These are some of my pet peeves. I keep seeing the same mistakes when people work the heavy bag, and in this video lesson I go through them so you can make sure you never make them.

It does not matter what art you do. Boxing, karate, kickboxing or self-defence, if you hit a heavy bag, you should work it correctly. Otherwise you are training bad habits into your body with every round.

Why The Bag Matters

The heavy bag is one of the best training tools there is. It lets you hit hard, build conditioning and feel your punches land. But it does not hit back and it does not tell you when you are wrong. That is exactly why mistakes creep in, and why they stick.

Whatever you do on the bag is what you will do under pressure. So it is worth getting it right.

Mistakes I See All The Time

These are some of the common ones you will see in any gym:

  • Standing still: planting the feet and hitting the bag like it is a statue
  • Pushing, not punching: shoving the bag away instead of striking it
  • Dropping the hands: the bag cannot hit you, so the guard disappears
  • Admiring the work: stopping to look after a punch instead of moving
  • Bad wrist alignment: bent wrists that will get injured sooner or later
  • No plan: throwing random punches with no purpose for the round

Every one of these builds a habit that will cost you in sparring or in a real situation.

How To Fix Them

The fix for almost every bag mistake is the same: treat the bag like an opponent. Move around it. Keep your guard up. Hit and move off line. Throw combinations with a purpose. Snap your punches so they land and come back, rather than pushing.

Wrap your hands and wear proper gloves. Keep your wrists straight and your structure sound. If you feel your form going, slow down rather than flailing.

Give Every Round A Purpose

Go into each round with a goal. One round on the jab. One round on angles. One round on power. One round on combinations. That turns bag work from exercise into training.

If you train with a coach, ask them to watch you on the bag now and again. Fresh eyes spot habits you cannot feel.

Take It Further

If you want to make sure your bag work is built on correct technique, my Learn To Box Online Course covers the basics properly. For more drills and boxing technique, have a look at The Boxing Series.