Pop vs Thud

[Bruce Calavera]

So when I'm hitting pads ideally I'm going for a poping sound from snapping the strike as opposed to a thud from just throwing it out. My question is aside from getting your limb back to stance to defend, why does this snapping/poping strike do more damage as opposed to a throwing/thuding strike. It seems like the pullback from the snap is taking away force that could otherwise be transfered into the target. Does anyone know how to explain why the snap is better?

 

[Cannon_6]

I don't want to get into a trollbait discussion about theoretical punching power, so here's my advice: next time you're hitting pads, throw both ways and ask your padholder which strikes land harder.

 

[Bruce Calavera]

I'm not trying to troll because I believe that the snapping strike is harder from experience. I'm just not sure why. So yes this is a theoretical punching/striking power thread.

 

[Cannon_6]

Sorry, I didn't mean you were trolling.

Questions like this always attract people who took one semester of physics in high school, and they just stink the place up. Good luck.

 

[quickdraw***]

IMO the thud is better it means the strike penatrated deeper into the target, that the muscle/bone absorbed more dmg.

 

[cali_chute_boxe]

The snap is not better. I've held pads for plenty of people and I will tell you that the thud is a much harder kick. The snap may give the pads a loud pop but I do not feel the power from the kick my arms like when I get the thud. A popping sound is usually more of an exterior nuisance where a thud will bring interior pain. Another thing to point out this that you may be getting a popping sound if you are kicking with your instep instead of you shin.

 

[ssullivan80]

The snap is not better. I've held pads for plenty of people and I will tell you that the thud is a much harder kick. The snap may give the pads a loud pop but I do not feel the power from the kick my arms like when I get the thud. A popping sound is usually more of an exterior nuisance where a thud will bring interior pain. Another thing to point out this that you may be getting a popping sound if you are kicking with your instep instead of you shin.

I agree that the pop sound is not ideal when throwing a MT kick, as the kick is meant to dig in and follow through the opponent, if the kick is making a pop sound then your probably either 1. not putting your core into the kick and throwing it from your knee, vs. from the waist and core...following through. or 2. your not in the correct range, your hitting the pads at the end of kick where you should be following through, vs. hitting the pads, with a bend in the leg and driving through the target (Thud!).

Now for punches i feel a little different. A pop, sound on the hand pads is a good thing depending on the punch your throwing. If i am working jab, cross, hooks, or uc to the head, i want the pad to pop. The idea is that the pop is indicative of a short quick punch with a quick follow through. If the pad is "thuding" on a head shot your are pushing the punch. In a fight this means over commiting the punch and getting off balance, or pushing the punch into the opponents chin, which does far less damage than a sharp snapping punch that will cause the whiplash effect, i.e: KTFO! A KO punch is not as much about the power as it is putting the punch in the right place and snapping it through the target, causing the "whiplash" that throws off the equilibrium and your opponent goes night-night.

This does not necessarily apply to body shots though, which in some cases you want to make a thud, digging and driving the punch into the oppoent...... like a shovel hook for instance. But for head shots, pop! is good!

(take your middle knuckle and tap yourself in the chin, notice how your field of vision instantly impairs........ do the same, but push the knuckle into your chin, see the difference!):icon_neut

 

[Bruce Calavera]

I agree that the pop sound is not ideal when throwing a MT kick, as the kick is meant to dig in and follow through the opponent, if the kick is making a pop sound then your probably either 1. not putting your core into the kick and throwing it from your knee, vs. from the waist and core...following through. or 2. your not in the correct range, your hitting the pads at the end of kick where you should be following through, vs. hitting the pads, with a bend in the leg and driving through the target (Thud!).

Now for punches i feel a little different. A pop, sound on the hand pads is a good thing depending on the punch your throwing. If i am working jab, cross, hooks, or uc to the head, i want the pad to pop. The idea is that the pop is indicative of a short quick punch with a quick follow through. If the pad is "thuding" on a head shot your are pushing the punch. In a fight this means over commiting the punch and getting off balance, or pushing the punch into the opponents chin, which does far less damage than a sharp snapping punch that will cause the whiplash effect, i.e: KTFO! A KO punch is not as much about the power as it is putting the punch in the right place and snapping it through the target, causing the "whiplash" that throws off the equilibrium and your opponent goes night-night.

This does not necessarily apply to body shots though, which in some cases you want to make a thud, digging and driving the punch into the oppoent...... like a shovel hook for instance. But for head shots, pop! is good!

(take your middle knuckle and tap yourself in the chin, notice how your field of vision instantly impairs........ do the same, but push the knuckle into your chin, see the difference!):icon_neut

Well explained sir. Anyone care to counter?

 

[surfer dude]

I agree that the pop sound is not ideal when throwing a MT kick, as the kick is meant to dig in and follow through the opponent, if the kick is making a pop sound then your probably either 1. not putting your core into the kick and throwing it from your knee, vs. from the waist and core...following through. or 2. your not in the correct range, your hitting the pads at the end of kick where you should be following through, vs. hitting the pads, with a bend in the leg and driving through the target (Thud!).

Now for punches i feel a little different. A pop, sound on the hand pads is a good thing depending on the punch your throwing. If i am working jab, cross, hooks, or uc to the head, i want the pad to pop. The idea is that the pop is indicative of a short quick punch with a quick follow through. If the pad is "thuding" on a head shot your are pushing the punch. In a fight this means over commiting the punch and getting off balance, or pushing the punch into the opponents chin, which does far less damage than a sharp snapping punch that will cause the whiplash effect, i.e: KTFO! A KO punch is not as much about the power as it is putting the punch in the right place and snapping it through the target, causing the "whiplash" that throws off the equilibrium and your opponent goes night-night.

