How To Hit The Cobra Reflex Bag (Complete Guide For Beginners)

Level up your accuracy and reflexes by learning how to hit the cobra reflex bag!

The reflex bag is a small punching bag attached to a long coiled neck and solid base. Though it’s a small bag, it can hit you back, especially if you hit it hard.

Keep reading for our guide on how to hit the cobra reflex bag.

Image via BoxFinesse

How To Hit The Cobra Reflex Bag

To hit the cobra reflex bag:

  • Set The Cobra Reflex Bag To The Correct Height
  • Stay Loose And Balanced
  • Start With Basic Punches And Combinations
  • Play Around With The Bag’s Timing
  • Add Defense And Footwork

Set The Cobra Reflex Bag To The Correct Height

First, set the cobra reflex bag to the correct height.

When you’re standing up, it should be at your chin.

When you’re in a boxing stance and bent at the knees, the bag will be at your eyes.

Adjust the body’s coil so that it will move at the lowest speed if you’re a beginner.

Stay Loose And Balanced

Next, stay loose and balanced when using the cobra reflex bag.

This bag moves like the double-end bag, but not as unpredictable. In both cases, you get to play around with the bag’s timing.

How you hit the bag will determine whether you treat the bag as your opponent’s head slipping side to side or your opponent’s glove aiming for your face.

To beginners who are used to big and slow targets, this bag is scary. To more experienced boxers, this bag is fun!

Start With Basic Punches And Combinations

Next, practice basic punches and combinations in one place to get a feel for how the bag moves.

With your hand wraps and gloves on, start with your:

Get a feel for the bag’s timing. Let the ball come to you, so you snap your punches and aren’t overreaching. Focus on accuracy more than power.

When you throw your hook, this will make the bag spin in a circle or side to side, rather than move in a straight line.

As the bag swings back in a circle, is it your opponent’s head coming into your range, or is it your opponent’s hook aiming at your head? It’s up to you to decide.

Play Around With The Bag’s Timing

Next, play around with the bag’s timing.

Unlike the speed bag where you listened for the triplet before hitting it, here you can mix up the bag’s timing.

For example, you can try counting in two’s before hitting the bag.

With a jab, the bag will swing to the opposite side on “one” and “three” and come back to you on “two” and “four”.

If you throw a cross, you can hit the bag again on “two”, “four”, “six”, or “eight”. In between these counts is when you can add defense and footwork.

Add Defense And Footwork

Lastly, add defense and footwork in between punching the cobra reflex bag.

Block the bag as it comes back to you with the back of your glove, or catch it with the palm of your glove as if it was a jab.

Slip left and right to let the bag hit your shoulder and roll out of the way.

Step away from the bag and jump in with a jab or pull back to dodge.

Take steps laterally around the bag and work your jab with each step.

When you start working different angles, the possibilities are endless!


Benefits of Using The Cobra Reflex Bag

Some of the benefits of using the cobra reflex bag include:

  • Trains Your Offense And Defense At The Same Time
  • Improves Your Accuracy
  • Teaches You That It’s Okay To Miss Punches

Trains Your Offense And Defense At The Same Time

First, the cobra reflex bag is great for working on your offense and defense at the same time.

It trains your accuracy, reflexes, and reaction time on both offense and defense.

Most importantly, it teaches you that for every punch you throw, there will be one coming back at you.

Improves Your Accuracy

Next, using the cobra reflex bag improves your accuracy.

If you want to work on accuracy, imagine the bag as your opponent’s head. To beat your fear of getting hit, treat it as your opponent’s jab.

Teaches You That It’s Okay To Miss Punches

Lastly, the cobra reflex bag teaches you that it’s ok to miss punches.

What’s important is that you keep your balance, and that you don’t lose your target’s timing.

Conclusion

The cobra reflex bag is a great tool for boxers to train many skills at once.

Once you get the hang of it, adjust the bag’s coils so that it moves faster.

Combine this bag with the double-end bag to perfect your reflexes and accuracy.

Watch your favorite pro use the cobra bag to see what’s possible on it.

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