To have a big punching power can be really helpful when it comes to fighting. Because with fewer shots, you can do some serious damage to your opponent, and finish the fight quickly.
OK, that’s cool, but how do you know if you have big punching power? What are the signs of a hard hitter? How to measure your power? These are the question that we are going to discuss in this article.
How to test your punching power?
If you have experience in sparring or fighting, you probably know your punching power. But if you never practiced combat sports or you are still a beginner, it’s not so easy to tell. You can go and try hitting those punching power machines but they are nowhere near accurate when it comes to measuring the power of the blow. I don’t know how exactly they work but I think, they take into account more the speed and not the actual power.
Of course, that doesn’t mean you can’t hit them just for fun, but I don’t recommend using these machines for measuring your punching power.
But here are 4 things you can do, that will help you to find out if you are a hard puncher:
1. After a pad work, ask the guy that holds the pads for feedback. Our hands are really sensitive. So when punching someone in the hands (regardless of the protection of the pads), he will be able to give you some real feedback on your punching power. Even if you don’t ask him, you can just observe his reactions. If it looks like you are hurting his hands or if he takes a timeout, that means you probably hit hard.
2. Sparring partner feedback. The guy who you punch in the face will know your punching power, even better than yourself. So ask him how hard you hit compared to the other people in the gym. Also if you noticed that he was stunned or dazed or even knocked down, after you land something solid, you will know that you have a decent punching power even without asking.
3. Heavy bag – How much do you move the heavy bag when you hit it? Compare yourself to the others in the gym and you can get an idea of your punching power. And, of course, punch the bag, don’t cheat by pushing it.
4. How do you feel when punching – It’s obvious that you can’t test your punching power using the first 3 ways if you don’t go to the gym. If that’s your case, you can try to just throw a punch in the air. If you feel like you are shooting with some heavy ammo, you probably hit hard. And if you feel your fist, light as a feather, chances are you don’t have much punching power.
If you want to increase your punching power, make sure you check out this: Punching power tips – Free PDF file
In this file, I give away my 25 best tips on how to improve your punching power!
Punching power – born or made?
Genetics play a huge role when it comes to punching power. A big portion of how hard you can hit is determined by the muscle, bone and ligament structures. Also, some people have a higher percentage of something called fast-twitch muscle fibers, while others have more slow-twitch fibers.
The difference between them is that the first type – the fast-twitch, is correlated to the explosive power – (you use your explosive power when punching, sprinting, jumping, etc) while the second one- the slow-twitch type, is activated when doing long endurance exercises such as distance running, swimming and cardio exercises.
The fast-twitch muscle fibers can generate huge power for a short period of time but fatigue faster. And the opposite is true for the slow-twitch fibers. It’s like the difference between a sprinter and a marathon runner. That’s why often we see hard-punching boxers or MMA fighters gassing out quickly while fighters with less punching power than rely on volume of punches being able to box/fight without getting fatigued.
So if you are born with more fast-twitch muscle fibers, you will have more explosive power, which means you are able to punch harder. Below in the article, I talk about how you can check that.
However, the factor that is even more important than genetics, is the technique. If your technique is on point, you will be able to generate huge power with your whole body and deliver it efficiently on the target.
And when you compare the punching power of two people, who weigh the same, the one with the better technique will always punch harder, regardless of who has a higher percentage of fast-twitch muscle fibers.
While you can’t control your genetics, the proper punching technique is something that you can learn by practicing. It takes time to develop a crisp technique, and that is the reason why usually punching power increases over time.
Better technique=more punching power.
Difference between punching and knockout power
There’s one more quick thing I want to address before we dive into the sings.
When it comes to knockouts, the accuracy and the timing of the punch is actually more important than its power. Because to knock someone out you need to land the punch on a vulnerable place such as the chin or the spot behind the ear in the exact moment when he isn’t expecting it and can” defend it. So even not very powerful punch can cause a knockout if it’s landed precisely and in the right moment. That’s why sometimes a boxer with less punching power but with great accuracy can score more knockouts than a big puncher who isn’t so precise.
