WHAT IS THE BAG FOR?

Heavy Bag - this is where we build up our power with hard deliberate shots. Think about single direct attacks and short combinations. Consider your footwork and movement around the bag. Consider working from close range as if in the clinch and also at your regular medium range.

Light Bag - This is where we open up on our fast combinations. It will be swinging all over the place and you want to get in and hit it while it moves. No need to steady the thing, imagine its an opponent and its moving. Stay with it and consider your defence as well as you plough in tactfully.

Floor to ceiling ball - this will build your reflexes as you hit it and it moves all over the place. Try and control it with short and fast jabs and then when you put the right hand in think about your slips. Don't get caught up in the rope trying to mash this one when it's on the move. Practice makes perfect.

Speedball - I am never that sure about this one but it does make you keep your hands up and develops some nice fast twitch muscles. You don't really punch like that and I am for ever asking our boxing coach why they use them so much. He thinks it's down to the popularity of the Rocky movies! Check out Jim Keating's DVD on using it for knife boxing. These are all available in the gym so get using them and develop those tools. Marcus