Taking the Proper Measurements
Remove your punching bag from its hook. Set up a stepladder directly beneath the punching bag in your home. Grab the punching bag and support it on one of the ladder’s steps. Disconnect any clips or carabiners attached to the straps on the top of your bag, then carefully shift and lower the bag to the ground. You may want to ask a friend or family member to spot you as you do this, since these bags are at least 70 lb (32 kg). The carabiner will still be attached to your mounting hook, but it won’t be attached to your punching bag. Some punching bags come with a speed bag, which can be hung up and adjusted separately.
Measure the height of your punching bag. Position your bag so it’s upright, or prop it up straight against the wall. Hook a measuring tape beneath the bottom of the bag and extend it to the end of the hanging straps. Jot down the measurement or commit it memory for later. Some punching bags are 5 ft (1.5 m) long, while some might be longer.
Find the center point of your bag where you’ll land your jabs. Divide your bag’s height measurement in half to get an idea of where the center point is. Note that the center point is where you’ll land the majority of your jabs as you punch the bag during your training. For instance, if your bag is 5 ft (1.5 m) long, the center point will be at the 30 in (76 cm) mark. Remember or write down each measurement, as you’ll need them to figure out the exact placement of your punching bag. Some boxers prefer to hit about three-quarters of the way up the bag, rather than halfway down. If you prefer that, just adjust the height so that's the part of the bag at your eye level, rather than the center of the bag.
Look beneath the center point to find where your body shots will go. Pretend that your punching bag represents another person or fighter. To land your regular jabs, hit around the center point of the bag. To make body shots, hit the bottom third of the bag. Some bags have a taped-off section that creates a large rectangle on the front of the physical bag. Your body shots will go in the lower third of the area, while your jabs will go above the halfway point.
Transfer your measurements to a broomstick with a marker. Lay a broomstick, dowel, or other long object on the floor. Take your measuring tape and stretch it alongside the stick. Mark off the total height of your punching bag, along with the center point. Permanent marker works well for this. If possible, find a broomstick or other object that’s very similar or identical in length to your punching bag.
Installing the Punching Bag Safely
Line up the broomstick alongside your hanging chain. Stand beneath the wall-mounted hook and carabiner that keep your punching bag suspended in midair. Hold the end of your broomstick or other long object directly next to the carabiner chain so you can get an idea of how your punching bag will look in mid-air.
Move the broomstick up or down until the center point is at eye level. Find the mark you left in the center of the broomstick. If the mark lines up with your eye- or nose-level, then you’ve found the perfect height for your punching bag! If the mark is too high or too low, adjust the broomstick accordingly so the mark meets your eye level. If your bag isn’t the right height, then you won’t get very accurate or effective training with the punching bag.
Tie a sturdy cord between your mounted hook and carabiner. Climb up on a ladder and double check the chain or carabiner that’s attached to the mounted hook. Remove the carabiner or chain from the hook and knot a secure section of 6 to 10 mm (0.24 to 0.39 in) rope to both ends of your setup. Double-check that the knots are secure, and that both the hook and carabiner will still support the punching bag. If you have a metal hook attached to a metal carabiner, the metal pieces will wear against one another and eventually break completely, which can lead to a pretty serious accident.
Adjust the carabiner until the punching bag is at the correct height. Look for a chain link in your carabiner that matches the proper height of your broomstick, or punching bag. Adjust the carabiner to ensure that the center of your bag will be at eye- or nose-level.
Knot a cord between the bag loops and carabiner to prevent breakage. Take another section of sturdy cord, like a paracord, and tie 1 end to your bag loops and the other to your carabiner. Knot the cord or tie securely so the bag is dangling safely from the carabiner. You can also tweak the length of your cord to make the punching bag slightly taller or shorter, depending on your personal preference. For instance, you can tie the cord so there’s a bit of slack between the carabiner and the bag loops, which will make your punching bag seem slightly longer. It may take multiple people to lift and hang up the punching bag again. Over time, the metal carabiner and the metal loops of the punching bag will scrape against one another and break apart, which can cause a potentially dangerous accident.
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