One thing you learn pretty quickly when you decide to buy a punching bag is that it’s not that easy of a decision. This is because punching bags come in different types, shapes, weights and sizes. Deciding which bag to get will depend on what goals you are trying to accomplish. Each bag serves a different purpose and the right bag for you, will depend on what you are looking to achieve.
That being said let’s discuss what the different types of bags are and which one is right for you based on what you are looking to work on.
In summary, here are the different types of punching bags that we will breakdown here:
- Heavy Bags
- Muy Thai Bags
- Uppercut Bags
- Wall Mounted
- Tear Drop
- Standing Bags
- Speed Bags
- Sway Bags
- Slip Bag
Now let’s dive into detail.
Types of Punching Bags
Because each bag serves its own purpose, they are all different. However, within each own category the bags also vary by size and material. Here is a breakdown of each type of bag and the different options that come within each type.
Heavy Bag
Good for: power punches, endurance, drills, fight simulation
The most popular and well known bag out there is the heavy bag. This is what most people mean when they discuss punching bags.The good news is that it’s for good reason. The heavy bag can provide the ultimate punching bag workout. With this type of bag you can work on just about any part of your game, but it’s usually best for power punching and endurance. The heavy bag comes in many different sizes, usually broken down by weight. They range from 60 to 300 pounds, sometimes more. Usually the heavier the better if you’re looking to increase power.
However, anything in the range of 100 pounds or north will usually do.
Outside they can be made of leather, synthetics leather or a poly canvas material. On the inside, they range from wood clippings, sand, air, water, or the good old fashioned towels and t shirts if you make it at home.
Here are some good heavy bags here:
Most heavy bags are geared for boxing, however, if you want to practice kicks, more specifically low kicks, you will need a muay thai bag.
Muay Thai Bag
Good for Power, Endurance, Kickboxing/Muay Thai training
This technically falls into the category of a heavy bag but is more geared MMA and Kickboxing/Muay Thai training. This bag is long and often heavier, which allows you to whip high kicks, low kicks, spin kicks, knees, thai clinches and anything else you can think of. Personally, regardless whether I want to practice kicks or not I prefer the Muay bag as my heavy bag. It lets you get low on the body punches and doesn't swing as much as a typical heavy bag due to longer weight distribution.
You can get a good muay thai bag here:
Uppercut Bags
Good for working on uppercuts and hook.
The uppercut bag is for exactly what it sounds like. It is perfect for being able to land uppercuts and hooks at an angle. Uppercuts are harder to land on the heavy bag because it goes straight up and down and doesn't have the same angles as the human body. The uppercut bag is shaped perfectly for you to be able to land hard uppercuts and develop the form and power necessary for them to be effective.
It will also allow you to do much more than throw uppercuts. You can also slide under and practice head movement and going low on your opponent and coming up with hooks and uppercuts. You can do everything you do on a heavy bag here, except it makes it easier to throw uppercuts.
There are three types of uppercut bags.
Tear Drop
Good for working on uppercuts, hooks, bobbing and weaving.
The teardrop is the classic uppercut bag and can be be hung like a regular bag. They come in standard heavy bag style or water filled bags which are growing in popularity. Here are some examples below:
Wall Mount
Good for raw power punches and working on angles, foot movement.
Then there are the wall mount uppercut bags. These are very different and will have a different feel to them. Here when you land your punch you will feel a kick back from the bag, this is because it is pressed up against the wall. However it is excellent practice for uppercuts, hooks, and angles that we often see Lomachenko pull of in fights.
Here is what they look like:
Cigar Shaped
There is also a cigar shaped uppercut bag that can be hung like a regular heavy bag, or it can also be mounted against a wall. These are good for hooks, uppercuts, angles and head movement, however not the greatest for body shots.
Some options for cigar shaped uppercuts bags below:
The Donut
You can also add a donut to a heavy bag and turn it into uppercut functional, and some bags come pre built with this. Here are some examples:
Free Standing Bags
Good for boxing cardio, form, kicks, and convenience.
These are the bags you will often see in tae kwon do gyms have and usually used for kids boxing equipment. Free standing bags are usually filled with water or sand at the base for weight and are a little softer uptop than a typical heavy bag. These are also the bags that you will see have the “BOB” dummy version of it where you can beat up a rubber human version of punching bag.
