The SWIVEL is a key component of the speed bag setup and a science unto itself. It is also the subject of much interest and debate in the speed bag world, with many people having "their" favorite for one reason or the other.
As mentioned on the front page, their are several different types of swivels, and each is presented below in detail:
The Ballhook has been around for many years but the metal versions have been discontinued for some reason. They are the noisiest swivel but yield the most accurate rebounds when punching from all sides.
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The two "main" pieces that you will probably deal with:
A: Swivel Base. The this part
attaches to the board.
B: the Bottom part. the top Housing attaches to the board base and the bottom hook attaches to the bag. But this actually has 5 separate parts. They are normally assembled when you purchase the swivel.
If you are lucky, you will never see most of them. |
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All the bottom parts are shown and numbered on the right.
1. "S" Hook
2. Eyebolt shaft
3. Ball
4. Ballhousing and threads.
5. Set Screw (inside Ball)
we also recommend:
6. 3mm metric allen wrench
The only reason you should see these parts is IF you are punching and the set screw comes loose and the eyebolt flies out of the ball during the workout. Then you will need the allen wrench #6 to fix it.
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HOOK size and shapes have varied over the years. Several are shown below.
1. Standard "S" hook
2. Flat, wider "S" hook
3. Open end wide "S" hook Hook Size and shape mostly affects how easy your bag fits on it, and stays on it. Todays bags seem to have thicker and wider leather loop attachment straps. They can test your patience when trying to attach them to the swivel.
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Key:
S = Bag Strap
T = Tape (duct tape)
Shown at right are two bags on a metal ballhooks 1&2.
On the left is a standard "S" shape hook (#1 above). The yellow bag has a short, thick, wide leather loop that has to be forced through the small "S" opening and you see that the strap is too wide for the S. This will fly off very easily if mis-hit from underneath.
The red bag on the right has a longer leather loop, but is the same width as the yellow bag, and is on the #2 "S" hook with a slighter wider bottom. |
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 On the right you can see grey duct tape has been wrapped around the leather bag loop to pinch it tighter, and also wrapped around the hook opening to secure the bag on the hook. finally, at the top, a few strands of duct tape have been wrapped around the eyeshaft bolt to deaden the sound and help reduce wear on the metal.
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This picture shows the size and room on Swivel S-Hook #3. This is the Boxing Gear® Speed bag swivel by Watkins Fitness Equipment. Notice the size and room on the larger
"S-Hook".
This is currently the only Metal two piece "S-Hook" that we know of. |
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The Plastic Ballhook
This swivel comes already put together as a single unit, but has several parts of plastic and metal.
A. Base - Plastic. attaches to board
1. "S" hook - metal
2. eyebolt shank - metal with threads
3. Plastic ball with threads.
This swivel actually performs very well with one predictable exception: The Eyebolt almost always gets knocked out of the plastic ball. We have received many reports of this happening.
fortunately there is a known fix for this problem. Unscrew the eyebolt shank (preferrably before you strip it by knocking it out....) and apply some type of superglue that holds plastic and steel. Loctite is shown in this example, but any superglue will do.
To do this, apply the glue into the hole of the plastic ball, then all over the threads on the eyeshank (#2). Then insert the eyeshank into the hole and screw it back in as far as you can.
** You MUST hold the ball inside the housing as shown in this bottom picture when you screw the eyeshank back in.
If you screw the shank in the ball outside of the housing, you will not be able to get the ball inside, for the hook will not pass through the hole.
Allow it to set for at least 24 hours. |
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Plastic ballhook repair suggestion
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This model ballhook swivel is not recommended. The soft metal housing for the ball often bends from repeated contact and widens, letting the ball fall out. Then it is useless.
IF you have one of these, keep reading.
In a short time you will probably need another swivel.
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A long time standard in boxing, The chain link swivel is a favorite of many gyms and healthclubs. They are fast, quiet, and often difficult to deal with, for the locking pin that holds it together can be a pain without the right set of pliers.
Like that Ballhook, there are several different sizes of chain link swivels. Below is an older standard size link swivel.
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Chainlink Swivel Parts
1: Base: attaches to Board
2: Swivel Housing (ball bearings inside not shown)
3. Bag attachment link
4. Open link end
5: link locking clip
also recommended
or snap ring pliers |
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Bag Attachment.
at right you see how to attach the bag to the chain link. Notice the Red Bag loop is almost wider than the link. You have to squeeze this loop to fit #4 retaining link and attach #5 locking clip. |
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This picture demonstrates how the locking clip can be spread with the retaining ring pliers.
This device is not mandatory but it will probably save your fingers from being cut, jammed or stuck with a knife or screw driver. It will also save the clip from being bent or ruined.
IF the locking clip is broke or lost, you CAN use duct tape to wrap around the links. |
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This picture shows all the chain link parts put together.
notice the locking clip (#5) is facing downards.
You will also notice that this Everlast 4200 9x6 bag strap is narrow and fits on the link nicely. Not all bag straps will do this for some are wider. |
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* SWIVEL NEWS FLASH!
We have heard that the above tips for using retaining ring pliers will not work with the TITLE Pro Swivel, which is a link swivel but has a slightly different locking clip. Here are instructions for opening this Title Pro swivel clip.
These are the newest model swivels to be developed and come in a few variations - mostly with the bolt and locking pin being slightly different. They are very easy to manipulate and use.
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The Speed Swivel Parts
1: Base housing and ball bearings
2: Locking pin
3: Bag attachment U-Bolt
The fit together very easily.
It is a fast, mostly efficient swivel.
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This picture shows all the parts put together. Some swivel models have a cotter pin on the locking pin (#2), and some have a longer, more narrow U-Bolt.
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Problems with this swivel.
Every swivel style has its own design flaws, and this swivel is no exception. Pictures A & B show the bag sliding along the bar. This will happen occassionally as the swivel spins and you make contact with the bar aligned toward you. Picture C shows the bar moving and the bag coming off and "floating" above the bar.
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All three of these situations can alter the bag rebound, change your rhythm and contribute to
a mis-hit and possible breakdown. |
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The fix for the above problems is the same fix for most other swivel problems.
A few thin strands of regular Duct tape (# 4) is wrapped around the bag loop to squeeze the loop together and hold it to the bar. You can also run a few figure eight strands of tape around the ends of the bag loop and bar, actually taping it directly to the bar, but you must be sure the bag is centered on the bar. If it is not centered, It will have a warped rebound pattern.
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Pictured at right is the swivel
shown in the Dec. 4 1939
LIFE MAGAZINE article
about the 18 year old female
speedbagger, Doris De Green.
Close analysis finds that It looks strangely like a single eyebolt with no moving parts... |
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The Vagges speed bag boards of the 1920's clearly seem to have a swivel attachment to the board, and not just an eyebolt. Reliable sources say this is a "nichols swivel", which is like a modern ball hook but used a rope instead of a steel shank to provide movement. |
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- © SpeedBagCentral.com 2009
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