How To Keep A Free Standing Punching Bag From Moving

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Free standing punching bags move when hit, and can do so a lot depending on some factors which can get annoying for boxers or any fighters alike. Not to mention that a lot of the sliding could potentially make the product wear out quicker.

Truth be told, most you can do is reduce the amount of sliding the bag does instead of flat on preventing it from doing that all together, although that could also be done too with the tips on this post.

Placing material underneath

Image by Ashley Steel via Wikimedia Commons

One of the most practical ways to minimize the bag’s movement when hit is by putting something under it which has more friction than your regular floor. The amount of movement the bag gives initially entirely depends on what it’s placed on as tile, hardwood and cement provide different amount of resistance.

Get two packs of interlocking foam mats from Amazon and place them not only under the bag but also the area where you’ll be moving around when striking it, as your own weight will also help to make it not shift as much.

Other things you can do

Instead of filling your free standing bag with water, try doing so purely with sand instead. Sand is heavier than water by volume, so doing that will help in cutting down the additional sliding.

Put some bags of sand around the punching bag which should either keep it in place entirely or reduce a lot of the movement. You can pick up some sand bags at your favorite home improvement store, and it might just cost less than 20$.

Position the punching bag behind a wall or corner which should prevent any unwanted movement, but doing so can limit the bag’s bounce which could in turn make it more awkward to use.

Bolting the whole unit to the floor or a sheet of wood and standing on it when punching the bag can work wonders, but that can make it wear out quicker or break as normally they’re not designed for that.

Different bags act differently

There are all sorts of free standing bags on the market, but one thing for sure is that they all weigh and act differently which can significantly impact on how much they move around when struck. If you indeed consider in getting another free standing bag i would suggest getting this Century Wavemaster one off Amazon (link).

Why you might want to keep it as it is

You might think that all that additional sliding the bag gives when hit is just unnecessary, but i beg differ. Because of the bag’s natural shifting you will have to hit it from all sorts of angles to keep it in one place which needs good footwork, and that’s more realistic to an actual fight, not to mention your punches will have to be more calculated and smart rather than just straight up hard.

It acts kind of like a hanging heavy bag which swings when hit (depending on it’s weight) so it’s sure that the sliding serves it’s purpose. But then again, it entirely depends on how far it moves, and if you feel like it’s too much, adjustments above can be made.

Heavy bag is still usually better

Free standing punching bags are a great alternative to people who can’t hang a heavy bag in an apartment, but if you have an option to do so, i would suggest doing that instead. With a heavy bag you can move around more freely, throw harder shots and generally have more of a fun time, in my opinion.

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