How to Punch Harder

By Kent Ninomiya

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Punching harder is a matter of technique more than strength. Having big muscles doesn't hurt, but strength without good form results in wasted energy and softer punches. Learning proper punching technique along with strengthening your punching muscles will produce the best results.

Instructions

Difficulty: Moderate

Things You’ll Need:

How to Punch Harder

Step1
Understand what a punch is. The power of a punch does not come from your hand or arm. To punch hard you must punch with your entire body. This involves your legs, your hips, your shoulders, your arm and finally your fist.
Step2
Start with your feet. Stand with your legs comfortably shoulder width apart then step forward with the foot on the side of your non punching arm. If you are right handed step forward with your left foot. Raise your arms in front of you in punching position.
Step3
Crank your hips as you load up for the punch. As you throw the punch your hips will turn. This is the power in your punch. The more your hips whip around the more powerful your punch.
Step4
Cock your shoulders for the punch. Twist them back like your hips and draw your punching arm back. Tighten your punching hand into a tight fist. The tighter the better. Be sure that your thumb is outside of your fingers.
Step5
Eye your target. Do not guess at your impact point. You should zero in on a specific spot where you want your punch to land. Focus is important. If you punch wildly you could hurt yourself.
Step6
Unleash your punch. It starts from your feet. They should be solidly planted on the ground. Power should launch from your back foot. Push off the ground as you rotate your hips and shoulders toward your target. Your arm then extends forward in a straight line from your shoulder. Timing is key. Your fist should meet its target at the precise moment your arm, shoulders and hips are fully extended. The power should be from the ground, up your leg, through your hips, shoulders, arm and into your fist. All your energy is now transferred into your target. Be sure to keep your wrist straight and hit the mark with the two knuckles closest to your thumb. They are the toughest bones in your hand.
Step7
Practice, practice, practice. Good punching technique comes from constant practice. You must develop muscle memory of what a perfect punch feels like. That is the only way to teach your body to do it. Hit a punching bag while focusing on perfect form. As you feel more comfortable increase the intensity and speed.
Step8
Get stronger. Once you have perfect punching technique you can work on making yourself stronger. A perfect punch involves most of your body's muscles so a full body workout is beneficial. Your back and hips are especially important. Any strength exercises that emphasize your core will help you punch harder.

Tips & Warnings

  • If you punch too hard with bad technique you can hurt yourself. Practice punching softly on a heavy bag until your form improves. If you hit the bag and a joint hurts then you are doing it wrong. A perfect punch is painless. At least it is painless for the person punching. Keep practicing perfect technique and resist the temptation to just punch as hard as you can.

Comments

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on 9/17/2008 You have a good point Mike89. The full extension of the punch should take place an inch or two past the target. As for the knuckles, using the lower ones raises the risk of breaking the fingers. If you angle the wrist slightly downward so that the upper knuckles line up with the rest of your arm, your wrist should be fine. Thanks for your comment!
Kent

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on 9/17/2008 That is a very good point Mike89. The ideal punch should reach full extension an inch or two past the target. As for the knuckles, hitting with lower knuckles increases the chance of breaking the fingers. If you angle your wrist slightly downward so that the upper knuckles are in a straight line with the arm, your wrist should be fine. Thanks for the comment!
Kent

Mike89

Mike89 said

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on 9/15/2008 Very nice article, by the way =)

Mike89

Mike89 said

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on 9/15/2008 Wouldn't it be better to try to punch through the target, instead of trying to hit it when your arm is fully extended? Sounds like what they do in Karate contests (:

I also believe it is easier to sustain damage to your wrist when hitting with the two upper knuckles. If you hit with the lower knuckles, the force will go straight through your arm without having to bend the wrist.

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eHow Article: How to Punch Harder

Article By: Kent Ninomiya

Kent Ninomiya

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Category: Sports & Fitness

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