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Hand Speed
Usually, getting there first means getting there more often, and that can spell the difference between winning and losing fights. That’s why it’s always important to continually be working on and striving to improve your hand speed. Like punching power, speed isn’t always something that comes naturally to all athletes, so you must spend time and use tools that are, specifically, designed to focus on that area. That means improving your reaction time and increasing your fast-twitch muscle fibers to gain the edge and get there before your opponent does.
While some fighters get caught up in the drama and excitement of building knockout power, it’s important to remember that hand speed can play an even more important role in the outcome of a fight. Every athlete interested in gaining the upper hand should be focused on developing faster hands. Having speed and fast hands can help you reach your target quicker. Getting your punch off first and more often can help nullify power.
Sometimes fighters with fast hands are overlooked or underrated because their approach isn’t as dramatic as a one punch knockout. However, for those fans who really understand the ins and outs of boxing, watching a fighter with faster hands, strategically outscore and outpoint his opponent, is similarly engaging. Like a chess player, a fighter with faster hands tends to be more strategic. He isn’t loading up, relying on the perfect opportunity to throw, but is utilizing his skill to create openings. He can methodically, and in a calculated fashion, control his opponent. His hand speed allows him to dictate the action, the pace of the fight, when the two fighters engage and when they don’t. With faster hands and superior foot speed, a fighter can easily determine how and when war is waged.
Hand speed is sometimes approached as an afterthought but should instead be a skill that is constantly practiced and improved upon. The old boxing expression “speed kills” is one hundred percent true, in that, it can take away an opponent’s aggression. Constantly getting beaten to the punch can discourage the most determined fighter and make him hesitant to engage, for fear of being countered.
Developing faster hands through focus, training methods, and implementing the right tools can give you an edge in every aspect of the fight. Boxing is a game of inches and one where every advantage, no matter how small, can make the difference between winning and losing.
FAQs
We recommend using resistance tubes for building hand speed. Resistance tubes provide a little extra tension when throwing punches which improves the fast twitch muscles in your arms.
Yes. Working shadow boxing into your workout routine can improve your speed but adding resistance will take help add to that speed you already have.
The old phrase “speed kills” is especially true in our sport. The fighter that has more speed has a distinct advantage as they can dictate the pace of a fight by getting off first, keeping their opponent at a distance, and or by hitting them with a variety of punches throughout the fight.
We would recommend shadow boxing and using resistance tubes with it as a regular part of your routine. We do not recommend overworking your muscles. Do enough to get the resistance but not so much that you become fatigued you are sacrificing your technique.
