A speed bag is an essential tool for amateur and professional fighters. Speed bags help with the fundamentals - keeping your hands and arms up, improving hand-eye coordination, and shifting of weight. For those ready to commit, investing in the best speed bag and the best speed bag swivel will be extremely beneficial for the long term.
Speed bags are also installed in gyms for the casual fitness enthusiast. Integrating speed bag drills into your workout will lead to a good sweat, helping you burn calories and develop upper body muscles.
Speed bags can also be set up at home for personal or family use. If you combine this type of training with lower-body workouts, you would have yourself a complete full-body routine.
There are multiple benefits and use cases for a speed bag, but it is equally important to choose the most appropriate speed bag swivel (or speedball swivel) for your gym or residence. You have to treat this as a long-term investment, as it is not ideal to switch from brand to brand.
How can you determine which swivels are the best and right for you? Read on to find out!
What Are Speed Bag Swivels?
A speed bag swivel is a part of the set-up that connects the speed bag to the speed bag platform. The swivel mechanism is what allows the bag to go back and forth in any direction when struck. In addition to this, the swivel is what securely fastens the bag to the platform, allowing for high-impact training and repeated use.
Choosing the best speed bag swivels would dictate your experience during training and your performance in the ring. This is why it is appropriate to understand what speed bag swivels are and how to secure the best kind and brand for your needs and skill level.
Different Types of Swivels
There are 3 main types of swivels, each offering a distinct experience to the speed bag exercise. Don't get too obsessed, though. All types of swivels will have the same functionality and purpose.
None of the types of speed bag swivel types below are considered to be the best. It all boils down to budget, availability, and personal preference.
U-bolt
The U-bolt swivel, also known as the speed-precision swivel or D-bolt swivel, presents a ball-bearing mechanism that allows for super fast and highly accurate rebounds.
This kind of swivel typically comes with a locking pin, which allows for ease of installation and replacement in under a minute.
A major flaw of this kind of swivel is that the speed bag may sway and drag itself along the U-bolt, resulting in inaccurate or misdirected rebounds. This can be avoided by making the sides thicker with tape, foam, or duct tape, practically stabilizing the bag in the center.
Chain-link
A chain-link swivel offers a relatively quiet performance due to its unique design. As a result of its low noise rating, these swivels are what gyms and casual health facilities use to minimize unnecessary noise and distraction.
A common complaint with chain-link swivels, however, is how complicated they can be to install and remove. Replacing speed bags that are attached to this kind of speed bag swivel would need technical expertise and the right size tools.
The design of the chain-link swivel has another downfall - the squeaky sounds after prolonged use. This can annoy even the most disciplined and focused fighters, so we would recommend that you regularly apply lubricants to prevent the squeaky sounds.
Ball-hook
A ball-hook swivel is arguably one of the most historically popular speed bag swivels in the market because of its simplicity and mechanical prowess.
In contrast with the chain-link swivel, the ball-hook swivel offers a much simpler design and mechanism, allowing for easy installation and removal. High technical expertise is not required for this.
Ball-hook swivels also provide smooth motions and accurate rebounds, which is essential for fighters developing their speed and rhythm.
A possible disadvantage of this kind of swivel is that it is the noisiest, but depending on the gym or the crowd, the noise factor is not really a dealbreaker always. In fact, some trainers, coaches, and fighters love hearing the snappy sound caused by this kind of swivel.
How to Choose the Speed Bag Swivel for You
Aside from choosing the best swivel mechanism, you have to deliberate on other factors before making the purchase. Generally, you just have to know your intention and determine the specific use or purpose of the bag to get the best speed bag and swivel for you. Below are a few things you would have to look out for to get the best value out of your investment.
Price
As is with most products, a higher price point usually leads to a better quality product. If you would like to invest in a premium item meant to last for years to come, then you'll have to shell out a lot more than you typically would.
In the case of speed bag swivels, spending more on the set-up, such as getting a speed bag with platform and a high-quality swivel, will be very beneficial.
Materials
The majority of swivels in the market are made of stainless steel. However, other kinds of swivels also come in a chrome-plated design, which offers more durability than the traditional mechanisms. There are also a few designs that are made of reinforced plastic, which would allow for a cheaper set-up, but not necessarily a longer-lasting one.
Motion
This factor is very subjective, as the motion of the speed bag can largely depend on how strong an individual hits the speed bag and where the speed bag gets hit. Despite its subjective nature, it is just as important, if not more important, than the other factors.
The motion that a swivel provides will determine the accuracy, room for error, and speed of the rebounds or response motions when being struck.
We highly recommend visiting a nearby sports store to actually test the speed bags and speed bag swivel you are considering. If you are unable to do that, then look up videos or product reviews that could help you come up with a well-informed decision.
Brand
The best brands in the speed bag swivel market are Title Boxing and Everlast. These are reputable manufacturers that have been in the market for several decades, so there should be no doubt when it comes to the build quality of their premium speed bag and speed bag swivel offerings.
There are lesser-known brands in the market and some that are popular in certain regions such as Asia or Europe that offer the same quality and durability you would expect out of the popular ones. Just make sure to do your research and check the brand's history before availing of their products.
