I really suck at physics, but I was just wondering if having wider shoulders can lead to stronger punches because since the point of impact(fist) is further away from the axis of rotation the centrifugal power is stronger. Is this just bull****?
Nah, wider shoulders usually means more mass and more muscle which can mean more power, but not always.
Would depend on the technique as to how much effect shoulder width would have. Especially since alot of techniques will add force from the body/legs to the punch.
There is a likelihood that a wider shoulder will have more power especially for punches such as hook. As wider shoulders is dependent on genetics, does it really matter?
Not really A hooks power comes from the ground up through the leg (same side as punching hand) then twists through the hips into the target. At the same time the forearm is aligned in the direction of your strike. In other words the shoulder plays a small part of the hook. If you rely on your shoulders for punching then your punches will be weak. The secret to punching hard comes from the overall coordination of the strength you have. You may be able to lift weights and be really strong *ahem* but without coordination your punches will suck. Its far more important to have strong forearms when punching as this will help prevent your wrist buckling on impact and gives a better transfer of power.
You're looking at the question wrong. Let's assume all things other than the shoulder width are equal, especially technique, body mass, and musulature. For a hook punch, the person with the wider shoulders will hit harder because of sheer physics. First, the hook punch of a broad-shouldered person will be faster because the arm will be further out from the pivot point. This is exactly the same as the way the outside of a record moves much faster than the inside, even though they are making the same number of rotations per second. Also, the way the mass is distributed affects the strength of the punch. If a person has broad shoulders, that means that their body mass is spread out farther from the pivot point. The farther out it's spread, the more energy it has when it's rotated. A good analogy is a mace. You basically have a ball of metal on the end of a stick. If you take the mace and hit someone with the ball, it will hurt a lot more than if you hit them with the handle. This is mass distribution. Also, it will hurt a heck of a lot more if the handle is two feet long rather than two inches, because the mace is traveling much faster..
No I dont think Iam looking at this the wrong way. You cant say having wide shoulders will mean you can hook harder and stop quoting simple mechanics cause its much more complex than that. Even if you went with your wide shoulders theory you could say someone has wide shoulders but short arms so how does that work???? Will they punch as hard as someone with wide shoulders and long arms. You could argue however that they will punch harder at different ranges. Also where does wide shoulders have anything have anything to do with coordination of what you've got, timing, accuracy and being able to perform under pressure. Wide shoulders does not mean hard punches!!!
On the basis that nothing but the shoulders are different, they may make a differenec since the difference in length across your body to your center of gravity where you generate, alot of power. you may gain a speed advantage from having a longer lever... however, I am not sure that it would be a significant difference anyway. It does mean you can extend your arm for a longer range.
"On the basis that nothing but the shoulders are different" On the basis that we are all individuals and what your saying will never happen. Simplifying down techniques like this is a nonsense we're not clones (yet) .
In most cases, wider shoulders sure do help in power. Great punchers have broad shoulders in general.
Theoretically yes. Power does come from coordinated movements of the body. But with all things functioning correctly, having wider shoulders would give more power to ANY PUNCH.
