The double end bag is one of my favorite bags to workout on and I think every gym should have one. This is also often known as a floor to ceiling bag and when you hit this it will swing around on it’s axis coming back towards you quickly. This makes it a perfect moving target and means it is difficult to hit consistently as it might even hit you back if you’re not concentrating and sharp enough.
It is a leather-covered ball that comes in various sizes, regular or Mexican style, although it is usually circular, quite small and it is attached to the floor and the ceiling by 2 pieces of elastic string.
The double end bag offers plenty of benefits for beginners and professionals alike as it can offer a fast pace workout and it is elusive and hard to hit, forcing you to concentrate on every punch that you throw to improve your technique as a beginner.
Every bag in the gym serves a purpose, the heavy bag will allow you to develop your power and stamina, the speed bag is for speed and endurance and the double end bag allows you to work on timing, accuracy, defense, and reflexes. It’s also great for trying out new combinations and new ways of starting attacks as you have to have the accuracy to land each punch and you need to avoid the bag as it swings back.
Benefits of the Double End Bag For Boxing 
Works On Hand-Eye Coordination
Just like skipping works on the coordination between the hands and the feet, the double end bag works on the coordination between the hands and eyes which is just as important, if not more.
It’s one thing being able to see the target but hitting it clean every time is easier said than done. The first time you hit the bag it will start to spin around uncontrollably and you have to get your hands and eyes in sync to hit the bag again once it’s moving and this is a great way to develop that hand-eye coordination for boxing.
A good opponent isn’t going to leave their head just lying there unprotected for you to hit so this is a more realistic workout for facing an opponent that is actually moving and trying to evade your punches
Work On Head Movement And Defence
Just like it’s hard to hit the double end bag once it starts spinning around uncontrollably, this also offers you the perfect chance to work on your head movement.
Floyd Mayweather does this to perfection where he will hit the bag with a 1 – 2 to and then slip it to either side as it swings back towards its head.
The Heavy bag is great for building power and stamina but it teaches us bad habits like keeping our hands low as it doesn’t come back to hit us, so no defensive element.
The double end bag keeps us on our toes and always thinking about defense as if you keep your hands down and your head not moving, it can easily come back and smack you in the face and everyone in the gym will start laughing at you.
Work On Blocking
Just like it helps us to move our head, we can also practice landing our combos and then anticipating where the bag is gonna swing back to and blocking it with our hands.
If you hit the double end bag with a hook it will swing back towards your head like a hook and you can raise your glove to the side of your head to block it and then try to hit again as quick as you can.
If you hit it with a straight, it will come back and hit you like a straight so you can dig your hands into your cheeks and block that as well on the gloves.
Improve Accuracy
As you work on the double end bag over time, you will start to build up your accuracy. You will get tired of missing the bag quickly and you will learn how to be more accurate with your shots which will then transfer into being more accurate in the ring when you’re sparing and your opponent is moving their head. You will be able to telegraph where they’re going to move and throw your punch to where you expect their head to be with more precision.
Improve Your Speed
Another way that pros like to hit the double end bag is by hitting is constantly every time it rebounds and this can help you to develop your speed, hitting the moving target as fast as you can is really good for improving your overall skills.
Hitting the double end bag constantly every time it swings back is like a treadmill for your hands and arms and the more you put into sprinting with it, the more you can develop the speed at which you are punching.
This can help you to develop your speed, accuracy and reflexes all at the same time.
Get Used To Missing Shots
If you are only working on the heavy bag, you will likely never miss a shot and that is also a bad habit to get into as when you move into sparring, you’re going to miss your own shots plenty of times especially if the opponent moves their head.
The double end bag is perfect for getting you used to missing shots. The worst thing you can do if you miss is leave yourself open to a counter and by missing shots, on the double end bag, you will learn to protect yourself much more quickly when you miss, roll your head and return to your proper stance more quickly, where you are protected and without eating a counter punch.
Develop Rhythm
As you get more used to hitting the double end bag, you will develop a rhythm that you can carry into the ring when you are sparring, and you can develop this by getting used to how the double end bag moves and building muscle memory to anticipate where it’s going to be, so that you can hit the bag every time, no matter how it is swinging around.
You willalso develop a rhythm for the different combinations that you throw and trying to land every punch as your accuracy improves on the bag over time, making the double end bag one of the best ways to improve at boxing in the gym without a partner or a coach.
Work On Combinations
As this bag moves every time you hit it, you will quickly learn what punches and combination of punches are the best to throw so you can land on your opponent every time when you do step into the ring.
The double end bag also allows you to be adventurous, so you can try out new things on a moving target without the risk of being hit with a very hard counter punch although you might end up being hit by the bag as it swings back towards you.
Learn How To Initiate Attacks And Land The Lead Hook
Initiating an attack is probably the hardest part in boxing, this is where you’re going to either land your punches or get hit by a counter and this is where all the exchanges are going to start.
The double end bag offers a Moving Target so you can come up with new and creative ways to start your attacks, respond if you miss the first punch and improve your ability to initiate attacks with out being countered when you miss.
Build Shoulder Endurance & Cardio
Building endurance in the arms is one of the most difficult challenges facing beginners to boxing. Once you start hitting the bag and doing pad drills your arms will become easily tired as the lactic acid builds up, making your arms fell tired and needing a rest.
By getting into the rhythm on the double end bag and hitting it fast and consistently for 3 minutes, it is a great cardio workout and also builds the endurance in your arms so that you can take your pad drills and sparring to the next level without gassing out 1 minute in.
Great workout and good fun
One of the main reasons people take up boxing because it makes you fit and it’s a good fun workout.
The double end bag is great fun to work on, building up your coordination, getting used to missing, building up your rhythm, hand-eye coordination and library of combos on a bag that constantly moves and swings around testing you and forcing you to improve your skills, it’s one of the most enjoyable workouts that you can have in the boxing gym and one of the best ways to improve at the game
Two Types Of Double End Bag
There are generally two types of double end bags that you can choose from:
There is the regular style with one normal circular-shaped ball that you can hit and it will swing around fast and there is the Mexican double end bag that has a body and a head component allowing you to mix up your shots upstairs and downstairs. It won’t swing as fast as the regular bag but it will provide a good moving target for you to practice your body and headshots on.
To find out more about the different types of punching bags check out our buyers guide.
If you are looking to buy a double end bag for your house or gym check out our best double end bag list here.