After we know what determines the punching power, let’s dive into the sings that are showing that you have those things:
1) You can jump high
Wait, jumping?! What it has to do with the punching power?
Well, if you can jump high, that means you have decent explosive power. With, as I already mentioned is one of the most important factors when it comes to punching power.
And in combat sports, some of the biggest punchers can jump really height. For example, the UFC fighter Yoel Romero, who is one of the hardest hitters in the middleweight division, likes to do backflips after he enters the octagon – just before the fights. That shows how explosive and athletic he is, which explains why he is able to hit so hard.
To check how height you can jump, you can try box jumping. Compare yourself to people of the same age and weight as you. If you show much better results than them, you also probably can punch harder.
2) Good sprinter
Remember the comparison between the sprinters and the marathon runners? If you are better in the marathons than in the sprints, chances are you have a higher percentage of slow-twitch muscle fibers.
But if you are a really fast sprinter, compared to your friends (at the same age/weight), chances are you have more fast-twitch muscle fibers, which means more explosive power and more powerful punches.
You can test your speed by a 100-meter sprint. If you are in good shape and your time is less than 15 seconds your speed is above the average.
3) Big hands
The big hands and wrists aren’t going to help you generate more power when punching. But they will help to efficiently transfer the force, that you generate with your whole body, into the target.
That’s why the big hands are an important factor when it comes to punching power. If your hand circumference is more than 8.5″, you have pretty big hands, which is a sign of a hard puncher.
4) Weight
F=m.a
The force equals mass multiplied by acceleration.
Which, in boxing means that the heavier you are, the more powerful your punches will be, (which is kinda obvious).
What is really cool about this, is that when you weigh enough, even if your punching technique isn’t perfect, you are still going to punch hard. You can see that in the heavyweight MMA or boxing matches. The punching technique of the fighters there isn’t great compared to the technique of the fighters of the lower weight classes. But the knockout percentage in the heavyweight divisions is always the highest.
I am not saying you shouldn’t improve your technique if you are a heavyweight. On the contrary – if your technique is better you will punch even harder.
And if you have a lack of punching power, gaining some weight is the easiest way to increase it.
5) Good hand speed
The speed is the other part of the equation. So if you don’t have enough mass, you need to compensate that with hand speed.
Actually, if you double your speed, you will quadruple your punching power. That’s why boxers such as Manny Pacquiao relies on their hand speed when throwing punches. And his punching power is really good for his weight class.
So if your hand speed is above the average, your punching power is probably above the average also. And if you want to improve it, but you aren’t sure how, here is an article that will give you some great tips, for increasing the speed of your jab.
But of course, without weight behind the punch, it can’t be really hard.
6) Short arms
If you look at boxers such as Mike Tyson or Rocky Marchiano you will notice, that, compared to their rivals, they are really short and their reaches also aren’t great. But regardless of that, their punches were vicious.
That’s because the shorter your arms are, the faster you can rotate them with your body. Which increases the punching power, especially when it comes to throwing short hooks, uppercuts or overhands. That’s why usually the short people (with short reaches) always try to fight in a close distance, using the swarmer boxing style.
So in boxing, the short arms actually can be an advantage rather than a disadvantage. Of course, that is true, as long as you’ve got enough muscle mass in proportion to your height. If you are a short guy with short arms, but you are skinny, chances are you aren’t able to punch very hard.
7) Long arms
Don’t be discouraged if your arms are really long.
While the fighters with short reaches are able to throw devastating hooks and uppercuts, the ones with long arms have more powerful straight punches, long hooks, and long overhands.
That’s because when they throw these long punches, they build huge momentum, which increases the power of the shot.
Great examples of that are the Sonny Liston’s jab, with which he was literally knocking people out, and the Deontay Wilder’s right hand – one of the scariest weapons in today’s boxing. Both these boxers are tall and have long reaches, (Lison – 84” reach; Wilder – 83” reach) but their punching power is remarkable.
