Increasing hand/punching speed and power

[xnfx]

What are your views on increasing hand speed and power? I've been searching the net for some info on different exercises and training views on it, and it seems to vary a lot. Some say that using little hand weights like a pound to a couple pounds will help with speed development. Others say you should do you punching drills without any weights, gloves, etc. to develop more speed. What are your views and thoughts on this, and what methods do you use?

I know some guys use say, 16oz. and up to do bag and padwork to develop more speed and power. I'm one of them. I don't feel like doing pad drills without any gloves, or really light gloves would help me develop more speed, it just feels funny to me. But, i've never really found a definite answer on the subject.

What do you guys think?

Thanks!

[Semper Jab]

I say continue doing your 16 oz gloves w/bags. But w/o gloves, shadow boxing can probably help you relax, thereby increasing your speed.

[Justfulwardog]

Practice on bringing your hand back into the guard faster after you punch. My boxing coach once told me that it should be brought back at least as fast as you shoot it out there. I later read some Bruce Lee teachings that said, it should be going at 50 mph and coming back at 100. I guarantee if you concentrate on your return speed you will become much much faster. Your combos will be much faster as well. It is suprising, how much it changes your speed.

Oh, and don't use gloves or weights to shadow box with. Bruce Lee had a name for the muscle groups, but he said that we need to train certain muscles to not react and slow down our strikes as we throw them. If you weight your hands then you will surely cause the opposite to accur. It is also hard enough on the elbows just throwing punches without weights. Read his writings, he explains it better than I ever could. Brilliant man, he was.

[powerof0ne]

Well..this can be a tricky subject but train with the heavier gloves on bag work/pad work but do proper technique. Shadowbox with just your hands and work on your return speed as stated but I must stress focus on proper technique..don't start cutting corners to increase speed.

If you do this you will more then likely be lacking power and just have speed..this is "good" if you're going for points but in the big picture of reality it's a waste.

I will state again..do not cut corners on your technique to increase speed.

[CQC]

These are great tips, thanks guys.