increasing hand speed

[DRD]

You certainly can increase hand speed, some for many, and a lot for a few.


I use many things to work on it, but a couple are;

hang a belt or other item that can be hooked over a partners shoulder, then start with hand at sides and shoot out in a linear motion to take it away. Right to right, and right to left and so on.

THen sweep across the body to take away. THe partner does not block always, but does periodically. It helps the reaction time and speed of that reaction for both parties.


Have one persojn get into a corner and have one to six throw tennis balls at them. They can attempt to catch, redirect, punch, slap, chop, backhand and so on. Sometimes tell them what you want for each of the next several balls that come at them. Sometimes let them do what ever comes naturally at the instant the ball comes.

It is a great speed and reaction exercise, and helps teach calmness under pressure and so on.


DRD

[9chambers]

I used to do drills like that - I'd stand close to a wall and throw a raquestball hard so it would bounce back and hit me in the face if I didn't dodge and parry it. - I also used to do this drill with a volleyball against a wall where I had to keep it from touching the ground as long as I could just using slaps and strikes. I had one where I tied a rope up instead of a net and pretended I was both teams playing volleyball - that one was for cardio though. I was the drill king. I was always out there training after everyone went home. One person drills are a good way to kill time if you think they are fun.

Reaction time can be helped a lot. It's actuallty way more important than physical speed anyway. Do you think drills help physical speed though? I'm not sure what to think about that. I think they might. Strength and flexibility might too. I'm not so sure anymore because honestly I am just as fast when I don't workout. Maybe it just seems that way or maybe reflexes die hard. I don't know.

[Ronin]

How much speed are you increasing?

[Nid]

Maybe it just seems that way or maybe reflexes die hard.

This makes me think of a slightly different angle. If reflexes and coordination are malleable, it would seem that they'd be more so in childhood. Speaking from personal experience, I remember in grade school we'd be tested in P.E. Compared to the other boys I would suck SOO bad at bounching and catching raquetballs, baseballs, tennis balls whatever....AND/OR hitting them with a bat, raquet, stick etc. Otherwise, I've always generally been an above average "athlete" compared to my peers (even the ones who could hit a damn ball). Within the past few years, I even struck out completely at batting cages lobbing soft balls at me. Pathetic. Once I gave it thought, it dawned on me that my father never played catch with me (insert violin music), never signed me up for t-ball etc and, in fact, disliked most forms of physical recreationg altogether. I didn't have any siblings to do such things with either. I'm pretty sure that has SOMETHING to do with it.

[kismasher]

Originally posted by ronin69
Here is a point:
You say that striking power can be improved, and I agree with you, only to an extent.
But, how do you prove or conclude that punching power has been improved?
How do you test it? how do you know?
To improve speed in the 100 meters you can see by the results.
Weight lifting same thing, you can tell by an INCREASE in weight lifted.
Shot put, and INCREASE in distance.
But punching, how?
Increase speed? That is only PART of the equation.
Increase mass? how do you know speed was not compremised?
Increase muscular strentgh? how do you know it translates to impact force?
You need to be able to evaluate progression, till then you are only speculating, no?
Science needs proof.
Fact is, punching power, like speed is genetic, can it be improved? yes, to what extent has yet to be determined.

are you telling me that you haven't noticed any significant change in your power or speed over the years? That's sad, because my hand speed has increased and i had quick hands to begin with. Or maybe i just wasn't fully utilizing my genetic potential, lol.

lets see, if i spent 1 month training my forearms and wrists conditioning my knuckles for impact,and working on aligning myself properly while punching; you're telling me i wouldn't be able to tell if i was generating more power in my punches?

[Ronin]

Of course I did :)
As my technique got better.
But I would have loved to see HOW much it has improved.
But over the last few years... I don't think so.
I mean, to improve speed from an untrained begineer is easy , right? but how to do it on someone who has been in it for years??

[Nid]

You need to be able to evaluate progression

Bingo.

[kismasher]

i agree, the law of diminshing returns definitely applies and we are limited as to how much power our bodies can generate (for the love of god, nobody bring up chi)

but that is kind of a side point

maybe somebody can help me with this,

If you are able to increase your punching power through whatever means, does this go away when you stop training it or do you maintain a signinficant increase in power? I have never trained specifically to increase my punching power, and maybe i will start.

Oh yeah, in regards to arm punching, i'm pretty sure i could knock most people teeth across the room. although i have never had to hit someone with everything.

[Ronin]

Power is a combination of speed, technique and weight.
Can you lose power from inactivity? of course.
Power more so than strength, sometimes a layoff actually helps your body to recover and increases strength.
But the ability to produce a "powerful" strike is a combination of factors that require constant training.

[9chambers]

if arm punching works for you, stick with it .. there are a lot of different ways to punch

wing chun for example, they keep their backs straight