Speedballs, also commonly known as speed bags have for years been an integral piece of boxing training equipment. Speed bags have been around for way over a century and have been consistently used by world champion boxers such as Mike Tyson, Muhammad Ali, Roy Jones Jr and so many more for decades.
While they have been around for so long, their popularity is most definitely not flying down anytime soon. The equipment has so many amazing benefits that boxers will still be utilising this phenomenal piece of equipment for centuries to come.
In this article, we will take a closer look at all of the amazing benefits that boxers of all abilities can gain from speedballs and how they have helped so many professionals perfect their craft.
1 - Help Increase Hand Speed
As the name suggests, one of the most effective benefits of a boxing speed ball is its ability to help a fighter improve their speed and more specifically, their hand speed.
Hand speed is an incredibly important skill in boxing and speed balls are an extremely effective way of working on just that. Having fast hands allows you to beat your opponent to the punch every time and is a vital skill that is needed to win a boxing bout. There are so many different things that you can do to help improve your hand speed, but none are as tried and tested as a speed bag.
The vigorous bounce back and forth of the ball after impact makes you have to think quickly and throw punches quickly to establish your rhythm. This is incredibly effective as it not only helps you to see shots much quicker but it also helps to build vital fast twitch muscle fibres that will become incredibly effective and beneficial in sparring and in fights.
After consistent use of a speed bag, you should start to notice a difference in both the speed and snap of your punches. This speed and snap increase could be the difference between you landing a huge shot before your opponent lands one on you.
2 - Improve Upper Body Strength
While boxing is more about skill than it is strength, we would be lying if we said that strength was not a huge advantage in the ring. While it will not necessarily help you to outbox an opponent, the stronger your upper body is the more durable you will be for a longer duration of time. This is an incredibly important tool to have when it comes to professional bouts.
The higher you set up your speed bag, the more your shoulder, back and arms will be worked. This is because you are having to hold your arms above shoulder height for a prolonged period. Not only will this help to build strength in these muscles but it will also help to build muscular endurance. Upper body muscular endurance is important as it is needed to keep your arms up and throw punches for the duration of your fight.
Increasing your arm and shoulder strength is just one of many benefits of a speed bag but will benefit you dramatically when it comes to fighting night. Muscular endurance is vital during hard rounds in both sparring and competition.
3 - Improve Hand-Eye Coordination
Another phenomenal speed bag benefit is its ability to improve hand-eye coordination. Hand-eye coordination is a vital boxing skill that will help to improve your overall boxing ability. To consistently hit the bag and build a rhythm a fighter must keep their focus on the bag while punching the bag and keeping the back and forth going.
The movement of the ball means that you are having to constantly anticipate where you should throw your punch next. This constant thinking, focusing and punching trains both your brain and your hand to work in harmony with one another.
In a fight night scenario, a boxer needs to be able to keep their focus on their opponent to see what shots they are throwing while also being able to pick calculated shots to fire back with. Hand-eye coordination is key for a fighter to be able to do this while following the aim of the game, to hit and not be hit.
4 - Low Impact & Low Injury Risks
From simply hitting a heavy bag to competitive sparring, a vast majority of boxing training comes with some level of injury risk. However To become the best boxer you have to train the best that you can. You also have to stay as injury free as possible as injuries can be a major hindrance in your boxing career.
Speedballs give boxers the chance to hone their skills and perfect their craft without the worry and risk of injury. It is an incredibly low-impact training method that can even be incorporated into rest days to help further advance your skills.
While unlike most other boxing training methods it has an incredibly low impact on the body, it still has a huge impact on the skills and performance of a fighter inside the ring. Its Incredibly low risk and high-performance gain make it one of the best training methods there is.
5 - Improve Punch Accuracy
A speed bag's ability to improve a fighter's punch accuracy is also amongst some of its most amazing benefits. Accuracy is vital in boxing as you have to try and find a constantly moving target. The more accurate your shots, the more damage you will do and the more damage you do the more likely you are to win a bout.
The small size and quick movement of a speed bag means that to start a good rhythm you need to be very sharp and very accurate. To get a rhythm going you also need to be consistently hitting the speed ball in the correct spot which again forces a fighter to focus far more on accuracy.
Accuracy helps you to break through even the strongest defence and land flurries of shots. So consistent speedball use will not only help you to improve your sparring and training but it will also pay dividends when it comes to fight night.
