Using the heavy bag in your Muay Thai training is one of the wisest and most beneficial things you can do to improve your fighting skills and diversify your training. It’s only common sense that by diversifying your training methods, you’ll learn quicker, as you’re experimenting in all these different drills. This is what we all aim to achieve with our training.
This article is going to cover the five best heavy bag drills that’ll boost your fighting skills and propel you to the next level. These are drills I personally have used and still do, as I found them to be most beneficial to my fighting journey.
We’ll review them in a step-by-step manner. We’ll also include their benefits and who should use them.
Our main focus today is going to be on technique. This is the most important factor in the world of Muay Thai. If you focus on speed or power, you’ll be much less likely to get to these things. However, when you focus on technique and technique only, your speed and power will naturally, inevitably, improve.
So keep that in mind when going through these drills, and let’s dive into the first one!
#1 – Basic Combinations Drill
The first one is perhaps the most basic. I call this the basic combination drill. What you’ll do now is take a few of the combinations that you want to hone. Let’s say you heard about the jab-cross-hook-low kick and you want to master it. Great.
What you’re going to do is only perform this combination for a minute or two. It’ll get tough eventually, as you’ll be throwing the same combination over and over again. So make sure to have that in mind before you get into it.
- Begin with fundamental Muay Thai combinations such as jab-cross, jab-cross-hook, or jab-hook-low kick.
- Execute the combinations with proper form and technique, not focusing on speed and power.
- Repeat each combination for a set amount of time or repetitions before switching to the next.
My recommendation is to perform each combination for one minute. Then, you can switch around. If you kicked mostly with your rear foot, for instance, then switch it around and do some combinations that involve kicking with your lead foot. That way, you’ll work on both your sides and not leave one out.
Some of the combinations I encourage you to begin with are the jab-cross-hook-low kick, cross-hook-roundhouse kick, teep-jab-cross-hook-low kick, jab-roundhouse kick, and jab-cross-roundhouse kick.
#2 – Power Kicks Drill
The next drill we’ll review is going to be the power kick drill. This is one of my favorites and is suitable for people who want to improve their kicking abilities quickly and effectively. The power kicks drill is when you choose a single kick and focus only on that one. Don’t switch the kicks around until you’re completely comfortable and secure with the one you chose.
I wrote an article on tips you must implement to get harder and faster quicks. Follow the link to learn all about them.
- Concentrate on improving your kicking power with this drill.
- Execute a roundhouse kick on the heavy bag using your lead leg and follow up with a roundhouse kick from your rear leg.
- Ensure that you pivot on the balls of your feet, rotate your hips, and turn over your kicks to generate maximum power.
- Repeat the kicks alternatively, maintaining a consistent rhythm and technique.
The kick I encourage you to start with is the teep. You begin by throwing a rear-foot teep and follow it up with a lead-foot teep. Repeat this process for at least 30 seconds. Then, switch the kicks around, and when you’re comfortable with the one you’re currently practicing and feel tired, it’s time to move on to the next one.
The kicks I encourage you to train are:
- Teep
- Roundhouse kick
- Switch kick
- Diagonal kick
- Spinning kick
- Low kick
Let’s move on to the third drill.
#3 – Defensive Drill
Thus far, we’ve reviewed punching bag drills that focus on offense. However, offense is really just half the game. The other half is defense; meaning that you want to work on it as much as on your offense.
Many Muay Thai fighters neglect defense, and so they end up unprepared for the real world of fighting, which is much more aggressive and violent than the one you’re currently experiencing as a beginner. Therefore, ensuring your safety—is the most critical part of fighting, which means that you must work on your defense.
- This drill focuses on your defensive techniques and reflexes.
- Imagine the heavy bag as an opponent and practice evading strikes by slipping, ducking, or blocking.
- Mix your defensive movements with counter-attacks to simulate a real fight scenario.
- Keep your hands up and focus on maintaining good footwork throughout the drill.
And again, start with a single defensive move, such as the slip. Imagine the heavy bag throws a punch at your face, slip it, and then counter. Repeat this process for both sides and at least 30 seconds for each defensive move.
If you want to improve your Muay Thai defense, I wrote an article on Muay Thai’s best defensive moves you must learn to call yourself a solid fighter. Make sure to read it if you want to get this drill right.
#4 – High-Intensity Conditioning Drill
Conditioning is one of the most important things you can work on as a fighter. However, many fighters overlook this fact and they only focus on their actual fighting abilities. However, your conditioning will dictate how much time you can spend in the ring without tiring out and the speed, power, and accuracy of your punches and kicks.
Therefore, you must work on your cardiovascular endurance and also incorporate strength training in your weekly routine. Without these two, you won’t be as good as you could have been.
- Enhance your cardio, endurance, and explosiveness with a high-intensity conditioning drill.
- Throw a barrage of strikes at the heavy bag, including punches, elbows, knees, and kicks—for a set period.
- Push yourself to maintain a fast and consistent pace, as if you were in the later rounds of a fight.
- Rest for a short period and then repeat the drill for several rounds.
This drill is all about explosiveness. Make sure to come to this drill ready and give it your all. You can set up in your mind which techniques you’ll throw or you can improvise as you go. It doesn’t matter as much for this heavy bag drill because you’re working on your cardiovascular shape and conditioning.
This is not a technique-focused drill. Thus, if you still aren’t so sure about your technique, make sure to perform drills #1 and #2.
#5 – Freestyle Combination Drill
The last drill we’ll cover is the freestyle combination drill. When you’re in an actual fight or spar, you’re not going to think: “Well, let’s now execute the jab-cross-hook-low kick combination!” No. Instead, you’re going to rely on your muscle memory to lead you forward.
This is what we’re working on with this drill. It’s going to be an improvisation drill, which you want to get familiar with at some point in your training. What you’re going to do is work on your ability to throw combinations without thinking about them pre-throwing them.
- This drill aims to improve your fluidity and adaptability during a fight.
- Freestyle on the heavy bag, mixing up different combinations spontaneously.
- Imagine facing an opponent and vary your strikes, adding in clinch work and teeps (front kicks) when appropriate.
- Focus on maintaining your balance and transitioning smoothly between different techniques.
This is the best drill for preparing for spars and fights. If you want to get better at spars, I highly recommend performing this drill more often.
Being more fluid and smooth in how you throw combinations and use clinch work—is critical to fighting. Once you become comfortable with throwing offensive techniques, you should also incorporate defensive techniques in the combinations, such as the check, parry, block, slip, and even the bob and weave.
Focus on footwork and head movement. All of these skills will make you a much, much better fighter.
Final Words
Remember, with these drills, always prioritize proper technique over speed or power. Heavy bag training should hone your technique, which will lead to honing your power and speed. This is just going to happen naturally.
The next time you’re confronting the heavy bag, I want you to choose a drill out of the five we’ve reviewed and go all at it. Make it your priority to become the best version of yourself in that particular drill. This is how champions are born. You focus on one thing and one thing only.
And remember, Rome wasn’t built in a day.
Here are other articles you’d benefit from reading:
The 5 Best Punching Bags for Muay Thai
Here’s How to Hit First in a Fight – Best Punch
Muay Thai Defensive Moves – The 9 Best Ones You MUST Know
The Ultimate Guide to Muay Thai Gear: Must-Have Equipment
Best Muay Thai Headgear to Avoid Brain and Head Damage
