Heavy bag- Let it swing or fix it?
 

Hey,

Just wondering what you guys think about this:

When I have to train alone at home, I really can only use a heavy bag. I have one of those half size ones, not a full head to toe one. Its connected by the usual ropes/buckles to a brace on my wall. It swings rather easily and this can make it hard to do repetition exercises or combos. Is it better to let it swing, or to fix it so that it doesn't move? If you say to fix it still, then HOW do you do that also?

Cheers,
Dan

When I use my heavy bag at home, and the ones in my club I let them swing and use it to move around and practice my footwork. No opponent is going to stand infront of you and let you work your combos. If you find it's swinging too much for you to land anything constructive then steady it by meeting it at the bottom of its swing with some punches/kicks/knees and make it stop that way.

Hope that helps.

If there's a ring on the bottom of it, you should be able to get a hold of some kind of cord and attach that cord between the ring on the bottom and a 45lb plate, or a kettlebell, or a medicine ball with handles, or something. That'll help to weigh it down to reduce wild swinging, but it should still swing appropriately I think.

If you can't do that, totally just let it swing. Playing with it while it swings is half the fun.

As far as I know...you should let it swing and if you want it to stop throw a bodyshot to counter its momentum. I once read on an article, can't remember where for the life of me. That you fight like you train, and if you get used to stopping the momentum of the bag, you're more inclined to do it against a live opponent, after whatever kind of strike you stop the bag after. I don't know how much truth there is to this, and I'd rather not find out, so I try to counter the momentum to stop 'er goin' wild!

If the bag is swinging too much, you might be pushing your punches and not snapping them enough.

Hmm Whe im training ild rather have a bag that swings a little bit, if it swings too easily then you just get fustrated trying to hit the thing, and your not practicing your teqnique, if i was you, i would try looking for a bigger puching bag.:thumbsup: