Becoming a skilled mixed martial artist can be much more difficult than you could ever imagine. After all, you have to make sure that you’re training various disciplines. Plus, you’ll want to enhance your punching speed and accuracy as much as possible. The good news is that there are plenty of effective ways to improve your hand speed and precision. Within this guide, you’re going to be provided with tips and suggestions for doing just that.
Perform The Right Exercises
First and foremost, you should know that your punching speed has a great deal to do with your muscles. If you have not worked the right muscle groups, your punching speed is going to be limited and disappointing. There are certain exercises that can help. For instance, you should focus on working your lower body. Jumping, squatting and cycling are recommended. These exercises will improve your lower body strength and that will equate in hand speed improvements.
Reflex Bags
Finding ways to improve your punching speed and accuracy simultaneously is highly recommended. According to SmartMMA reflex bags are not used to improve strength and power but rather to practice and enhance your speed and precision. This is why you’ll want to be punching and pounding away on a reflex bag.
Reflex bags are very unique punching bags that are specifically designed for improving speed and precision in boxing and mixed martial arts. When you hit the bag, it is going to bounce backward and fling back toward you. It will really test your reflexes. Practicing on a reflex bag for long enough and you can guarantee that your hand speed will be enhanced. Plus, your punches will be much more precise.
Speed Bag Workouts
Another good way to improve your speed and accuracy is by investing in a good speed bag. Speed bags are tricky. There is no doubt about it. To get really good on the speed bag, you’re going to need to work your butt off. You’ll need a lot of time and practice. Nevertheless, it is going to be well worth it in the long run. This type of bag is really going to test your reflexes and your eye-hand coordination. It is really one of the best ways to improve your punching speed and your accuracy. With a little bit of practice and patience, you’ll be able to keep hitting the bag for an entire 3-minute round without messing up.
Double End Bags
It is also a good idea to practice on a double end bag. This type of punching bag is going to give you the ability to work various techniques simultaneously. You’ll be able to move around the bag so that will allow you to work on your foot movement. You’ll also be able to duck and dodge punches. More importantly, you’ll have to time your punches correctly and punch with lightning fast speeds. This is why all boxers should exercise on a double end bag. It is a great way to improve your hand speed and your precision. In return, that will make you far more effective in the ring.
Weighted Heavy Bag Boxing Gloves
Sometimes, you just need to weigh yourself down. Buy yourself some weighted boxing gloves. This will help build and improve your punching strength and stamina. Once you take the gloves off, you’ll have a much easier time punching. This is really a foolproof way to enhance your punching speed. If you use the heavy bag boxing gloves while punching one of the aforementioned bags, you can guarantee that you’ll be able to improve both attributes. Speed & Accuracy.
Resistance Bands
You often need to boost your muscle strength to enhance that you’re going to be able to punch faster. This is why you should be practicing your punching skills using a resistance band. This will make it more difficult to swing your arms out and punch the bag in front of you. It works similar to the weighted gloves and will definitely enhance your strength and your speed. Practice with the resistance band for a handful of rounds each day and it’ll pay off in the long run.
Water Training
One of the best ways to enhance your hand speed is to rely on water. Jump into a pool of water and punch as quickly as you can. It will seem awkward and tough at first. However, it is going to pay off dividends in the long run. Punching through the water will be tougher, but it is going to enhance your muscle strength and your hand speed. That may very well be exactly what you need to get the win in your next exhibition bout.