If you’re unsatisfied with the mediocre guides about improving your hand speed in striking written by people who have never even stepped foot in the ring, then this is for you!
Here, you will learn exactly how to increase your hand speed so that you can hit your opponent with devastating punches.
How to Punch Faster
If you wish to increase your punching speed, you need to have the proper mindset and training regimen. It’s not especially difficult to learn but it does require effort and dedication.
Unfortunately, most people who practice boxing and striking do not take the time to put in extra work for quick reflexes and improved hand speed. Even among the fast boxers I’ve seen in gyms, few seem to use specific drills to enhance their punching speed.
It’s no secret how significant hand speed is in boxing. Just look at Muhammad Ali, Roy Jones Jr., Pernell Whitaker, and Floyd Mayweather Jr.; they are all victorious and their opponents can’t even come close to touching them.
There aren’t many things that can rival hand speed; even if you have a powerful punch, if the other person’s punches land first each time then they will easily beat you.
Believe You Are a Fast Puncher
Everything begins with the mind. Before you point to genetics, underdeveloped muscles or mysterious punching secrets as the cause of your slow hand speed.
It’s important to assess your own mental state and ask yourself, “Am I taking any conscious steps to improve my hand speed when punching?” If you’ve never questioned yourself like this before, then chances are the answer is likely “No”.
In order to punch faster, the most important mindset to have is that of awareness. You need to train your eyes to quickly recognize a target and then send a signal to your arm, telling it to punch.
Instead of worrying about hand speed, focus on developing quickness of mind. The person who can spot and exploit punching opportunities first is going to be able to throw a punch ahead of their opponent, giving them a huge advantage.
Now that you understand the first step to punching faster is to release your punches quickly, let’s work on developing quickness of mind.
You may be wondering how to do this; it’s actually quite simple. Practice every day on punching fast-moving targets; speed and double-end bags are a great way to do this as they will help train your eyes and mind to follow fast-moving targets and throw punches when there are openings.
When hitting the double-end bag, don’t worry about throwing fast combinations; focus on watching the bag with your eyes and throwing 1 or 2 shots quickly and accurately.
Even when you’re not punching, keep your eyes glued to the bag. The first step to gaining faster punches is to hone a quicker mind and this is what you should be doing when training on the double-end bag.
Develop The Right Attitude to Punch Faster
Having the correct attitude is essential when developing faster punches. When I tell people to punch faster, I often see them trying to hit the punching bag with more force in an attempt to increase their speed.
However, this is not the right approach; loading up your punches for more power and damage will not make them faster. Usually, this attitude only leads to wider and longer swings with more body commitment.
Increasing your punching speed does not mean putting more effort and force into the punch. It doesn’t mean tightening your fist even more in order to cause more damage.
The proper attitude for increasing punching speed is to focus solely on speed, not power or accuracy. Just pure speed.
Rather than picturing yourself throwing a punch at your opponent, envision yourself attempting to touch him without him noticing. Move rapidly so quickly that he does not even see the punch coming.
You’re not aiming to hurt him, but to surprise him! Apply this same outlook when shadowboxing and when hitting the heavy bag.
You will discover that this shift in attitude will hasten your punches. You’re now not seeking to break the person’s chin, but to take away his mouthpiece!
Relaxing Your Punch
I have been aware of this concept for a long time. It is applicable to any sport or physical activity you choose to undertake. The best way to move at your swiftest speed is to be relaxed.
The calmest muscle is the most capable of moving quickly. In any sport you observe, you will see that the most relaxed athletes outperform their adversaries.
However, in mind, there is a delicate line between relaxed motion and idle motion.
To be relaxed in motion means that you’re moving with the flow, allowing your movement to be expressed without tension and anxiety, whereas being idle in motion means that you’re moving without regulation and goal. It’s essential to understand the contrast between the two.
How to Release The Fast Punch
When delivering fast punches, clear your mind. Do not contemplate defeating your opponent. Such an attitude will hold tension in your arms and tighten your entire body, reducing your punches and wasting energy.
Keeping tension like that also exhausts your body faster. When you punch, exhale your breath sharply while you let the arm move freely into the punch and enable the body to snap into the punch freely.
Right after the punch is released, quickly inhale again withdrawing the fist as you throw the subsequent punch. The most common mistake I observe with inexperienced boxers is that they draw back their hand slightly to store up their punch before launching it.
This significantly decreases the punch since it travels backward before going forward. It’s also evidence that they are thinking too much about punching harder and not about punching faster. Do not think about power, think about touching him quickly.
Fast Breathing Equals Fast Punching
This is another thing numerous athletes do not understand about speed. Speedy breathing is equivalent to quick motion.
Explosive breathing is equivalent to explosive motion. If you never encountered this before, try this: try breathing slowly but punching fast. I’ll bet you cannot do it.
Take note of how your body’s motion is synchronized to your breathing. Now focus on breathing not just faster but sharper and quicker.
Listen to professional boxers. When they throw a 5-punch combo quickly, they exhale 5 times rapidly. Sometimes when you watch professional boxers shadowboxing, they do not throw full punches.
They throw really short or half-length punches that way they can practice faster breathing and faster punches. If you wish to have the ability to punch quickly, you have to breathe fast.
Practice Your Fast Combinations
Allow your punches to flow when you loosen your hands and you will punch faster. Always keep your mind centered on complete combinations and not singular punches and you will observe that the combinations will flow out of your arms with blinding speed!
Do not approach your rival with a step-by-step plan of how your punches will be thrown. Go to your rival with a combination in mind and just let it flow. With time and practice, your mind will instinctively adjust your combinations during exchanges to counter your opponent’s punches.
Top Tips to Punch Faster – Conclusion
In conclusion, to punch faster you must relax your body, clear your mind, and allow your punches to flow. Quick breathing and proper timing are also key elements in throwing fast punches. With practice, you can develop your speed and punching power to become a more effective striker.