Double End Bag Drills and Workouts

The simplest rhythm is the basic 1-2 jab/ cross. It’s probably the first combination you learned when you started boxing and is a great way to learn how to use a double end bag. Once you learn how to control the bag and use your footwork to set up the next punch, you can start doing more intricate combinations as part of your workout routine. The bag will naturally instill a sense of rhythm to your punches as you learn how to react to its movements.

Once you’ve loosened the tension and allow the bag to have full movement after each of your punches, it can potentially hit you in the face. Just like you might do with a standing opponent who has longer reach than you do, stand close and hit when you can while maintaining a defensive posture to assure the bag doesn’t swing back and hit you instead.

Similar to defensive combinations is a footwork routine. The idea is the same, you don’t want to get hit in the face by a bag swinging wildly between two bungee cords, but instead of standing close and using defensive postures to keep from getting hit you use footwork to get out of the way and align your next shot.

Just like you do on the heavy bag, try to work with different combinations of punches to see what feels right and works naturally for you. You’ll find different combinations work better on the double end bag than some of the combinations you’ve become accustomed to on the heavy bag. This will relate to your in-ring experience because you’ll see the difference between punching a fresh and active opponent with quickness and grace versus throwing power punches to finish off an opponent who is gassed.

Bounce and box is a workout routine that is exactly what it sounds like. You conduct exaggerated head bobbing and footwork like shadowboxing, or that you might see from an idiot actor who has never boxed do in a movie. You might feel silly, but that doesn’t negate the fact that it’s a great workout routine that will help you feel more comfortable when you need to move your head in a real fight. Punch the bag and hold your face in the area it swings, and get your head out of the way each time it comes toward you.