Heavy Bag Question

DAP

White Belt
Joined
Aug 29, 2007
Messages
17
Reaction score
0
Location
West Chester, PA
I am looking on advice on which is better:

A traditional heavy bag(hanging from ceiling)
or
free-standing bag (Ex.)Century The Original Wavemaster Training Bag)

I am looking to use it for punching and kicks.(training in Tang So Do)

Thanks
 

Flying Crane

Sr. Grandmaster
Joined
Sep 21, 2005
Messages
15,262
Reaction score
4,973
Location
San Francisco
I personally prefer a hanging bag. I just don't like the way the standing bags feel. They just have sort of an insignificance about them. Hanging bags are more solid and you develop better power on them.
 

bushidomartialarts

Senior Master
Joined
Mar 5, 2006
Messages
2,668
Reaction score
47
Location
Hillsboro, Oregon
Hanging bags are better in just about every category.

The only exception: you can have a free-standing bag in a lot of places you can't hang a traditional bag. Landlords often frown on what one has to do to hang a bag in their apartments.
 

Andrew Green

Grandmaster
MTS Alumni
Joined
Aug 1, 2004
Messages
8,627
Reaction score
452
Location
Winnipeg MB
Hanging bags are better in just about every category.

The only exception: you can have a free-standing bag in a lot of places you can't hang a traditional bag. Landlords often frown on what one has to do to hang a bag in their apartments.


True, but if you got someone under you in that apartment they might frown on the noise a freestanding one can make...
 

SGT_GRUNT_USMC

White Belt
Joined
Jan 17, 2005
Messages
9
Reaction score
0
Location
Las Vegas, Nevada

Brandon Fisher

Master Black Belt
Joined
Apr 7, 2006
Messages
1,093
Reaction score
13
Hanging bag for sure but again it depends on whether you have space to hang it.
 

still learning

Senior Master
Joined
Nov 8, 2004
Messages
3,749
Reaction score
48
Hello, May I suggest a free standing bag? Why? If you put it on a round stand with wheels, you will get a freer movements (like a real person moving around).

Both standing and base stand will give you a great work out.

At least you can move the base stand anywhere if level area.

I have both a free standing and a hanging one, I enjoy both of them, but the free standing with wheels moves when strike at, more like a real movements when hit.

Just wanted to add this to think about ..............Aloha
 

Andrew Green

Grandmaster
MTS Alumni
Joined
Aug 1, 2004
Messages
8,627
Reaction score
452
Location
Winnipeg MB
Hello, May I suggest a free standing bag? Why? If you put it on a round stand with wheels, you will get a freer movements (like a real person moving around).

I had one, it moved around enough without wheels, although the mental image I am getting from this is hilarious :lol:
 

exile

To him unconquered.
Lifetime Supporting Member
MTS Alumni
Joined
Sep 7, 2006
Messages
10,665
Reaction score
251
Location
Columbus, Ohio
I'm with the majority on this: heavy hanging bags rock. The fact that they don't move away from you, and are typically much denser than free standing bags, are the things I like about them especially:

• because of their greater density and stiffness, they penalize you for not moving the striking limb back from the impact point as quickly as possible so as to minimize the `blowback' of force into your own body from the strike; and

• because they don't move away from you, you can train rapid-fire, hard multiple strikes—especially kicks—while having to adjust for the often erratic swing pattern that the first site sets up in the bag. This effect rewards your ability in a kick, for example, to maintain balance on the same leg through a series of kicks, while the striking leg stays in the chambered position till the bag comes back into range.

By and large, it's much harder to impress a heavy hanging bag, I've noticed, than a standard Wavemaster-type stand-up bag. So the demands on you are, overall, much greater, and that's what you want from a training aid, no?
 

Big Don

Sr. Grandmaster
Joined
Sep 2, 2007
Messages
10,551
Reaction score
189
Location
Sanger CA
I bought a 100 pound hanging bag. Then I had to figure out how to hang it. I picked up a freestanding basket ball hoop used and best of all:FREE. Taking my Dremel to it I cut the backboard and its supports off leaving a base with a 3 inch pipe sticking straight up out of it. I had a buddy weld some 2" square tubing into an L (Long side 3feet short side 2 feet) which I inserted into the 3" ROUND pipe, here is where I had problems. The three inch diameter metal pipe is measured to the OUTSIDE the 2" square tubing is apparently measured INSIDE. Knowing exactly how to handle this minor setback, I did the smart thing... I got a bigger hammer :D
Once I pounded the L into place, I drilled a hole 4 inches from the end and mounted a ½x3" eyebolt.
I hung the bag with a carabiner, all by myself, and boys, that was a mother...
All in all, 4 hours work, total cost:
Bag: $118
BBall Hoop: FREE
Eyebolt: $1.35
Square tubing: FREE, nice to have friends...
Labor/welding: 12 pack of Corona, but I drank 7 of them...
 

Dave Leverich

Black Belt
Joined
Dec 8, 2006
Messages
672
Reaction score
4
Location
Albany, OR
Phenomenal post exile, so so so true in all accounts.
I love my everlast for that very reason, it humbles me heh.
I also love the BOB bag from Century though, for targetting and visualization.
 

Danny T

Senior Master
Joined
Sep 5, 2002
Messages
4,258
Reaction score
2,293
Location
New Iberia, Louisiana USA
Good post Exile.

Depending on what you are wanting to work and if you have space or ability to hang a bag I strongly suggest both.

When I want to just kick; to just work on kick technique I like the standing bag due to lack of movement. I have it in a base rack which prevents it from sliding around. It will rock but returns to the same place. I don’t work a lot of power (about 75%), just repetition, 600-900 kicks. So it is nice not to have to move around continually repositioning.

For all other work I prefer the hanging bag. It is far denser and the movement is constant. Having to adjust and time the movement utilizing footwork and body movement. Also the hanging bag will move differently if struck in manner which doesn’t strike to the core. The bag will spin from a glancing blow rather than move in a straight line giving you instant feedback.

I have found our beginners tend to work more on our wavemaster bags until they have tempered their shins, hands and strengthened their wrists for the riggers of the denser hanging bags. It doesn’t take long to build up but when first starting the heavy bags can be unforgiving.

Danny
 

Flying Crane

Sr. Grandmaster
Joined
Sep 21, 2005
Messages
15,262
Reaction score
4,973
Location
San Francisco
It doesn’t take long to build up but when first starting the heavy bags can be unforgiving.

Danny


very true. Easy does it until you can take the abuse. and even then, I only recommend 2-3 times a week, and not always with super high intensity. You want longevity out of your training. Too much pounding can lead to problems later on.
 

Latest Discussions

Top