These bags are good for younger kids as well as those who want to practice form or cardio. They make for a great cardio boxing/kickboxing workouts The benefits to these bags is they can be placed
Here are some examples below:
These are not to be confused with the heavy bag stands that help you mount and use the heavy bag wherever you please.
You can see those here:
Speed Bags
Good for fast twitch muscles, endurance and cool down.
If you’ve been to a boxing gym then you know this is everyone’s favorite bag. Especially those that don't actually practice fighting. I have never met anyone that has been able to walk by this bag without giving it a go. The speed bag is a great bag to develop your fast twitch muscles, develop rhythm and coordination. It is also good for endurance, both for lungs and shoulders. A lot fighters use it as a great cool down workout to wrap up their day.
You can buy these with a stand, stand alone, or as part of a heavy bag combination.
Here are my recommendations:
Sway Bags
Good for reflexes, accuracy and coordination.
The sway bag is one made popular by guys like Floyd and Roy Jones Jr. This bag is perfect for reflexes and coordination. It is also often referred to as the “double-end bag” and that is because it has to be hooked up to both ends to be fully functional. This is the bag that hits back every time you hit it. That is why it is called a sway bag. Every time you land punch on it, it will sway back and forth, give you the opportunity to practice your reflexes by avoiding getting hit and then practice your coordination by trying to land on a moving target.
Here are some great examples of sway bags:
Slip Bags
Great for head movement, timing and defense.
Slip bags are help with what's in the name. The slip bag is perfect for practicing "slipping" punches. Mike Tyson and Cus D'Amato were the ones to make this bag famous and with good reason. The slip bag can help you work on your reflexes, timing, head movement and overall defense.
Type of Punching Bag to Get Based on Goals
You can decide which punching bag you want just by reading the types above, or you can decide which on is for you based on goals. Let’s talk about which bags help accomplish what.
For Punching Power
If you want to work on your power then your options will be limited to the heavy bag, muay thai bag, and the uppercut bag. The harder you want to hit, the heavier the bag should be. Definitely nothing under 100 lbs, but anything over is more recommended. This is because these bags will allow you to dig in, and hit the bag as hard as you can while getting enough resistance to build your power. It will build density, develop muscles, and help you practice the form necessary to increase your punching power.
For Kicks
If you are a kickboxer, Muay Thai Fighter, Karate Specialist or a Mixed Martial Artist, than the Muay Thai bag is for you. That is because if your sport involves kicking, other bags will make it hard for you to practice low and body kicks. A regular heavy bag will only be good for high kicks so if your practice will involve the development of your kicks. Get a muay thai bag. You can technically get the free standing bag as well, however, you won’t be able to put as much power into them and it won’t provide the necessary resistance to build power in your kicks.
For Endurance
There are two types of endurance, there is fight endurance, and then there is all around cardio for daily life. If you are training for a fight, then you will benefit from any of the heavy bags to build your endurance. This is because you can use them to most closely simulate a fight.
However, if you are practicing fight sports just to stay in shape. Then the free standing bag is most convenient. This is because you can literally stick it anywhere and use it to train.
For Speed
For speed you can use a combination of the heavy bag and the speed bag. This is because on the heavy bag you can throw real punches and practice throwing them faster and with better form each time. So you will absolutely need it to increase your speed.
The speed bag get a lot of criticism, but it actually does work your speed, although not as directly. What it will help you do is develop fast twitch muscles in your arms to allow you to snap your punches in and out quicker.
These are the bags you want for speed.
Coordination
As mentioned earlier, the sway bag is the best bag for coordination. It will help you get used to moving your head after throwing your punches, but most importantly, help you throw your punches at a moving head. Because the sway bag moves a lot it recreates a moving target in a fight. This will train your coordination to be able to deal with fast movement and land your punches on a moving target.
Defense
The best two bags for defense are the sway bag and the slip bag. Both of these will force you to react and defend from an incoming strikes. With these bags you can practice your head movement, blocks and parries. This will help you get in the habit of moving your head and get the timing down to defend properly and in a timely fashion.
Multi Purpose
The most multi purpose bag of all is the heavy bag. You can use it for just about anything and that is why it is the most common bag out there. So if you don’t have the option to get multiple, then get yourself a heavy bag, hang it up and get to work.
All That’s Left is to Train
Check out the bag options here and drop me a comment below if you have any questions. At the end of the day, the most important thing that comes with any piece of equipment is using it. So get yourself the bag that you need, set your goals, and improve daily.
Let me know what you guys think, what is your favorite type of punching bag?
Brawl all day!
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