The reflex ball is one of the most underrated practicing tools in boxing because most boxers only prefer heavy boxing bags during their training for the development of strong punches.
Here, I’ll explain how reflex balls are going to benefit you and why it is a great addition to your boxing equipment:
As a whole, boxing reflex balls are designed to improve your punching speed, reflexes, defensive skills, and overall reaction time. It’s a great way to develop hand-eye coordination while enhancing your focus and concentration, making it a crucial training tool for overall performance enhancement.
5 Key Benefits of Boxing Reflex Balls
No matter how hard you hit your opponent, if your attacks do not have the accuracy, it’s not going to work. Along with the reaction time, boxing reflex balls help you to improve your counter-punches accuracy, defense, agility, focus, reflex, head movement, and body coordination.
They are also considered as good equipment for a warmup that helps you to build endurance. Let’s dig into the more benefits of reflex balls:
1. Develop Hand-Eye Coordination
If you want to master the skill of boxing, there is no way around it but to develop great hand-eye coordination. The ball attached with string to your cap bounces forward and backward within a matter of time and you need to practice punches on it.
This is a great way to develop muscle memory in terms of hand-eye coordination because if you want to hit accurate punches and to maintain the rhythm, you need to keep your eyesight strictly on the ball.
This exercise allows you to improve your defense and helps you to respond quickly and effectively to attack, which I think is one of the key factors in the game of boxing.
2. Helps with Reflex and Reaction Time
The reflex balls are quite different from boxing bags as it’s hard to guess how exactly it’s going to bounce back after you throw a punch.
Obviously, it’s not going to be as hard as your opponent’s punch, but it works as a great conditioning tool for practicing complex fighting movements. You can easily leverage their unpredictable movements as an efficient way to improve your reflexes and reaction time.
3. Improves Striking Techniques
Unlike punching bags, reflex balls will not make your punches stronger but allow you to work on your striking techniques while improving the overall accuracy of your punches. Once you start getting used to the movements of a reflex ball, you can increase your force as well as your punching speed.
With regular practice with reflex balls (at least 2 to 3 times per week), you’ll be able to hit that ball with more precision and notice a great enhancement in terms of your counter-punching.
Want to Learn Advanced Boxing Techniques? Take a look at this boxing workshop video demonstrating some of the advanced boxing tricks and drills for better footwork and punching power.
4. Increases Focus and Concentration
Focus is another area of boxing skills that get benefited from reflex ball training.
You have to keep your complete focus on the movement of the bouncing ball in order to keep it in the air. Although the ball is not going to hurt you much but if you get distracted, it going to hit directly on your face.
It becomes more interesting once you start increasing your speed. Imagine you got into the rhythm and the ball is moving back-n-forth almost 2-3 times a second. In such a situation, your brain has no option but to concentrate on the ball.
5. Improves Defense Techniques
Head movement is considered as a great defense technique that you can practice through this little reflex ball.
When you hit the ball 2 to 3 times, try to slip one shot in between when the ball is coming straight at you. After you skip that one shot, start attacking again and keep the ball in motion.
You can experiment with different challenging combinations of punches and slips. It will help you to dodge the blow of the opponent in a boxing ring and provide an opportunity to counterattack.
The Efficiency of Boxing Reflex Ball Training: Scientific Evidence
In 2015, a renowned sports institute conducted a study conducted on the effectiveness of these reflex balls. They track the progress of the participants on various parameters like hand-eye coordination, mental focus, and reaction time.
Results showed that athletes who use reflex balls during their training sessions consistently outperform those who are training without reflex balls.
In addition to that: So many neurologists already highlighted the usefulness and effectiveness of the reflex balls, especially in the sports industry.
The constant tracking and reacting to that little ball’s movements forces our brain to stimulate new neural pathways, enhancing the connection between visual perception and motor response.
Their ability to engage, and certainly enhanced your various neurological mechanisms while contributing towards improving your cognitive functions makes them essential boxing training equipment.
What is the Best Boxing Reflex Ball For You?
When it comes to choosing the best reflex ball for your boxing journey, There are two main types of reflex balls available on the market: The heavy boxing reflex ball and the light-weight softer ball.
Personally, I like to practice more with a heavy ball as it is actually more useful. That’s why I brought this reflex ball package from Amazon. It comes with four different balls and two adjustable headbands, making it the go-to choice for those seeking a game-changing training experience.
Potential Drawbacks and Limitations of Boxing Reflex Balls
Risk of Injury is one of the primary concerns of beginners with reflex ball workouts. That small little buddy can sometimes bounce unexpectedly and might hit you in the face, especially if not practiced with caution. That’s why I always recommend maintaining proper form and learning about the technique first while using the boxing reflex balls.
Like most of the other training equipment, these reflex balls also have a learning curve. It takes time and a lot of practice to develop hand-eye coordination and reaction time to effortlessly hit the ball.
But: many beginners won’t be able to get the most out of the reflex balls and discontinue using them either due to accidental hits or due to lack of patience and perseverance during the learning curve.
Final Thoughts on Boxing Reflex Balls
If you already have a little bit of experience in boxing and you want to work on your high-intensity reflex and coordination and go ahead and buy one. It will definitely be going to make your workout session much more enjoyable.
It’s your day, make it awesome 🙂
- Is Boxing Good for Anger Management?
- Why Do Boxers Wear Hoodies?
- Cruiserweight Boxing Weight Class
- Can You Box with Contacts?
