Punching Power is Something You are Born With, Right?

I know I like to talk about punching power a lot on this very blog, during classes, in person, etc. I also really like to throw powerful punches on the heavy bag. It's fun, it's good for me, it feels good and as I have said many times, the heavy bag is absolutely the best tool for developing punching power. I was not originally a power puncher though. Even when I learned more technique, I would not describe myself as a heavy hitter. In fact, I was not a natural boxer at all. It didn't just take practice for me to get better and hit harder, it took learning. Learning how the human body works so I could better understand how to convert that into more powerful strikes.

Something I have heard boxers, boxing commentators and even boxing coaches say is that power, as in punching power, is something you are born with. That you are either a power puncher or you're not. It cannot be taught. Sure, we can teach people how to throw a punch but whether it has knockout power is based on you, the individual. It's almost like magic really.

Is there any truth to this? No! At least, not on its face. It is a myth that has been around for a long time and despite modern science and training methodologies- which have advanced other sports-  this antiquated thinking still persists in plenty of modern-day boxing training.

What I think is the problem - and this is just an educated guess because I can't really know for sure - is that a lot of boxing coaches and boxers don't have a real strong grasp of anatomy and biomechanics. To throw a punch, or really perform any athletic movement, muscles must work together quickly to produce force at a specific angle and follow a kinetic chain of some sort. How well you transfer energy through that chain and what muscles you recruit for this in one way will make that movement more explosive - more powerful. Then there many physiological factors, like the stretch-shortening mechanic and skeletal alignment, that dramatically affect punching power.

It is true that some boxers are more naturally able to execute these mechanics. We are all different from each other. Certain people have more natural ability in all things than others. Just even the control and awareness of our own bodies is different for everyone. But this still does not make it magic. All of the biomechanics of throwing more powerful punches can be broken down, taught, learned and developed. Some may struggle with them more than others but there is nothing physically preventing an average person from getting it. The boxer and coach just have to understand the science and usually, they do not, so it gets chalked up to being magic/something you are born with.

Oftentimes, punching power is coupled with size. If you are a big, strong person, you must be able to throw big, strong punches vs someone who is smaller. Once again, there can be some truth to this but it is not at all inherent. Force = Mass x Acceleration/Velocity so the more mass someone has, the more they add to that equation. Except it is not that simple. Because you can have mass but if it's not effective mass, it is not significantly relevant to your ability to throw powerful punches.  For example, if a 300-pound person throws a hook but does not know how to shift his weight into that punch, it will produce less force than a 150-pound person who is able to shift the majority of his weight into a punch. Just like before, it comes down to biomechanics. Mass by itself only gives you the potential to put more force into your punches. It doesn't naturally give you more force.

Some boxing trainers may not be motivated to delve too far into the science as there is a common fear that trying to teach your boxers to throw more powerful punches means that it will come at the expense of something else. Usually, that it will leave you more open to counter punches. This can be true if you are generating the power through extra range-of-motion. More range-of-motion, generally means that the punch travels a longer distance and continues to accelerate. But ROM is only one factor. There are ways to develop punching power with shorter, sharper punches so it is not accurate to say that simply throwing more powerful punches mean you will be more open to counters.

There is also the erroneous belief that throwing powerful punches also automatically equals being sloppy, not strategic and off-balance. Once again, this is not inherent. It can be, if the puncher is not technical and disciplined, and sometimes boxers like that tend to fight in a slugger style, but these things are not mutually inclusive.

People (boxers, boxing coaches, enthusiasts) also love to tell you that not every punch needs to be powerful. This makes them seem wise, as it may challenge conventional thinking. And they are not necessarily wrong either. Not every punch needs to be powerful but all things being equal, it is far more advantageous to strike hard, strike fast, no mercy. If you can punch just as fast, remain just as balanced. just as ready to defend or react any way and have the conditioning to pull it off, there is no reason not to throw a more powerful strike. Yes, there are such things as throwaway punches but this is not the main offensive strategy of successful fighters.

From a fitness point of view, throwing more powerful punches is certainly advantageous too. Recruiting more muscles in the kinetic chain, speeding up the stretch-shortening cycle, shifting more mass into the punch that must be "caught" on the side you shift it to, this all takes extra work. Extra work means extra rewards. More strength, more cardio, more calories burned. It also builds skills like coordination, balance, agility and reaction time.

So yes, I am going to keep on beating the drum of power punching because it's good for me, it's good for you and it seems to be largely misunderstood by others. Now get in here and hit it hard!!!