Speed will beat power, every time.

But how do you begin to develop punch speed that everyone wants?

In this post I will tell you the principles you need to begin developing punch speed.

The Breakdown

Mistake: Sticky Punches

Common mistake that will hinder your punch speed is what I call sticky punches.

It is when you punch but you leave the strike out stuck on the bag, pad, opponent for a split second. There is no speed in retraction.

You might be punching fast but you wouldn't know because you aren't bringing your punches back as fast as they went out.

So you need to punch and bring your hands back with the same speed. Think as if you are grabbing something out of a fire. You want to put your hand in there and get it back as fast as you can.

It's About the Snap and the Whip

Speed comes from the snap and the whip of your strikes.

Think of a towel being whipped at someone.

The speed comes from that same place in punches. It's the whip and the snap.

Of course with punches, there is additional body mechanics you'll have to implement in order to throw with power in addition to speed.

Stay Loose and Relaxed

Another thing you need to keep in mind is being releaxed and loose prior to throwing your strikes. This will begin to improve the speed at which you throw. If you are very tight and tense, you will sacrifice speed. And this is not a proper way to throw punches.

Notice in fights how most fighters are loose and relaxed before they start throwing. This helps them to get the speed to execute. And only at the moment of impact do you tighten to land your shots. That is also where the whipping effect comes in. Being loose then at the moment of impact you tighten to strike - like a snake.

Breathe Out

It's important to breathe out on your strikes. It will help you with speed.

When throwing a strike, forcefully breath out your mouth and exhale all air fromyour lungs at the moment of impact. This is why you will hear hear fighters breathe forcefully when they throw punches or kicks.

Breathing out with strikes also has added benefits of being able to absorb more damage than if you are breathing in or holding your breath (which you must never do either one).

Train These

Once you start following these principles you can begin to add more of the body torque and hip movement to begin integrating power with speed.

Power comes from the hip rotation and the torque of the body starting from your legs.

Begin implementing these principles on the bag, on the mitts, pads, on double-end tennis ball and sparring.

Remember:

• Don't leave your punches out, bring them back as fast as you throw them
• Speed is all about the whip and the snap
• Stay loose and releaxed prior to striking
• Breathe out on your strikes

Don't expect miracles in few weeks. Developing speed takes many months of not years. Start today.