Bagwork, pads or shadow boxing? Whats the most important

If I can only do 1 of those every day for the rest of my life, I'm picking bagwork, no questions asked.

You guys realize there's nothing preventing you from shadowboxing around the bag as you're hitting it, right?
 
StopDucking said:
around the bag as you're hitting it, right?
Click to expand...

You said it yourself - bag, even double-end one, which in my opinion is the best thing for a boxer, limits you in your training. And shadowboxing gives you unlimited opportunities. Sadly, nowadays it is often transformed into warm-up exercise, combo practice or any other useless shit.
 
Bagwork or a good pad holder. I don’t know anyone who does 5-10 rounds of shadow boxing only I’ll tell you that.

I think people say shadowboxing because it’s the first step in refining technique and adding new skills. Also underutilized by many people and it’s easy to do anywhere.

Doesn’t make it the ‘most important’ though, underrated, maybe.
If we are equal skill level and all you do is shadowbox while all I do is hit mitts. I will definitely be in better shape and condition to fight.

A pad holder can also double has a coach to add both defense and offense, footwork, power, form, and a realistic look. It’s the closest thing to sparring that isn’t drilling.
Many different types of pads, many different types of pad work.

That being said a lot of people don’t shadowbox enough.

But give me 6 weeks for a fight and give me only one option it’s definitely gonna be padwork over shadow boxing lol.

Silly question though because you should be doing everything
 
Last edited:
biscuitsbrah said:
Bagwork or a good pad holder. I don’t know anyone who does 5-10 rounds of shadow boxing only I’ll tell you that.

I think people say shadowboxing because it’s the first step in refining technique and adding new skills. Also underutilized by many people and it’s easy to do anywhere.

Doesn’t make it the ‘most important’ though, underrated, maybe.
If we are equal skill level and all you do is shadowbox while all I do is hit mitts. I will definitely be in better shape and condition to fight.

A pad holder can also double has a coach to add both defense and offense, footwork, power, form, and a realistic look. It’s the closest thing to sparring that isn’t drilling.
Many different types of pads, many different types of pad work.

That being said a lot of people don’t shadowbox enough.

But give me 6 weeks for a fight and give me only one option it’s definitely gonna be padwork over shadow boxing lol.

Silly question though because you should be doing everything
Click to expand...

Most of your american/mexican high lvl pros do 10+ rounds of shadow boxing. Same with elite Cubans/Russians. But you're right that for a pros it depends on which pre-fight stage they are.
 
Last edited:
biscuitsbrah said:
Bagwork or a good pad holder. I don’t know anyone who does 5-10 rounds of shadow boxing only I’ll tell you that.

I think people say shadowboxing because it’s the first step in refining technique and adding new skills. Also underutilized by many people and it’s easy to do anywhere.

Doesn’t make it the ‘most important’ though, underrated, maybe.
If we are equal skill level and all you do is shadowbox while all I do is hit mitts. I will definitely be in better shape and condition to fight.

A pad holder can also double has a coach to add both defense and offense, footwork, power, form, and a realistic look. It’s the closest thing to sparring that isn’t drilling.
Many different types of pads, many different types of pad work.

That being said a lot of people don’t shadowbox enough.

But give me 6 weeks for a fight and give me only one option it’s definitely gonna be padwork over shadow boxing lol.

Silly question though because you should be doing everything
Click to expand...
pads are a hit and miss, shadow and bag is better imo. Pads you really have to find the right person to make it really worth for what it is

Really, finding good padwork that isn't shit is like finding a mechanic who's not fucking you..... wait scratch that, actually you'll probably have more success finding a mechanic who doesn't fuck you over than decent pad holders lol
 
Last edited:
Punch Pad Mania

The vacuum of expert teacher-trainers has created a fertile breeding ground for gimmickry and artifice that is of little use to a fighter. One example is the misuse of weight training. This topic deserves extensive analyses and is covered in a later chapter. Another example is the ubiquitous use of what are popularly known as “punch pads” or “focus pads.” These oversized gloves, similar in size and cushioning to a catcher’s mitt, fit over a trainer’s hands to act as targets while the fighter hits them with a series of combinations.

Punch pads were apparently rediscovered after showing up in the Rocky movies in the early 1980s. Every boxing movie now has the requisite scene of a fighter working out with the punch pads. Before Sylvester Stallone incorporated punch pads into his movies they were virtually non-existent.

Pad workouts are colorful. They are fun to do and watch but their contribution to enhancing a boxer’s skill is negligible. Although punch pads had been around since the 1950s, old school trainers rarely, if ever, used them. They believed that hitting the pads with the same combinations over and over had limited teaching potential and emphasized a robotic “bang, bang” style of boxing. Their use did not encourage the fighter to think. Many trainers even slap the fighter’s gloves with the pads at the same time he begins his punch. Absolutely nothing is being accomplished.

The original purpose of pad work was to improve a fighter’s execution of a specific punch. Once the fighter had mastered the mechanics of the punch his workout would continue on the heavy bag. Everything that is taught with the pads achieved better results using the heavy bag.

