i'm completely new.

[swaddington]

how's it going everybody? my name is seth and i reside in ohio. i just recently became fascinated with boxing and the sheer difficulty of their training regiments. my bore with simple weight training brought me into the boxing world and of course one of my first purchases was a speed bag.

i purchased a six-piece everlast speed bag set for starters, since it was only 60 bucks.

http://www.karatedepot.com/bx-sb-21.html

you can check it out above if you aren't sure of the common package i purchased.

i was unable to keep the bag consistently rebounding so i thought perhaps my cheap plastic swivel was the culprit. i proceeded to buy a chain link speed bag swivel by everlast.

http://www.karatedepot.com/bx-ac-21.html

you can see that their too as well.

i have no training with a speed bag but i've watched a lot of movies on them and have a decent idea of what i'm doing with it. however, i am unable to consistently rebound in a clean manner. meaning i am having one hell of a time keeping the bag to rebound in a straight sort of line. it ends up going off track and swaggers from side to side and before i know it my next hit sends it spinning like a merry-go-round. can anyone provide some suggestions for why i can't keep the bag straight?

do i need a better swivel?

am i hitting the bag completely wrong? i stand a foot or so from the bag and i hold both my hands up with my palms faced towards the ground. or perhaps i'm hitting the bag in the wrong place? i'm hitting it in the middle or the bulky part at the bottom of the bag.

my platform is level, is it perhaps that my board is too thin? i've seen a few people who have the same board as me and drill a coffee table or something into it for added stability.

i really have no idea what i'm doing wrong, if you could provide any info i'd greatly appreciate it.

[Chris]

I have only had a speed bag 1 month. Already I am doing elbow strikes and reverse punches. My opinion is your already halfway there, you found this web-site. The second half is www.speedbagcentral.com and the speed bag bible that is sold there. I am waiting for mine to come in the mail right now. Although, my book is in the mail the info on his (Alan Kahn) web-site is all you need to get started. Read some post here there is plenty of great stuff....Good Luck...Chris

[jaguiler]

Swad -


I have been hitting for a little less than 2 months now - and I can keep a steady rhythm with my front punches.... and work in an elbow once in a while - I can't do the reverse punches yet...

but either way - what makes perfect is reading every post on this site, ask questions, place a sandbag on your board to weight it down, get the Speedbag Bible (mine is on order), are your hands wrapped or are you using gloves or barehanded ? and learn the Front Circle Punch, Front Straight punch basic combo - you will find them on the speedbagcentral site. My favorite so far to hit over and over again is front circle punches... alternating right and left... it's just lots of fun

By the way - the plastic swivel is just as good - I think better than the chain link - so the swivel is not the problem. I think it is how you are punching - I have the exact same setup as you. With a leather Everlast Professional Bag - 10x7

good luck - I am sure you will be happy with your hitting very soon - it is addictive.

[Chris M]

Welcome!

The best advice I could tell you without spending money on the Speedbag bible DVD is to go the www.speedbagcentral.com and spend some time looking over everything, especially the Demos and multimedia.

Usually when the bag starts spinning around it's because you're not hitting the bag squarely.

Work on the basic rhythym with a 3 count, going very slowly. Your speed will pick up naturally as you become comfortable.

Work on the Front Circle Punch (FCP and the Front Straight Punch (FSP) in triplet rhythm. All of this is explained on Alan's site as Jag said above.

Good luck and ask questions, I think you'll find everyone here very friendly and helpful.

[Chris]

Good advice Chris...Thats how I started.

[Speedbag]

New to speed bag

how's it going everybody? my name is seth and i reside in ohio. i just recently became fascinated with boxing and the sheer difficulty of their training regiments. my bore with simple weight training brought me into the boxing world and of course one of my first purchases was a speed bag.

i purchased a six-piece everlast speed bag set for starters, since it was only 60 bucks.

http://www.karatedepot.com/bx-sb-21.html

you can check it out above if you aren't sure of the common package i purchased.

i was unable to keep the bag consistently rebounding so i thought perhaps my cheap plastic swivel was the culprit. i proceeded to buy a chain link speed bag swivel by everlast.

http://www.karatedepot.com/bx-ac-21.html

you can see that their too as well.

Hi Swaddington. Welcome to the forum. We love speed baggers of all levels. Especially beginners, for it is easier to learn correctly at the beginning than to unlearn bad habits later.

Your stated equipment from the links above are fine for your skill level. concerning your questions, I'll offer some suggestions below.

.. i am unable to consistently rebound in a clean manner. meaning i am having one hell of a time keeping the bag to rebound in a straight sort of line. it ends up going off track and swaggers from side to side and before i know it my next hit sends it spinning like a merry-go-round. can anyone provide some suggestions for why i can't keep the bag straight?

The bag doesn't rebound in ONE straight line angle constantly (unless you are doing a Front Fist Roll, which is a pretty straight rebound angle). The rebound angle constantly changes with swing direction and fist position. Basically, the bag goes off the fist in the line that your swing direction sends it. It often looks like an "X" when going fast. Many times, the angle of a rebound will look "strange" but if it is off a little the next punch will normally straighten it out. But for a beginner, the next punch may also be slightly off and increase the rebound error. As a beginner you may also be struggling with inconsistent force in each punch. ( the secret to speed bag is repetitive, consistently equal power in each punch. not easy for a "newbie") Many times a beginner will hit each punch successively harder and harder, so by the fourth or fifth punch, the bag is too fast for them, and the next punch sends it off in a wild circling "helicopter" motion around the swivel. When you get that "helicopter rebound", you have really made a very poor contact. No matter how what kind of bag or swivel you have, this helicopter effect belongs to a really poor contact.

do i need a better swivel?

NO. Both the swivels you have are reliable and give an accurate rebound.

..my platform is level, is it perhaps that my board is too thin? i've seen a few people who have the same board as me and drill a coffee table or something into it for added stability.

If your board is level and stable than it is probably fine. I have hit for many years on "thin" boards, and they did fine with a little reinforcement and using a mid-size of small bag. I would recommend Jaguiler's advice, adding some sand bags over the top to add stability and deaden the sound a little.

i really have no idea what i'm doing wrong, if you could provide any info i'd greatly appreciate it.

Don't despair. As a beginner, it is more difficult for YOU to tell what you may be doing right of wrong. It takes a little time for you to figure out what works for you. Until you get a little more experience your BAG is your quickest instructor. It normally tells you immediately if you hit it right or wrong.

When you begin punching from the front, If trying to repetitively hit after only THREE rebounds is giving you problems, then use FIVE rebounds instead. (has to be an odd number. count the rebounds.) Watch how the bag rebounds, and keep your hands up ready for the next punch. Don't worry too much about your elbow position at the moment.

Start out hitting very lightly. Easy does it. think of it as a "control" bag, not a "speed" bag. Speed will come later.

Good luck. Keep at it. We were all beginners once.

[BillyMack]

Welcome to the living end! You got any videos you can post??