This does not necessarily apply to body shots though, which in some cases you want to make a thud, digging and driving the punch into the oppoent...... like a shovel hook for instance. But for head shots, pop! is good!

(take your middle knuckle and tap yourself in the chin, notice how your field of vision instantly impairs........ do the same, but push the knuckle into your chin, see the difference!):icon_neut

This seems like good way of explaining things, for the most part. :beer:

As to the report of the strike, what you are striking also effects things. Do you just hit Thai pads? or do you also hit strike shields, focus mitts, and heavy bag? They do not all provide the same feedback.

Because there is another report, which has been left out here; the bang from good, explosive, striking. And it will never be mistaken for a pop.

 

[Snubnoze707]

From my experiences pad holding, the snappy pop sounds seems like it knocks the pads back more, but the thud sound makes you feel pain down to the bone in your forearm. I'd much rather be kicked by the former than the later. The later can break bones.

 

[thirteen]

So when I'm hitting pads ideally I'm going for a poping sound from snapping the strike as opposed to a thud from just throwing it out.

What pads? Thai Pads, focus mitts, kick shield etc
What strikes? Punches, kicks etc

When I'm working the focus mitts it sounds like a whip cracking festival.
But when I work Thai pads /kick shield thingy/ low kicks it's thud-thud-thud.

I copped a thud holding a kick shield whilst someone let fly with a thudding leg kick.
The pain shot through my thigh like I'd been stabbed through to the bone.

 

[eastcounty]

thud means its deeper. pop sounds cooler but hurts less

 

[ssullivan80]

thud means its deeper. pop sounds cooler but hurts less

"Thud" may mean a strike is penetrating deeper, but that does not necessarily mean is hurts less! Depends on what particular strike your referencing. A kick to the thigh will definitely hurt much worse if the shin drives through the leg vs. into it. But a pushing or "deeper" follow through hook to the jaw might hurt, it is much less likely to sit a guy on his ass.......... A snapping, or whipping shot that moves quickly across the chin/jaw may not "hurt" as bad, but that is only because you dont remember the punch hitting you till you wake your ass up with your corner and the ring Dr. standing over you.

And the same can apply to an array of other strikes. A driving or deeper penetrating shot definitely has it place and is a necessary element to any well rounded striker. But to say it hurts less is simply not true....... once again, it all depends where, how and when your landing any particular shot. Just like a short well thrown hook that drives into your opponents gut will do some serious damage, a whipping hook that glances across the high floating ribs, or a snapping jab in the solar plexus will hurt just as bad, if not worse. I.E: a slegehammer may do more overall damage, but a ball point hammer will localize the damage to a concentrated area and that will certainly "hurt"!

 

[fightingrabbit]

Now for punches i feel a little different. A pop, sound on the hand pads is a good thing depending on the punch your throwing. If i am working jab, cross, hooks, or uc to the head, i want the pad to pop. The idea is that the pop is indicative of a short quick punch with a quick follow through. If the pad is "thuding" on a head shot your are pushing the punch. In a fight this means over commiting the punch and getting off balance, or pushing the punch into the opponents chin, which does far less damage than a sharp snapping punch that will cause the whiplash effect, i.e: KTFO! A KO punch is not as much about the power as it is putting the punch in the right place and snapping it through the target, causing the "whiplash" that throws off the equilibrium and your opponent goes night-night.

/thread. took the words right outta my mouth. if you pop and snap your punches, you'll jar their head, which moves their brain around, and disorients them. But like sullivan said, a thud likely means you just arent throwing the punch right. All punches that are correctly thrown should snap. Landing with just a thud just means your punch went wrong somewhere along the way as it was being thrown. A good punch should thud AND snap. All thud is no good. All snap is no good. Theres has to be the synchronization of both in order to have good effect on any of your punches.

Just put it this way, I've been hit clean in sparring by some good fly/bantamweight boxers who really know how to put pop into a punch. As opposed to the heavier guys i've sparred, who were much less technical, and threw wild "thudding" punches. The clean thudding blow from the big guy might of had alot of impact, but i could shake it off, no sweat. But two snapping punches in quick succession from the scrawny cat, had me wobbly on the ropes real quick. Its not hard to guess whose punches i'm more hesitant to recieve..

 

[ssullivan80]

Just put it this way, I've been hit clean in sparring by some good fly/bantamweight boxers who really know how to put pop into a punch. As opposed to the heavier guys i've sparred, who were much less technical, and threw wild "thudding" punches. The clean thudding blow from the big guy might of had alot of impact, but i could shake it off, no sweat. But two snapping punches in quick succession from the scrawny cat, had me wobbly on the ropes real quick. Its not hard to guess whose punches i'm more hesitant to recieve..

good point! I spar with a lot of different guys, some much bigger (LHW, HW) and some "little guys". I can honestly say that i have been sat on my ass (flash knockdowns) more times by smaller/lighter fighters who throw those short and quick shots that ya don't see coming. I have had the bigger guys hit me plenty hard, but at least i can see it coming and brace for the shot, makes me much less hesitant to stand in an exchange with them then it does those "little" guys that i feel like i am pushing and bullying around, only to end up staring at the rafter lights wondering "what the fuck just happened".