Improving Punch Explosiveness: Slow Motion Punching?

[SWK]

If I wanted to improve the power of my punches, would punching in slow motion be a legitimate way to practice? I've never seen it done in the boxing gyms I've been too.

I ask because my dad does Taichi, and that's his only martial arts experience. And the only thing he does is slow motion exercises. Today while we were seated during lunch, he threw a Taichi strike (so an explosive motion striking with the back of his hand) at my arm while remaining seated. It had a surprising amount of power, especially for something he basically never trains at full speed.

Most interestingly, he had the kinetic chain down pat. I asked him about it, and he said the Taichi idea is to have your body flow, so each body part cascades onto the next, and that the basic practice is to feel this cascade by moving in slow motion.

So if I wanted to improve the motion of my kinetic chain, would punching in slow motion be a serious way to drill it? Or as my coach says, is the best way to punch harder to "just punch harder".

 

[Reyesnuthugr]

I'm 100% confident it works, basically the way you said it.



Try it, just make sure to keep/improve the form as best as you can, and keep improving it (the efficiency of form) while going slow and stay as relaxed as possible. Then you can increase the speed later doing the same thing after you've made some fluid progress (days, weeks, or months). It works this way with wrestling and subs, too. You're basically doing drills (notice how most drills are not done at redline speed. This is for a good reason.)

 

[Captain_Dammitt]

Going slow has helped me improve my coordination, and thus has helped me when I go fast. I know when I would try to go real fast before I learned about the benefits of going slow I ended up throwing arm punches.

 

[panamaican]

As it's been said, the best way to build speed is to improve your technique. And training slowly is a great way to focus on improving technique. Which would result in more speed.

That said, I still think that you need to work in full speed training to maximize your ability. Certain aspects of coordination and changes of direction become much more difficult at speed than they do at 1/2 speed.

 

[a guy]

People don't like to train slowly. It can be really, really difficult to even make someone slow movements down. I've seen it happen a lot where coaches tell a student to slow down, but they just keep trying full speed. When told again they throw maybe 2 or 3 slow punches, then a medium one, then go back to full speed.

That said, it's very useful, especially if you're like me and really need to think about the movements.

 

[apizur**]

I completely disagree with the "firing in sequence from the ground up" theory. I feel the need for sequence and duration changes from instant to instant.

To answer your question:
Yes and no. Slow practice will, at most (for most people), improve the accuracy of your technical performance. You'll throw a more picture perfect punch... but not necessarily any faster. You eventually must take this good technique you've combed over (at any speed) and begin to apply it more explosively.