Reasons To Use A Punching Dummy Over A Punching Bag

If you're starting to practice a combat sport such as boxing or kickboxing, you'll need to buy several pieces of gear. While gloves and hand wraps will be critical, so too is something to punch and kick. You might immediately consider a traditional punching bag, but there are other products on the market. A popular alternative is a punching dummy, which is designed to look like a human opponent. Made of durable rubber and depicting a person's head and torso, this device can become an integral part of your workouts. Here are some reasons to use a punching dummy instead of a punching bag.

Striking Accuracy

In any combat sport, you want to practice striking your opponent in the head and in certain areas of the torso. Using a punching dummy that actually looks like an opponent can be a good way to work on the accuracy of your punching and kicking. You'll get in the habit of hitting this target where you want to, but this isn't necessarily the case with a traditional punching bag. For example, because the bag doesn't have markings that represent your opponent's head, you might develop a bad habit of striking it lower than head level. When you eventually start to spar with a real opponent, you might find that punching higher toward the opponent's head feels unfamiliar.

Durability

You can expect that your punching dummy will be highly durable because it has a solid rubber construction. While there are a lot of high-quality punching bags on the market that can last for a long time, some punching bags can fail along the seams. If you hit a punching bag with a lot of power for a prolonged period of time, one of the vertical seams may split and require you to repair the bag or buy a new one. You won't face such an issue with a punching dummy.

Quicker Setup

Punching dummies come on heavy bases that you typically fill with water or sand. This means that you can set up the dummy wherever you want in just a short amount of time. While some punching bags stand on bases, they more commonly hang by chains. This means that you'll need to hang the punching bag from your ceiling. This setup process is a lot more extensive, requiring specific hardware, some tools, and a bit of know-how.

Contact a company like BAS Body Action System to learn more.