4 Different Ways of How to Know If You Punch Hard | Explained
If you've ever seen a combat sports fight where one person lands a vicious strike to knockout their opponent, you may have wondered how do they know that they have the ability to do that?
You're not the only one.
In this page we'll cover four different ways of how to know if you punch hard.
Table of Contents
Feedback From Pad Holder
Other than actually sparring someone, the best way to find out if you're a hard puncher is from hitting pads, and asking your pad holder.
When training with your pad holder, you'll be asked to do a variety of techniques at different percentages of power.
You'll then be asked to do a combination of strikes at different percentages of power.
It's important that you warm up properly first, before throwing any strikes at 100% as you can injure yourself.
After warming up, you'll progressively work your way up, increasing in power with every repetition.
Make sure that you and your pad holder are on the same page about what you're trying to know, as the pad holder has to be ready for it as well.
Eventually you'll throw at 100% power and your pad holder will let you know how you did compared to others.
Feedback From Sparring Partner
The best way to find out if you punch hard is through controlled sparring. In a spar, it's generally agreed that both sparring partners will fight at the same percentage of intensity.
If both do not agree, it can cause a serious miscommunication, and even worse, potential injury.
When both fighters agree for example to fight at 70%, both opponents can get a pretty good idea of the speed, power, reach, and reflexes of their opponent.
The agreement can even extend to 70% power, but every once in a while throw a 100% punch in.
There are countless of ways to find out how powerful your punches are through sparring, and the best part is that you don't have to go 100% to find out.
Even at 70-75%, that is plenty enough power to figure out if your shots are impacting your opponent more than his shots are impacting you.
George Foreman Test
Fight Nomads does a great job explaining how the George Foreman test will provide punchers with a great idea of how they measure up in power.
Known colloquially as the George Foreman test. This revolves around the famous video showing Foreman working the heavy bag before his fights. In the gym, Foreman was able to hit the heavy bag so hard that it would move off its centre point and be at an angle to the ground.
What would need to do if find a heavy bag this proportionate to your own weight. The Foreman test consisted of you hitting the bag at maximum power for 20 seconds. If you can manage to tilt the bag at a reasonable 50 – 60-degree angle to the floor, then its safe to assume you have good punching power.
Punching Machine
If you are not wanting to take this seriously by taking the steps to train, you can still find out how hard you punch with a punching machine!
The punching machine used a numerical system to measure your punch. The harder your punch, the higher the number.
Head over to a bar that has a punching machine, and give it the best shot that you have.
In fact, Conor McGregor and Jon Jones have both been filmed punching this machine and one of them set a record for the machine at 932.
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