Speed bag not necessary?

[VirusTI]

Hey guys,

I am asking if you guys feel the speed bag is a bit overrated?
I am speaking strictly from an AM boxing perspective.

Lets say you train for two hours a day 4 to 5 times a week.

The way it worked in my gym was this:

20-30 min warm up

3-4 rounds of shadow boxing: 1-2 rounds Jab and movement only, 1-2 rounds of free shadow boxing
3 rounds of goal specific sparring: Jabs only, straight left and right only.
3 more rounds of goal specific sparring: The shorter man would work on slipping straights to get inside and hooking to the body and head, and the taller man was using strictly straight hits and movement to keep the shorter man at a distance.
And finally 2-3 rounds of free sparring. No restrictions.

Then we would finish off with 2-3 rounds on the heavy bag, again goal specific: A round with jabs only and a round with hooks or 1-2/1-2 hook.

Speed bags were almost never used, as the trainer would always say that they are for the most part useless and as an AM you should only focus on technique and style fighting(slipping and closing distance if you are sparring with a taller man, and jab and moving if you are sparring a shorter man.)

Do you guys agree? or do you think think that as an AM you should focus more on the speed bag?

[Ray Corso]

Love the speed bag I always trained with it in all my fighters schedules!!
Eye Hand coordintion!
Arm workout
Shoulders work out
360 degree walk around = concentration
ALL the beautifull techniques that can be learned as you get better on the bag!
I equate it to jump rope work. You already road work why jump???
Because its an eye/hand exercise and its a proven discipline thats been in use for a hundred years! Its one of the few sessions in a gym that can actually be "fun" and inventive!! Be imaginative! Ray.

[Rockin']

If you would like no trouble holding your hands up late in fights continue to work this apparatus, aswell it helps with rythme in combinations.......... Rockin'

[HtotheZ]

Love the speed bag I always trained with it in all my fighters schedules!!
Eye Hand coordintion!
Arm workout
Shoulders work out
360 degree walk around = concentration
ALL the beautifull techniques that can be learned as you get better on the bag!
I equate it to jump rope work. You already road work why jump???
Because its an eye/hand exercise and its a proven discipline thats been in use for a hundred years! Its one of the few sessions in a gym that can actually be "fun" and inventive!! Be imaginative! Ray.

All of this, especially the jump rope statement.

What do you mean by 360 degree walk around though? Do you mean hitting the speed bag while moving around it at the same time? Sounds like something I need to start doing.

[Journeyman]

besides all the mentioned benefits, like Ray Corso said..its hell of a lot of fun!

i put my ear buds in, crank my music up so i cant even hear the rhythmic bounces..i just feel it and get in my zone..

[Canelo Phresh]

I love my speed bag. Gets more love than my heavy bag.

[BarryRobinson]

Hey guys,

I am asking if you guys feel the speed bag is a bit overrated?
I am speaking strictly from an AM boxing perspective.

Lets say you train for two hours a day 4 to 5 times a week.

The way it worked in my gym was this:

20-30 min warm up

3-4 rounds of shadow boxing: 1-2 rounds Jab and movement only, 1-2 rounds of free shadow boxing
3 rounds of goal specific sparring: Jabs only, straight left and right only.
3 more rounds of goal specific sparring: The shorter man would work on slipping straights to get inside and hooking to the body and head, and the taller man was using strictly straight hits and movement to keep the shorter man at a distance.
And finally 2-3 rounds of free sparring. No restrictions.

Then we would finish off with 2-3 rounds on the heavy bag, again goal specific: A round with jabs only and a round with hooks or 1-2/1-2 hook.

Speed bags were almost never used, as the trainer would always say that they are for the most part useless and as an AM you should only focus on technique and style fighting(slipping and closing distance if you are sparring with a taller man, and jab and moving if you are sparring a shorter man.)

Do you guys agree? or do you think think that as an AM you should focus more on the speed bag?

The speed bag and the double end bag are great training tools however they can also be replaced with 4-8 rounds of Freestyle Reactive Mitt Work with a trainer.

[Cuauhtémoc1520]

I personally think the speed bag is a great tool. You can use it for more than just hitting it the way most do. You can work your hooks and uppercuts on it and use it for timing and hand eye coordination.

Probably my favorite bag is the double end bag, I love that thing. If used properly and set nice and lose so it will come back to you, it can build good habits in head movement and improve accuracy.

[NVSemin]

Hey guys,

I am asking if you guys feel the speed bag is a bit overrated?
I am speaking strictly from an AM boxing perspective.

Lets say you train for two hours a day 4 to 5 times a week.

The way it worked in my gym was this:

20-30 min warm up

3-4 rounds of shadow boxing: 1-2 rounds Jab and movement only, 1-2 rounds of free shadow boxing
3 rounds of goal specific sparring: Jabs only, straight left and right only.
3 more rounds of goal specific sparring: The shorter man would work on slipping straights to get inside and hooking to the body and head, and the taller man was using strictly straight hits and movement to keep the shorter man at a distance.
And finally 2-3 rounds of free sparring. No restrictions.

Then we would finish off with 2-3 rounds on the heavy bag, again goal specific: A round with jabs only and a round with hooks or 1-2/1-2 hook.

Speed bags were almost never used, as the trainer would always say that they are for the most part useless and as an AM you should only focus on technique and style fighting(slipping and closing distance if you are sparring with a taller man, and jab and moving if you are sparring a shorter man.)

Do you guys agree? or do you think think that as an AM you should focus more on the speed bag?

My 2 cents: In Title Boxing DVD series, Freddie Roach says that with the speed bag one can develop a good left hook (of course, not via traditional way of working with it), which is much harder with the heavy bag for instance. He favors more having a good left hook than a good right hand, because the left hook is a shorter punch.

[mconstantine]

I think the benefits of the speed bag can be derived in other activities. It's definitely not necessary. But old schoolers will disagree.