Building Hand Speed Is A Myth???

[Verstyle]

i still think that when ppl say u cant build speed. i mean i was born with speed. but i've increased it alot by shadowboxing and my restraints so thats BULL****!!

[yrrej]

What he said. Hand speed can be improved somewhat, but it's got to be there initially for the most part. The ratio of fast twitch muscle to slow twitch is pretty much fixed in each person. On the other hand, hand speed is way over-rated. Foot speed and body speed are just as important. Roy Jones was the personification of hand speed, but his boxing skills weren't so good. On the other hand, you've got guys like Roberto Duran who had great movement and power, but not so much speed. Both were good, but Duran had a longer career. The important thing is maintaining the right distance, e.g. close enough to make them miss and staying close enough to counter. Also reflexes and the ability to anticipate what the other person is going to do. I don't think Jones lost hand speed but, when his reflexes left, his career was over. He doesn't have the skills to box well. On the inside, it is mostly sensitivity by touch to the other person's movements, rather than hand-eye coordination. You never saw Jones fighting inside. Boxing is an art and science. There is so much more to it than simply "hand speed."

[El Guapo]

hand speed is mainly a natural asset. it all depends on style, body weight and the way you tend to throw a certain punch! i have impecible speed for my wieght, but my power suffers due to this as i have a lighter heavy wieght weight. im 6ft5 and 215 - 220 pounds! i an toned all over but not built in a body mass way. so really speed depends on your physice and style.
p.s style is a hard thing to alter never mind change. if you want to gain speed, loose wieght and develop your punches to suit your fighting weight and style!

[Southpaw Stinger]

When I went up from 210lbs to 220lbs over a few months my punchers did seem faster and harder once I reached 220lbs! Might be just an illusion but I do a lot of speed training so the extra muscle must be a bonus!

[yrrej]

Although a person only has so many fast-twitch muscle fibers, hand speed can be improved in other ways, such as those I mentioned before, but also by losing fat weight and by practicing the specific punches, giving up all power and working for speed only. Aside from the fact of the sheer weight of the fat slowing one down, some say the fat in the tissue interferes with muscle contraction. Also, muscle fibers don't necessarily fire all at the same time. Working the punches is going to strengthen the neural connections and get them firing at the same time, which means the muscle fibers will contract at the same time which will mean more hand speed. Sometimes a person's form slows them down. For instance, tightening up when punching causes the antagonistic muscles to tighten as well, slowing down the hand. In other words, you are basically using your triceps and pectorals to shoot the hand out. If you tighten up the biceps, this will have a braking effect and slow the punch down. The only time to tighten the arm is at the point of contact (or presumed contact). Another thing is "50 mph in, 100 mph out". The faster you get your hand back, the sooner you can release another punch, so hand speed works both ways. Again relaxation is key, since the biceps will then be pulling the arm back. Also you need a relaxed stance with the arms laying down flat on your sides, e.g. "close the windows". If you get your hands out to far forwards or sideways, you'll be tight and get tired easier. Since fast twitch muscle has little endurance, it will slow down quick when overused....

[giantsbran1227]

**** genetics. If someone works hard and has determination, anything is possible.

Live Righteous.

[DA1CATAS]

So someone answer this...


At what age does your speed stop increasing...

you get stronger and faster as you get older.... if you lift weights you get alot stronger....

Is speed capped off at a pre-set mark of age? with no way of contributing to it?

Can you really think of it that way... ???

[leff]

So someone answer this...


At what age does your speed stop increasing...

you get stronger and faster as you get older.... if you lift weights you get alot stronger....

Is speed capped off at a pre-set mark of age? with no way of contributing to it?

Can you really think of it that way... ???

ive been learned that speed and reflexes decreases in your late 20s( varies of course)