Tony Arnold: “I don’t see how you can develop good form punching at the pads. I think it’s part of the reason why a lot of fighters don’t have good form today. They spend too much time hitting these punch pads. The pads are useless when compared to watching a fighter’s punch delivery on the heavy bag or in sparring. That is how you watch and correct a fighter’s moves and balance. How can the trainer see how well the fighter is delivering punches, or how well he’s on balance or off balance—particularly after missing a punch—if he’s standing in front of the fighter and letting him hit the pads? I don’t think the trainer has a good view of the fighter’s punch delivery or his balance. He’s just holding up his hands as targets, whereas if he’d watch the fighter on the heavy bag he would be in a much better position to evaluate the fighter’s movements.

“Another problem with the pads is that you can’t really lean into a punch. The pads yield too much. They give too easily. You can’t really throw a power punch. The pads teach you bad habits. They teach arm punching. You can’t feel if you’ve got any power in the punch. That’s not the case when you hit the heavy bag and you can turn your hips and shoulders and you pivot to get maximum force and your trainer watches your form and corrects any mistakes.

“I spent plenty of time in Stillman’s gym and most of the teaching was on the heavy bag. I never saw the pads used in Stillman’s. I know they were used from time to time. I’d heard of them. But they were only effective for bringing attention to a particular flaw that you were trying to correct. Once the fighter gets the idea of what the trainer wants him to do then you have him execute the punch on the heavy bag, which is similar to hitting a body.

“If you hit the heavy bag with just your arms and then you try pivoting and putting your body into the punch, you would feel the difference in power right away. You don’t feel that difference in power when you’re hitting pads because they give way the minute you hit the palm. There is no resistance—that’s the word—you’ve got to feel the resistance.”

Emanuel Steward: “They have the fighters punch the hand pads—pop, pop, pop—and they put on a show and make a lot of noise that’s impressive to the crowd and the media guys. But it’s just a show for the most part. Very
little is actually being taught. As I’ve said, there just aren’t any teachers, and that’s been a big problem for some time.”

Before the 1980s punch pads were never part of a boxer’s regular workout routine. Far from being an improvement, their ubiquitous presence is yet another indication of the dumbed down quality of today’s boxing instruction.
 
Dexter said:
Punch Pad Mania

The vacuum of expert teacher-trainers has created a fertile breeding ground for gimmickry and artifice that is of little use to a fighter. One example is the misuse of weight training. This topic deserves extensive analyses and is covered in a later chapter. Another example is the ubiquitous use of what are popularly known as “punch pads” or “focus pads.” These oversized gloves, similar in size and cushioning to a catcher’s mitt, fit over a trainer’s hands to act as targets while the fighter hits them with a series of combinations.

Punch pads were apparently rediscovered after showing up in the Rocky movies in the early 1980s. Every boxing movie now has the requisite scene of a fighter working out with the punch pads. Before Sylvester Stallone incorporated punch pads into his movies they were virtually non-existent.

Pad workouts are colorful. They are fun to do and watch but their contribution to enhancing a boxer’s skill is negligible. Although punch pads had been around since the 1950s, old school trainers rarely, if ever, used them. They believed that hitting the pads with the same combinations over and over had limited teaching potential and emphasized a robotic “bang, bang” style of boxing. Their use did not encourage the fighter to think. Many trainers even slap the fighter’s gloves with the pads at the same time he begins his punch. Absolutely nothing is being accomplished.

The original purpose of pad work was to improve a fighter’s execution of a specific punch. Once the fighter had mastered the mechanics of the punch his workout would continue on the heavy bag. Everything that is taught with the pads achieved better results using the heavy bag.

Tony Arnold: “I don’t see how you can develop good form punching at the pads. I think it’s part of the reason why a lot of fighters don’t have good form today. They spend too much time hitting these punch pads. The pads are useless when compared to watching a fighter’s punch delivery on the heavy bag or in sparring. That is how you watch and correct a fighter’s moves and balance. How can the trainer see how well the fighter is delivering punches, or how well he’s on balance or off balance—particularly after missing a punch—if he’s standing in front of the fighter and letting him hit the pads? I don’t think the trainer has a good view of the fighter’s punch delivery or his balance. He’s just holding up his hands as targets, whereas if he’d watch the fighter on the heavy bag he would be in a much better position to evaluate the fighter’s movements.

“Another problem with the pads is that you can’t really lean into a punch. The pads yield too much. They give too easily. You can’t really throw a power punch. The pads teach you bad habits. They teach arm punching. You can’t feel if you’ve got any power in the punch. That’s not the case when you hit the heavy bag and you can turn your hips and shoulders and you pivot to get maximum force and your trainer watches your form and corrects any mistakes.

“I spent plenty of time in Stillman’s gym and most of the teaching was on the heavy bag. I never saw the pads used in Stillman’s. I know they were used from time to time. I’d heard of them. But they were only effective for bringing attention to a particular flaw that you were trying to correct. Once the fighter gets the idea of what the trainer wants him to do then you have him execute the punch on the heavy bag, which is similar to hitting a body.