Another example is the UFC fighter Connor McGregor, who is also known for his big punching power. His reach is also long, compared to his height and his most powerful punch is his straight left hand.
So if you have a long reach, that may be a sign that you are a hard puncher, especially when throwing straight shots. But of course, you need to steadily work on your technique.
8) Proper technique
To hit hard, you need to throw the shots using your whole body, not just the shoulder and the arm. That way you will increase the power of the punch dramatically.
And it’s all about the timing:
First, you need to start the punch from your legs by rotating the heel. Then rotate the pelvis and the upper body and release the blow. That way you will build huge momentum. At the end of the punch, turn your fist over. This will create the snap of the punch which will increase its power.
Another important thing is to try to relax. Don’t flex your muscles when punching because that will decrease your power. Stay calm and loose.
Sometimes you may think that your technique is on point, but actually, you may make some mistakes. That’s why it’s a good idea to often ask your coach for feedback on your punches.
And if you don’t train in a gym you can record yourself throwing punches and then watch the video, trying to spot mistakes in your technique. Or, if you know someone with more experience, you can show it to them and ask for their opinion.
9) Your body is “V-shaped”
When you’ve got a V-shaped body (broad shoulders, large chest and tight pelvis), you are able to rotate your upper body very fast, when punching, which will increase the power of your shots. A great example of this is (again) Connor McGregor. His body is definitely V-shaped, and we already know about his punching power…
But even if your body isn’t shaped that way, that doesn’t mean that you can hit hard. So don’t get discouraged even if you don’t have a perfect V-shaped body.
10) Strong back muscles
The upper back muscles can help you generate huge power, especially when throwing overhands and hooks. Actually, that is the reason why most of the wrestlers in MMA are able to throw very powerful overhands. That’s because their upper back muscles are really strong because of the wrestling.
So if your back muscles are big, that probably means that you are a hard puncher. If not, you can always train them by doing pull-ups, push-ups or some heavy weight lifting.
11) Big leg muscles
If your technique is proper, the punch should start from your feet and legs. So the stronger your legs are, the harder you are able to punch.
The most important leg muscles for punching are the hips and the butt muscles. You can see that, when watching fighters such as Mike Tyson, who had really thick legs and legendary punching power, in his prime.
If you want to increase your punching power, you can train your legs by doing squats (with or without weight). But remember that the leg muscles enter into the equation only when your technique is on point.
12) You’ve got a good balance
The balance is really important when trying to throw a powerful punch. That’s why when doing so, you need to plant your feet and stay in a little bit wider stance than usually.
That will help you to generate more power and throw the blow without losing balance. And that is the reason why most of the big punchers in boxing are flat footed – George Foreman, Sonny Liston, etc.
The good balance can mean that you’ve got a decent punching power.
13) Throwing punches with bad intention
The mental part of the game is also really important. When you throw your punches with rage, you are more likely to land a hard punch. That’s why the most devastating punchers, never try to win on points. They try to destroy their opponents, by committing to almost every single punch.
Some fighters, such as Myke Tyson, even imagined how their punches are breaking their opponent’s skull.
So when you are trying to really hurt the other fighter, with your punches, you commit with them more, making them more powerful. If you often punch with rage, chances are you probably hit hard.
14) Big bones and joints
The bone structure can also play a big role. If your bones are large and dense you are probably able to hit hard, because of the extra weight in your hands.
Your joint structure is also important. The big ankles, knees, and wrists will help you to effectively transfer the energy through your body when punching.
15) Accurate puncher
It doesn’t matter how hard you hit if your punch misses the target. That’s why in boxing, the accuracy of the shot is much more important than its power. Especially when trying to knock someone out. You can’t just aim at his head (one of the hardest parts of our bodies), hoping that you will land a knockout blow. As I already mentioned, you need to aim at the chin of your opponent or behind his ear.
That way even if you aren’t the hardest puncher, you can knock someone out. And everybody will think, that you hit like a truck. While in reality, you are just really precise.
