeping your guard up at all times is absolutely essential if you wish to avoid absorbing more punches to the head than is absolutely necessary and to stay in fights long enough to have a chance of winning. Working with a speed bag on a regular basis will help to ensure you become accustomed to keeping your hands held high for extended periods of time.
     
  • Observation at Close Quarters – Something else that beginners tend to do when they first step into the ring is to blink or even flinch when they see a fist travelling towards their face or upper body at great speed. Working close in with a speed bag helps to overcome this natural reaction: after seeing the ball travel toward your head at speed over and over again, you will stop blinking or flinching and be able to observe what is happening more clearly the next time you face an opponent in the ring.
     
  • Training Fast-Twitch Muscles – The fast-twitch muscles that boxers require for manoeuvrability and explosive striking power can be developed by engaging in high speed exercise, such as punching a speed ball. While you will of course still need to work on your core and lower body strength, in order to generate real power with your punches, training your fast-twitch muscles in this manner will help to ensure that you can fire off rapid punch combinations when under pressure to perform at your very best.
     

We hope that we have managed to convince you of the value of speed ball training for boxers and if you would like any further information about the different makes and models in our online store, please feel free to contact us whenever you have a few minutes to spare.

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