How to use Mitts and Pads In Boxing?

What takes a sports player to the heights of fame?

What was it that made Mohammad Ali a legend? How about Joe Louis, Roberto Duran, Roy Jones?

Putting up a great show for fans is not as simple, it takes good strategy, skill and of course unwavering will to practice the sport till perfection. Successful training is determined by the number of hours dedicated to learning the punching options (fighting styles), fine tuning one’s grip on what to use when (the strategy), improving response time (speed) and attaining endurance to land blows on the opponent as well as standing the shock of punches received.

And who’s your partner through this journey? Your boxing gear.

Essential boxing gear

Whether you are a professional boxing star or a new entrant to the world of the wild combat sport, some things would stay a part of your sporting journey of boxing, throughout. From the

Here’s a list of these.

• Boxing gloves: The most prominent part of the knight’s shining armor, you partner in the ring and outside it. Whether you are a proponent of the most basic of variety available in the market or a stylish enthusiast on a lookout for customized boxing gear, the real utility of the part of the entire set is determined by the fit, the type and especially the padding.
• Head gear: Meant to serve as protective equipment against the head injuries, you would often find mixed reviews from users and experts about it, especially when it comes to concussions. Nonetheless, it has its value centered in reducing the impact of a blow received on the head. Let us also mention here that the boxing bible, the boxing rule book prohibits potentially fatal blows during a match. A boxing head guard however is there to provide a cushion to avoid any serious injury in case of an accidental hit on the head.
• Groin guard: The groin guards are primarily a protection against hits below the belt, literally! and to the abdominal area. Such hits are illegal but a precaution during training or about does no harm even against an accidental blow.
• Mitts and pads: The central focus of this write up! Often called focus mitts, punch mitts or focus pads, this piece of boxing gear instrumental in training a boxer for the ring. From the looks of it, you would see a padded target attached to a glove at the back; which allows the padding to be held firmly against the trainee’s fists reaching the mitt with speed and force.
• These do not fit into the armor of the boxer but is rather part of the training arsenal, worn by the trainer in order to perfect the punches, hits, and moves of the fighter.

How to use mitts & pads

The ever increasing popularity of boxing as a sport has resulted in the training equipment gaining immense importance for a boxer – hence the term arsenal. No wonder brands now offer customized punch mitts too; buy it separately or make it a part of your boxing gear set, your style statement is just a click away.

The value of focus mitts is greatly dependent on the quality of the trainer. Uppercuts, power punches, weaving, angle punches a trainer’s role is in helping you practice these, pushing you beyond your current stamina and fine-tuning your skill in using punching styles.

On the holding end

Don’t be alarmed if holding the mitts during the training feels similarly exhausting as hitting them. These are held by the trainer who dictates the boxer through the session by calling out punching styles and their combinations. The focus for the hitter should be on the technique of the punch rather than the force; the holder however is at the feeding end and should keep an eye on the technique and also watch out for a hit.

As a holder, one must develop resistance against the impact but also partially mimic the opponent so as to allow the trainee to envision what possible moves the opponent can make in defense or for that matter, mistakes that could result from his end.

As a punching trainee

Punching the pad, the center of the mitt should be your focal point. While speed is important, the key take out should be avoiding of the technique; that is where your precision should be.

Bodily movement during the session (but not when punching), focus on the exercise and exercise alone, eyes set on the focus mitts, a firm hit with your boxing gloves on the focus mitt as a response to the instruction passed on by the trainer and there! that’s your training round completed with this essential boxing training equipment.

The key, once again, is having a grip on the technique and building stamina. Time and effort put into the practice would bring you precision, speed, and skillfulness.

How are your training rounds coming along?  Tell us how far you’ve come, how highly does your trainer rate you? Are you prepped for a pro bout?