“If you hit the heavy bag with just your arms and then you try pivoting and putting your body into the punch, you would feel the difference in power right away. You don’t feel that difference in power when you’re hitting pads because they give way the minute you hit the palm. There is no resistance—that’s the word—you’ve got to feel the resistance.”

Emanuel Steward: “They have the fighters punch the hand pads—pop, pop, pop—and they put on a show and make a lot of noise that’s impressive to the crowd and the media guys. But it’s just a show for the most part. Very
little is actually being taught. As I’ve said, there just aren’t any teachers, and that’s been a big problem for some time.”

Before the 1980s punch pads were never part of a boxer’s regular workout routine. Far from being an improvement, their ubiquitous presence is yet another indication of the dumbed down quality of today’s boxing instruction.
Click to expand...
Interesting thanks
 
Dexter said:
Punch Pad Mania

The vacuum of expert teacher-trainers has created a fertile breeding ground for gimmickry and artifice that is of little use to a fighter. One example is the misuse of weight training. This topic deserves extensive analyses and is covered in a later chapter. Another example is the ubiquitous use of what are popularly known as “punch pads” or “focus pads.” These oversized gloves, similar in size and cushioning to a catcher’s mitt, fit over a trainer’s hands to act as targets while the fighter hits them with a series of combinations.

Punch pads were apparently rediscovered after showing up in the Rocky movies in the early 1980s. Every boxing movie now has the requisite scene of a fighter working out with the punch pads. Before Sylvester Stallone incorporated punch pads into his movies they were virtually non-existent.

Pad workouts are colorful. They are fun to do and watch but their contribution to enhancing a boxer’s skill is negligible. Although punch pads had been around since the 1950s, old school trainers rarely, if ever, used them. They believed that hitting the pads with the same combinations over and over had limited teaching potential and emphasized a robotic “bang, bang” style of boxing. Their use did not encourage the fighter to think. Many trainers even slap the fighter’s gloves with the pads at the same time he begins his punch. Absolutely nothing is being accomplished.

The original purpose of pad work was to improve a fighter’s execution of a specific punch. Once the fighter had mastered the mechanics of the punch his workout would continue on the heavy bag. Everything that is taught with the pads achieved better results using the heavy bag.

Tony Arnold: “I don’t see how you can develop good form punching at the pads. I think it’s part of the reason why a lot of fighters don’t have good form today. They spend too much time hitting these punch pads. The pads are useless when compared to watching a fighter’s punch delivery on the heavy bag or in sparring. That is how you watch and correct a fighter’s moves and balance. How can the trainer see how well the fighter is delivering punches, or how well he’s on balance or off balance—particularly after missing a punch—if he’s standing in front of the fighter and letting him hit the pads? I don’t think the trainer has a good view of the fighter’s punch delivery or his balance. He’s just holding up his hands as targets, whereas if he’d watch the fighter on the heavy bag he would be in a much better position to evaluate the fighter’s movements.

“Another problem with the pads is that you can’t really lean into a punch. The pads yield too much. They give too easily. You can’t really throw a power punch. The pads teach you bad habits. They teach arm punching. You can’t feel if you’ve got any power in the punch. That’s not the case when you hit the heavy bag and you can turn your hips and shoulders and you pivot to get maximum force and your trainer watches your form and corrects any mistakes.

“I spent plenty of time in Stillman’s gym and most of the teaching was on the heavy bag. I never saw the pads used in Stillman’s. I know they were used from time to time. I’d heard of them. But they were only effective for bringing attention to a particular flaw that you were trying to correct. Once the fighter gets the idea of what the trainer wants him to do then you have him execute the punch on the heavy bag, which is similar to hitting a body.

“If you hit the heavy bag with just your arms and then you try pivoting and putting your body into the punch, you would feel the difference in power right away. You don’t feel that difference in power when you’re hitting pads because they give way the minute you hit the palm. There is no resistance—that’s the word—you’ve got to feel the resistance.”

Emanuel Steward: “They have the fighters punch the hand pads—pop, pop, pop—and they put on a show and make a lot of noise that’s impressive to the crowd and the media guys. But it’s just a show for the most part. Very
little is actually being taught. As I’ve said, there just aren’t any teachers, and that’s been a big problem for some time.”

Before the 1980s punch pads were never part of a boxer’s regular workout routine. Far from being an improvement, their ubiquitous presence is yet another indication of the dumbed down quality of today’s boxing instruction.
Click to expand...
you know whats funny is before i started combat sports the pad vs bag was still around, being new and naive I thought pads would be better since its tailored 1 on 1, funny how at the end I love the bag more. and the bag is a reason why my cross is nice as it is

but yes I agree with the statement pads teach bad form, its a two way street and when you have a holder who's looking to bank off it, they'll push into it to give a pop, not to mention pad feedback depends on how you strike it. Could be shit form, but if you always strike dead center on the middle circle, you'll get a great sound effect for your feedback
 
Shadowboxing with the caveat that it includes partnered shadowboxing drills.
If not i may have to lean towards pads.
*trust me i went to college my IQ is at least 200
 
You must log in or register to reply here.

Latest posts

Forum statistics

Threads
1,236,981
Messages
55,459,163
Members
174,787
Latest member
Freddie556

Share this page

Back
Top