starting out- what is the correct height-two examples

[chippy]

hello forum

i'm new to this, I havnt even hit a speed ball yet and dont yet have the equipment (i've got bunches of pages open on all the different equipment trying to make a choice ). i've been reading an awful lot on the forum and around about it and the different speed ball brands, sizes and the platforms, it does start to get overwhelming after a while...

anyways, so far the way it appears to me is it is better to start out with a larger bag ("8x11" or something similar i presume) and as i get better move to smaller sizes

which took me to looking at the many platforms that are adjustable in height, which is a shame as i am pretty handy and would have just made a fixed height platform holding a pretty decent thickness drum 3''-6" as i have some timber laying about, making an adjustable platform will take some more thought but there are a number of retail adjustable platforms to choose from, their expensive by the time they are shipped to Oz though

from there i come to question of this post, just what is the correct height to set the ball at?

i have watched these two uTube examples for instance (links below), they both sound and look convincing to me, but of course i dont really know why they say two radically different heights to set the ball at

I've read many posts on here recently so i cant point to a specific post but i am sure a chap named Alan on the forum who writes a book recommends the belly of ball (widest part) be set to the height of just between the mouth and the nose

whereas this other uTube vid, it appears to be made by a company that sells boxing equipment (everlast) recomend the bottom of ball be set at the height of the bridge of the nose

obviously they are two radically different heights! perhaps at least 4" or so difference i would think

i'm assuming both vids are correct and that there is a reason for this. can anyone explain why the difference and for what reason i would choose one over the other?

http://www.youtube.com/watch?feature...7ErYaMX-I&NR=1

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Ufjv2...eature=related

(sorry, not sure how to put the vids into the post so its just the links)

cheers
chippy

[Zaza]

If you want to hit the bag "Bible" style, you want the belly of the bag at your mouth like this:


If you just want to hit straight boxing style, you want it higher. Belly of the bag at the eye.
The idea there is to keep your hands up and protecting your face in a fight.
Like this:


You can find great instruction here on the forum, but be sure to go to Alan's site too.... it's loaded!
http://www.speedbagcentral.com/ssp/introduction

Hope that helps.

[chippy]

so would that mean (i guess so) that having the bag higher, as in the vid with the girl, would be considered the more 'traditional' set up used? with its background in, and established from boxing and the other vid with Alan a more contemporary variation that is perhaps designed to allow one to hit fast and possibly more fun but not as difficult as the boxing set up (i imagine holding hands higher must be more of a workout and more difficult)...which of the two set ups are the more common used, is the later set up basically only for followers of the bible or is it in wide (common) use for speed bag use in general?

thanks for the answers to my inquisitive questions

cheers
chippy

[ventanakaz]

this is my view of things. i come from more of a boxing stand point, but not really. it's more like a street fighting stand point maybe i'm a (hi bread or inter bread LOL) i used to have my platform up high just because i'm 5' 8" and if i got into a fight it would most likely be with someone taller. over time i lowered the platform cause things tend to wear out and it was hurting having the platform up high, so for boxing you really don't need the platform up that high. you can have it at where alan said and still have a boxing style. my style is not a boxing or a bible style, i don't do the linking hitting or the hammer fist as in boxing but do hit with my knuckles and my elbows and sometimes i like to hit hard and when i'm learning a new combo i like to hit slow. i feel it's better to have the platform at where alan said and it works for any kind of hitting style as i i'm living proof...ralph

[Speedbag]

Originally Posted by chippy

hello forum

i'm new to this, I havnt even hit a speed ball yet and dont yet have the equipment (i've got bunches of pages open on all the different equipment trying to make a choice ). i've been reading an awful lot on the forum and around about it and the different speed ball brands, sizes and the platforms, it does start to get overwhelming after a while...

anyways, so far the way it appears to me is it is better to start out with a larger bag ("8x11" or something similar i presume) and as i get better move to smaller sizes

That is generally the best progression if you have the finances to purchases several different size bags. Larger bags are a bit slower and easier to control overall than smaller faster ones.

Originally Posted by chippy

..from there i come to question of this post, just what is the correct height to set the ball at?

i have watched these two uTube examples for instance (links below), they both sound and look convincing to me, but of course i dont really know why they say two radically different heights to set the ball at

I've read many posts on here recently so i cant point to a specific post but i am sure a chap named Alan on the forum who writes a book recommends the belly of ball (widest part) be set to the height of just between the mouth and the nose

whereas this other uTube vid, it appears to be made by a company that sells boxing equipment (everlast) recomend the bottom of ball be set at the height of the bridge of the nose

obviously they are two radically different heights! perhaps at least 4" or so difference i would think

i'm assuming both vids are correct and that there is a reason for this. can anyone explain why the difference and for what reason i would choose one over the other?

http://www.youtube.com/watch?feature...7ErYaMX-I&NR=1

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Ufjv2...eature=related

(sorry, not sure how to put the vids into the post so its just the links)

cheers
chippy

that chap would be me , and I am an advocate of having slightly lowered bag belly (at about the mouth level) only because I think it is a more efficient position to hit from all around the bag as I do. It allows the fists to make contact in the bag belly, pass straight through and hit from different sides. Of course you can also do that with the bag higher but it is a bit more difficult to do with a higher bag set up, particular for a beginner. Most of my set up and teaching advice is based on what is easiest for beginners. I can hit and pass through just fine with the bag up at my eyes, as can many other experience baggers, for we can easily adjust our swinging and contact angles to make it work, but that is not the best position for learning, and will also ingrain some bad swinging faults that will not serve you well in the long run.

Watch people who hit the bag set "up high" and you will notice they hold their hand very high and hit "down on the bag" almost raking their fists down the front surface. They may do this quite fast, but they will find it very difficult to be proficient at passing the fists through the bag to the back or sides with that swing motion and also difficult to efficiently use the elbows.

You might want to experiment and see what is comfortable for your arms and shoulders, as well as the ease of adjusting your bag up and down.

Hope that helps.