You can test your accuracy by trying to aim at a target from a long distance. For example at a certain object on the heavy bag. It can be the logo of the company that created it (if there is a logo) or at anything visibly.
And if your punches aren’t precise enough, the best way to change that is by pad work.
16) You move the heavy bag as you punch it
That’s called the George Foreman test because he was famous for making the bag swing every time he hit it. That’s why he needed someone to hold the bag.
To do the George Foreman test you need to hit the bag as hard as you can for 20-25 seconds. If your punches make the bag tilt to 50-60 degree angle to the floor you probably punch hard.
An important thing to do while doing that test is to make sure you don’t push the bag – punch it (there’s a difference we’ll talk about at the end of the article.
17) Ligament structure
You know how some people are able to lift more than others no matter they weigh less and have less muscle mass? The reason for that is most likely their ligament structure.
Ligaments connect bones to other bones and the way and the place more importantly where they make contact with the bones may give you better leverage. When lifting weights, doing free weight exercises but also when punching.
That’s 100% genetic and you have no control over it. Actually you can’t even know what’s your ligament structure. The only way I know somebody has a good ligament structure is when I see a skinny person lifting weights he isn’t supposed to be able to lift.
Or when I see someone like Deontay Wilder who isn’t that heavy, knocking heavyweights unconscious with only 1 punch.
I know that’s not exactly a sign because you can’t know it but I decided to include it in this article because it turns out this is one of the most important factors when it comes to punching power.
How to punch harder? – My top tips
So already you know what are the signs of the big punchers. But let’s see how you can actually increase your punching power, even a little bit, today:
1. Don’t push your punches – to push your punches simply means to land the punch first and then rotate the hips and the torso. It’s a common beginner’s mistake and to avoid it, you need to start the punch from your heels, then hips, pelvis, upper body and then to land it.
That way you will build the momentum and the punch will be much more powerful. I know I mentioned this several times, but that’s maybe the most important tip for throwing hard punches.
2. Visualize punching through the target. Don’t just try to touch the target at the end of your reach. Imagine punching through it. That way your shots will be much harder.
3. Aim the target with your elbow, not with your fist. That’s an imaginary exercise that will help you throw the punches with proper technique. To do it, imagine that you are trying to hit the target with your elbow and release the punch at the end of the motion.
4. Heavy bag work– The heavy bag work is a crucial part of the process of increasing punching power. It’s mimicking the human body and can prepare you for a real fight.
5. Shadowboxing – Shadowboxing won’t particularly make your punches harder but it will help you develop a proper technique, which as we already covered, is very important when it comes to punching power.
6. Exhale when punching – That won’t only help your breathing during a fight/spar but it will also make your punches shaper and a little harder.
You give a lot of information about how to find out if you are a hard hitter. This post can be very helpful for someone who is trying to see if they will fit into the fighting scene, rather it is boxing, kickboxing, or mixed martial arts. Thanks for post.
When i start to fight my hands shaking my heart beat fast how can i get rid this things?
The hand shaking and fast heart rate are all to do with your mental and emotional state. You shake because of the adrenaline and you cannot prevent an adrenaline rush during a fight. You can however, combat its negative effects by controlling your breathing. My Sensei taught me this: Control your breathing, you control your thoughts, control your thoughts you control your emotions, control your emotions you control your body, control your body you control your space, control your space you control your distance, control the distance you control your opponent, control your opponent you control the fight, control the fight and you win. Hope that helps.
