How much does hand size factor into punching power?

[Venom]

Yeah Manny Pacquiao has huge hands. Right.

Funny you mention pacqiauo. His skeleton is thick.

 

[Ube]

Funny you mention pacqiauo. His skeleton is thick.

For real? Cause he’s just about as tiny my uncles back home in the Philippines. Same calves too.

 

[Filthy Phil]

I'm no scientist but it seems the difference would be negligible and there are enough other factors when it comes to producing and delivering power that it isn't worth the argument. If it was a meaningful trait then Shane Carwin would have been known as the KO king of mma.

Not sure if you're serious or not. Carwin had magic KO-power, just go and rewatch his fights.

 

[Filthy Phil]

Has anyone in this thread ever tried to strike a ball with a bat that is light? It sure does make a huge difference, regardless of how good you are at swinging.

With that said, I think it plays a big role in power, along with technique and physique. Also, it's about the weight of the hand/wrist, not the size.

 

[Venom]

For real? Cause he’s just about as tiny my uncles back home in the Philippines. Same calves too.

Forget the calves look at the structure...his huge head, his wrists and bones. I bet under an xray hed have a larger skeleton than most lightweight-welterweight boxers.

 

[FlavourPacket]

Probably helps with a spinning backfist

 

[felmmando]

My late father once told me his karate teacher identified small hands as an asset, likening their concentrated effect to that of a bullet. For what it's worth.

 

[Ube]

Forget the calves look at the structure...his huge head, his wrists and bones. I bet under an xray hed have a larger skeleton than most lightweight-welterweight boxers.

I really doubt it cause he’s really a tiny guy lol. He started out at like 105 lbs if memory serves me right—his frame is small. No lie, I’m from the Philippines—a lot of us are build like Manny, big heads and all, based on the eye test.

But hey if you’ve got the x-rays then so be it. I think from a scientific point of view relative punching power comes more from where your muscles are attached. Don’t remember where I heard that from. Of course big guys are going to have punching power because they’re big and big usually have big hands to go with it.

 

[Sinister]

Heavy hands are almost always big hands. Debating that is dumb.

P.S. - some of you need to learn the difference between a guy whose power is the thing that hurts people the most vs. his speed being the culprit

 

[Ube]

Heavy hands are almost always big hands. Debating that is dumb.

P.S. - some of you need to learn the difference between a guy whose power is the thing that hurts people the most vs. his speed being the culprit

Mass x acceleration, right?

 

[green giant]

Think sledgehammer vs regular hammer.. size/weight will give you a power advantage but some small guys like lineker could put any man out..

Skill over everything but a really big guy can do damage even with a half missed shot..

If you throw more speed into a smaller hammer is generates more power though. So its speed x weight x mass x power.

 

[pookiyama]

bigger hands are quasi correlatable to thicker bones, which allow you to move more weight, quicker, without tiring.

The hands themselves, nothing important. More surface area - more concussive force, Less surface area - more penetrating force. Both have their merits. Niether is anywhere near as important as the other variables

Lower Body Strength, Back thickness, Shoulder width, Bone Density, Technique, Exertion, proprioception, etc...

 

[pookiyama]

For real? Cause he’s just about as tiny my uncles back home in the Philippines. Same calves too.

Forget the calves look at the structure...his huge head, his wrists and bones. I bet under an xray hed have a larger skeleton than most lightweight-welterweight boxers.

Manny Pacquiao's wrists are thicker than Lennox Lewis', and Equal to Mike Tyson's. He doesn't have a larger skeleton than his height would dictate, but he has a thicker skeleton than most heavyweights.

 

[Ube]

Manny Pacquiao's wrists are thicker than Lennox Lewis', and Equal to Mike Tyson's. He doesn't have a larger skeleton than his height would dictate, but he has a thicker skeleton than most heavyweights.

What?! I don't believe that. No offense or anything, but that's quite a claim bro bro. I need to see some evidence, sincerely, that Manny Pacquiao has a thicker skeleton than most heavyweights. Or confirmation from a trusted source or something.

 

[pookiyama]

What?! I don't believe that. No offense or anything, but that's quite a claim bro bro. I need to see some evidence, sincerely, that Manny Pacquiao has a thicker skeleton than most heavyweights. Or confirmation from a trusted source or something.

https://www.badlefthook.com/2011/3/...manny-pacquiaos-body-has-tricked-analysts-and

 

[ninja boot]

Not sure if you're serious or not. Carwin had magic KO-power, just go and rewatch his fights.

magic KO power results in a KO percentage like Rumble Johnson or Mark Hunt have. Carwin was as likely to sub his opponent as he was to knock them out and was known to have enormous hands.
ps...I'm not sure why you're not sure if i'm being serious or not...

 

[JabToucher]

I'm no expert on this, but I'd of guessed two people of the same height/ weight with one having larger hands. The larger hands would be less likely to break and have maybe slightly more power on impact due to more mass?
I do understand though some people have ko power naturally, regardless of hand size.

 

[Sinister]

Mass x acceleration, right?

Bingo, listen to Diaz:

 

[Venom]

What?! I don't believe that. No offense or anything, but that's quite a claim bro bro. I need to see some evidence, sincerely, that Manny Pacquiao has a thicker skeleton than most heavyweights. Or confirmation from a trusted source or something.

I dont think they said his skeleton was thicker than heavyweights, rather his wrist bone was about as large, meaning a broader overall bone structure for his weight class, if that makes sense. He wont have bigger bones than most heavyweights, but for his class hes big on the inside.

 

[FightGuyOpenMind]

One thing I always hear people say "can't hit hard with these little hands"

Dominick Cruz made that statement and you always hear Rogan talking about if you don't have big hands its gonna be hard to be a power puncher

My opinion is while it may help to have bigger hands, its actually way far down on the list of attributes that lead to great punching power

Form/mechanics

Ability to generate torque with the hips

Strong footing

How hard you can ball up a fist (heard Hendo say this a lot)


Some of the greatest power punchers don't have big hands at all

Fedor
Daniel Cormier
Dan Henderson
Kelvin Gastelum
Johny Hendricks
Conor

These guys all have smallish hands and great punching power

What do you guys think?

Mass x acceleration

Density plays a factor which can be bone or how tightly you can compact/ball up your fist (piggybacking Hendo).

You can improve bone density through training (Wolff's Law/ osteoblasts).

No matter how dense or big your hands are you can accelerate your body into a chained movement to generate knockout power. Your body may not be able to withstand the force, depending on how conditioned it is for the stressors. You'll have fractures but you'll get the job done in terms of delivering the force. ​