Heavy Punching Bags
How do I hang a heavy punching bag
The answer to the question of "how high do I hang a heavy punching bag" is one of those answers that has a few different possible correct responses.
In a gym doing boxing fitness you do not want the heavy punching bags to "swing" very much. This is why a lot of Fitness Boxing Gyms like to use the longer Muay Thai bags. These bags will hang down to within an inch or two of the gym's floor and when hung from a bag rack, do not have much movement. This makes the user actually punch (and kick) more.
In a Boxing Gym the answer will depend on if the fighter wants to focus more on punching or footwork.
If you hang a punching bag from a normal bag rack or bag arm that is approximately 8' above the floor, the bag will hang with the normal punching bag heavy chain and the user will punch more, because the bag doesn't swing as much.
We've all seen the movies where the trainer will hold the punching bag steady while the boxer hits the bag. This is for more punching and less footwork.
Some gyms take a short cut and hang their bags from beams or rafters in their ceilings using LONG chains. If you hang your punching bag in this manner, it will certainly SWING a lot more. The user will actually do more footwork and less punching when the bags swing a lot.
In many Fitness Boxing Gyms, they will actually have the long Muay Thai bags touching the floor, to stop them from swinging.
We are not a fan of letting the bags swing too much. Better to work the bag with punches and work the footwork by moving around the bag, in our opinion.
In most cases, if the "eye bolt" is at about 96" above the floor your bag will hang at the perfect level to punch (and kick if you are using a long bag) without too much sway.