I answered yes to almost all of these I’ve been wondering how hard I can hit for a while I don’t know how I can measure in psi 120,000 seems wrong. Girlfriend’s family wanted to test it that machine don’t work. I got attacked a couple summers I was given the ultimatum long story short I hit him so hard I gave him brain damage and paralyzed him that fight should have been stopped but I wasn’t given a choice of whether I wanted to fight. I don’t even fight unless I need to I think I’m going to break the titanium plate in someone’s head I have a responsibility not start any fights
That’s normal man, Wayne is right, that’s the adrenaline. That’s a natural reaction, your body is preparing for the fight. Back then, I had the same problem when sparring (and now I notice that most of the new guys at the gym have it too) – my heart started beating fast and I couldn’t control my breathing so I get out of breath really quick. Sometimes I still have it in the first 1-2 rounds when doing high pace sparring with someone who is more experienced than me. So between the rounds, I just go to the corner of the ring, rest my arms on the ropes and try to normalize my breath. When we get to the third round, though, my body gets used to the pace and I start breathing normally.
You said that you have that problem every time you fight. I’m not sure if you’re referring to boxing or to some sort of a “street fight”. If it’s a boxing match/sparring the tips I can give you are to try to keep a slow pace at first, keep a distance and just throw some jabs and try to read the reactions of your opponent. Also, don’t do unnecessary movements because you’ll tire yourself faster. Use your energy efficiently. Don’t fall into the pace of your opponent, try to control the pace.
It will happen even to professional boxers just let your hands go and the more you land your confidence will build and it will go away
hey jack. Great question. Whenever you feel these nerves, take a deep breath, and just remember that fear is what makes people do or become brave. Personally, in my fights, i control this by telling myself that the opponent doesn’t deserve to be there and that i can beat him. Confidence is key. All the nerves will go away once the fight starts.
(It’s a long read)
Before anything else, you have to stay calm. Not relaxed, because someone who wants to hurt you can catch you slipping, but calm. Like a sniper, focus and hone in on your target, and breathe. Don’t pay attention to the distractions because you only get so many opportunities.
Prepare yourself with training before any fighting is brought up, and warming up when it’s go time if you can. If you’re on the street and may not have time for this just simply stay on guard, #1 of boxing is protect yourself at all times. You keep your hands up for the punches you don’t see coming, so no don’t drop your hands to be more mobile. You can, but only after thoroughly establishing your opponents timing and range, which only happens over the course of long bouts.
Focus on what you came to do, not what could happen. We get shaky because of adrenaline flooding our system. If you’re nervous just go back to your training, or keep a fresh image in your mind of what your goal is.
If it’s to defend yourself keep distance and defense in mind. If it’s to knock someone out, read their stance and look for the gaps in their posture, then hit with lethal intent. Read and react, get into a rhythm, move your body to a beat.
Adrenaline is a response we gained from nature and if harnessed can actually do you good. It reduces our sensitivity to pain and fatigue, heightens our reactions, and releases natural inhibitors unlocking your full animal strength. However, it can give you tunnel vision, and you become more like a thrashing wild cat instead of a lethal predator. Jaguars can take down gorillas because of their killer instincts, which gorillas lack, not just brute strength (something a gorilla has in spades).
Good tip when your shaking and your heartbeat is fast that is something that is difficult to get rid of but the best way for me is to either mumble to myself about past struggles another way i deal with it is to hum my favorite song in my head or you could Think that the person your are fighting is a cause a bad time for you
I’m a heavyweight and I would like to add another 2 signs. The first sign of a hard puncher that I will add is when people are reluctant to spar with you. There are some guys in my gym that repeatedly make excuses when I ask them to get in the ring or sometimes they avoid coming altogether when they know I will be there to save face. The other sign is simply some people will tell you you hit hard!
Yeah, that’s true bro, looks like I forgot about those really logical tips. Most of the heavyweights have natural power and it’s always tricky to spar with them because sometimes they can put you away with just 1 shot. I don’t know how experienced you are but I noticed that the less experienced heavyweights can’t really control their power while the more experienced ones can work without hurting their smaller opponents.
Being big can be a psychological deterrent. That’s why smaller people will avoid you. Doesn’t necessarily mean people are avoiding you because you hit hard. You can’t just come up with such an inference lol. Sorry bro but reality check.
well i have never avoid big people because i want to get experienced and i want to be the best ,i think is all in your mind and if is in your mind just do it.
