Issue 073

March 2011

Why use bag gloves? 

Every item in your kitbag has a specific use, but many people still use sparring or grappling gloves to hit the bag. This isn’t just inappropriate, it’s potentially dangerous. 

Sparring gloves have more cushioning over the fist to protect your training partners. Repeated blows against a heavy bag will wear this padding down, leaving your knuckles dangerously exposed. The last thing you want to do is injure a sparring partner during a good session, so don’t mistreat your 16oz’ers with rounds on the biggest bag in the gym. Boxing gloves only have a limited lifespan and bag work will reduce this considerably. 

Grappling gloves are slimmer and provide only the bare minimum of protection to the fist. It should go without saying that, even with hand wraps on, wearing them to smash the heavy bag is inviting injury. When it comes to high-impact training, the fragile bones in your hands and wrists require more protection than an MMA glove can provide. 

Bag gloves bridge the gap between the above. They’re smaller and lighter than a standard glove so will provide an experience more like that of wearing an MMA glove, but with the peace of mind that comes with protection over the knuckles. The lesser surface area on the fist will also force you to be more accurate and really focus your shots. 

When would you use them?

Whenever you hit a punch bag, focus mitt or Thai pad. Try to resist using the same pair of boxing gloves for sparring and bag work, and leave the grappling gloves for just that. 

Bag gloves come in many different shapes, sizes and designs – way more than boxing or MMA gloves. From scaled-down boxing gloves to fingerless slip-ons, no one model is better than another, although there are plenty worth avoiding. It all comes down to a matter of preference. One man’s perfect might be another man’s paltry. 

Bagging the right pair of gloves for you 

Bag gloves can be a great investment or a complete waste of money, making it all the more important to try before you buy. See what kind your training partners may have and try them out for a few rounds before splashing your hard-earned.  

Material

Bag gloves will come made from either genuine leather or an artificial polyurethane (PU) substitute. Leather usually lasts longer, although PU is generally cheaper and lighter. 

Padding and thickness

Some gloves feature an inch or more of padding, while others may only have a thin layer over the knuckles. Those who suffer from hand problems are advised to go for something thicker to avoid injury. 

Fit

Bag gloves are usually snug, but you still want enough room so you can insert your hand while you’re wearing hand wraps. 

Closure systems 

Bag gloves might sometimes feature a Velcro loop around the wrist, but many simply slip on and use a non-adjustable elasticized strip to keep them in place. Slip-on gloves are probably the quickest and most convenient to change into and are useful if you’re constantly swapping over as pad man with your training partner. Unlike with sparring gloves, you’ll rarely find lace-up bag gloves (like these, left).

Open or closed thumb 

Boxing gloves cover all of your digits so you don’t accidentally poke each other in the eye, but some bag gloves are like MMA gloves in that they may have cut-off fingers. Certain pairs may even cover the fingers but still leave the thumb exposed. Again, this comes down to personal preference – some like it, some don’t. 

Four Tips For Working The Bag

Move around the bag 

Don’t stay in one spot winging in haymakers: develop your footwork by reacting to the bag’s movement. Create angles, circle around the bag and move in and out as it swings. 

Hit the bag as it’s moving away from you 

It’s more common to have to chase someone down, so don’t wait for the bag to swing toward you before letting go. Instead, try to follow it on the backswing and still land with the same force. This is trickier than it looks but an effective way of developing timing.

Put your ass into it

The heavy bag never complains, never gets injured and never quits. Make the most of 

this by really focusing power into your shots by settling your hips and, as ‘Rampage’ says, “put your ass into it.” 

Visualize an opponent 

What better way to add energy to your rounds than by picturing the face of an opponent (or other enemy) instead of a brand logo?