Ball Bearings
A good speed bag should offer a good ball bearing that is sturdy and have low resistance or friction to give the speed bag the needed flexibility and movement.
Ball bearings are meant for movement in all kinds of directions in a rotational manner. These are also one of the most used parts of a swivel mechanism so you should keep an eye out on its condition.
Mechanism
Swivels come in different mechanisms (as discussed in the previous section). As a general guideline, swivels that use the hook design allow the speed bag to move around more freely but are prone to unpredictable reactions if the speed bag is not hit in the right spot. The mechanical swivels offer more rigid responses but may not be the best for those looking to improve on their timing and accuracy.
5 of the Best Speed Bag Swivels
In no particular order, these are the best speed bag swivels based on our research and experience.
1. Title Boxing Deluxe Professional Swivel
This swivel is not called "pro swivel" just to sound good.
The Title Boxing Deluxe Pro Swivel sports a rigid hook that gives the speed bag a snug fit to avoid any slippage or sliding. This means that the speed bag will have a good, accurate rebounding motion that would allow for fighters to get into a quick rhythm.
The Title Boxing Deluxe Pro Swivel also offers a locking pin, allowing for ease of installation and speed bag replacement.
The swivel itself is not made of the usual stainless steel. It is made of triple chrome-plated material that provides industry-leading durability. The swivel also comes with sealed ball-bearings for quick and accurate rebounds.
This is for those looking for great control, ease of installation, and a life-long piece of equipment.
The Everlast Professional Speed Bag Swivel presents a big upgrade from the brand's traditional and basic swivels.
This swivel is not made using the typical stainless steel manufacturing method. It is machine-crafted to significantly increase durability to last for several years.
This speed bag swivel comes with sealed ball bearings, effectively providing smooth and accurate rebounds.
Unfortunately, like with many U-hook speed bag swivels, the sliding issue is still apparent. As mentioned in the previously, a simple fix of duct tape can make a world of difference.
Do not be fooled by the basic model description of Title. The Title Pro Swivel offers is one of the best and most affordable speed bag swivels in the chain-link segment.
Straying away from traditional stainless steel, this product is similar to the Title Deluxe Professional Swivel. The Title Pro Swivel is made using triple chrome plating technology and offers an identical ball bearing feature that gives quick and responsive returns and rebounds.
On top of that, this swivel is one of the most affordable offerings in the market.
Just make sure to remember that chain-link swivels are hard to install, remove, and replace.
Stepping away from Title Boxing and Everlast Professional, we have an amazing speed bag swivel from MaxxMMA.
The MaxMMA Speed Bag Swivel is designed with heavy-duty, high-quality stainless steel. This material is ideal for this swivel to ensure durability, even when used frequently. This swivel also sports triple chrome-plated material, which fortifies this speed bag swivel's durability.
This swivel offers amazing ball bearing technology to allow room for flexibility and quickness in the movement of the speed bag.
Yet another wonderful offering by a lesser-known sports brand, the Forza Sports Evolution Speed Bag Swivel is a product you should definitely consider.
This speed bag swivel gives you a full range of motion, allowing you to drill down on high-speed punching and transitions between various punching techniques. You can strike the speed bag from any angle and it will not have an unpredictable return.
The swivel is crafted with high-quality stainless steel and finished with an electroplate. The hook is made of brass and the mechanism used is an internal Delrin ring to allow for smooth movement without the need for lubrication.
Frequently Asked Questions
Before we end the discussion on the speed bag swivel, let us briefly talk about some of the commonly asked questions regarding this item.
1. How do you attach a swivel to a speed bag?
Mounting your speed bag to a swivel depends on the type or mechanism of the swivel. The swivel you have should come with an instruction booklet to aid you with the installation. If there is no manual, look up tutorials or guide videos online. This video does a good job of giving some useful tips:
2. Do speed bag swivels last a long time?
Speed bag swivels last a long time, but there are several factors to consider. The durability or longevity of a speed bag swivel depends on usage, material, quality, and all the other factors mentioned in this guide. Review the factors above to know whether your speed bag swivel will last as long as you need.
3. Do I need more than one swivel?
Needing more than one swivel would depend on your purpose or intention. If you plan to set up a gym or health club, then multiple swivels would be required to set up multiple speed bag platforms. However, if you only plan to set up one speed bag, then a single, good-quality swivel would suffice.
Conclusion (and Best Speed Bag Swivel Overall)
It is important to invest in the right products. You need to find items that provide you with quality to match your performance and durability to have it last as long as necessary.
Whatever type of swivel you choose, make sure to consider all of the factors mentioned above. You can never go wrong with any of the five products mentioned, but our preference goes to the Title Boxing Deluxe Professional Swivel. This Title product is easy to install, comes with the screws needed for the speed bag mount, made with machine-crafted stainless steel, and is simply one of the most affordable and best speed bag swivels in the market today.
At the end of the day, the best speed bag swivel is the one that fits your particular fitness and fighting requirements, which is why it is so important to be well-informed about the products before you buy them.