Heya i’m for the first time here. I found this board and I find It really useful & it helped me out a lot. I hope to give something back and aid others like you aided me.|
I have pretty big hands and thick fingers.
I can punch 100 times in 1 minute.
I can punch very hard.
But when i do my heart beats fast and I can breathe normally.
Broo finally, think of 6-8 jabs per second full swing im 18 ion box officially i train alone
Very nice article. I definitely appreciate this website.Stick with it!
I agree that the key is technique. I’m only 63kg but several pad holders have told me I punch hard (for a little guy) because I put my whole body behind the shots, helped by the exhaling or grunt (what is called Kiai in the Japanese martial arts) to help explode the energy.
Of course a 63 kg guy is going to say it is technique as you have zero size. How many guys have you knocked out? I have knocked out 10 out of 26 Fights and many of my street fights were over after 1 or 2 landed punches as they guy had a concussion after I hit him so hard. I hit one guy so hard he had a seizure. I was 113 Kg and 2m tall. I did this to people even bigger than me and bouncers. Size, is not the end all but it helps quite a bit. I was freakishly strong too, strongest and toughest in my battalion. BTW, guys your size, I tried night too fight, but I could knock you down when you blocked me just with the force of the blow or backwards and off balance and then a surge forward while your balancing and kapow.
I think the most important thing is intent to harm. When guys are fighting for real and not posturing it makes a world of difference. One guy is trying to save face and the other is trying to take him out. One will push his punches and the other guy is trying to take his head off. By the time the poser realizes the situation he is in it is too late. Fake tough guys hesitate in a fight.
This how I talked about my punching power when I was in grade school. lmao
Ive fought 23 times lost like 1 and i won 22 times i won 20 of my fights by knockout and 15 of them were complete knockouts. no counts they were outcold i am 195 LB or 88 KG and i fought 12 guys who transfered from Heavyweight to Cruiserweight *Spoiler i knocked out 11 of them*
Can 7.2 inch hand lenth knock some one out?
Size doesn’t always mean a man can punch hard. Quite often, large men lack snap in their punches. Three of the hardest punchers in boxing history were Jack Dempsey, who usually weighed around 185 and who utterly destroyed the gigantic 6’7″ Jess Willard who actually killed a man in the ring. Dempsey knocked out every single challenger to Willard’s throne in the first round and they all weighed more than Dempsey. Dempsey is considered the roughest heavyweight in history. Rocky Marciano usually weighed around 185-190 and has the highest knockout percentage of any heavyweight. He hit so hard he often sent his opponents to the hospital with broken blood vessels in their arms. Most of his opponents were also bigger and weighed more than Rocky. Joe louis, who weighed between 195-210 could knock an opponent into next Tuesday because he not only had natural punching power but he had a terrific technique of delivery. Extremely accurate puncher. All three men knew how to deliver a punch and keep on delivering them in a fight and I think that’s an important key in knockout power. As for Mike Tyson, yes, he could punch but when any opponent fought back they usually beat him. Buster Douglas for example and Evander Holyfield to name just two. To me, Tyson was very overrated as a fighter but yes, he could punch. The three men I mentioned- Dempsey, Louis, Marciano- are still considered the greatest heavyweight we ever had. Finally, no, I don’t think for a moment that Muhammd Ali was “the greatest.” He would have gone down by knockout by any of the three I’ve mentioned. He had never been hit that hard by anyone with the exception of Joe Frazier who knocked him down in the 12th round in their first fight. Had he been hit by Dempsey, Louis or Marciano he would have been completely knocked out. One last point to consider is this: Today’s fighters- with few exceptions- pale by comparison to the heavyweights of yore- particularly, in conditioning. Example: When Jess Willard won the championship from Jack Johnson that fight was scheduled for 45 three-minute rounds. Who, today could last that long? the answer: NOBODY!
Say a standing bag, with lots of water in it, when I hit it for about 1 min 30 the thing moves to the back so I have to push it to where it was again, what does this mean? Cause I rotate my hips for my right hook which shakes the whole thing