VSL Fighting Equipment 15" Mini HITSTIX - Compact Training Sticks for Martial Arts, Self Defense & Fitness | Perfect for Home Workouts, MMA Training & Combat Practice

If you've ever held pads for a hard hitter, you know what that can feel like after a while. You also know the finger pain of holding pads for a puncher with less-than-good accuracy.These eliminate that.When I looked them up, I thought they were just expensive pool noodles. They are actually much sturdier. It feels like a very hard (not hollow) dense foam. Think Nerf ball with a slightly harder core.The outer material seems sweat resistant. It's some kind of (what I suspect) is faux leather. Feels much more durable than I would have expected from seeing the photos.That said, I should let you know that the core is solid. If you get whacked good with it, IT WILL STING. I don't think it's necessarily made to be used like pool noodles, which is the misconception I had (with pool noodles, you can go 100%, and you won't hurt someone if you hit them clean.) These will definitely hurt.You have to see them as what they are. They are more of a substitute for mitts, and especially useful for training newer fighters that can't control their punches and are prone to hitting your fingers rather than the center of the pad.If you're a coach and you work with a lot of people, or want to train your own fighters to hold for each other, a few sets of these will serve you well.I got the minis, which I like for boxing. That said, I've heard the regular HitStix, that are a bit longer, are great for kickboxing/muay Thai/MMA style combat where kicks are involved, as you can get the extra range you'd get with a kick.Was never a fan of sticks for pad work due to the flimsy-ness of ones I’ve tried before. But with age my shoulders began to take a toll with the impact on mitts. I was hesitant at first but after one night of holding for 20 rounds straight my shoulders feel amazing. These have enough weight for my fighters to feel the impact of their punches but are still light enough to be mobile and manipulated. The product itself is made extremely well. Over all 5 stars.I have been looking for something that can fill the role of pool noodles but has better feedback to the fighter when struck. I have tried punch sticks from various manufacturers but all of them came up short. They were either too long, too heavy, too hard, too soft, too much spring, not enough spring, etc. These mini Hitstix hit the sweet spot between punch sticks and mitts. They're made with soft leather and the foam inside is a little more rigid and heavier than noodle foam. This combination of leather and foam makes for soft hits on the fighter when training head movement but provides mitt like feedback when they counter. Also, the minis are the perfect length for boxing in my opinion. The short length reduces overall weight and provides more rigidity for better feedback when struck and also facilitates faster hand movement. These sticks can keep up with the fastest hands. I have been very pleased with the minis so far.Excellent tool for focus and defense work.Very disappointed! I ordered these to replace my hand mitts and expected better quality. First they came 100% waterlogged inside of the box. The outside of the box was mostly dry and the inside was soaking wet. Seems to me that they were placed inside the box wet and sent that way. I've tried using them after allowing them to dry the best they can, and they do not seem very sturdy. The watrlerlogging seemed to have loosened the material and made it flimsy. I'm thinking this is because they came in the condition that I described. For the price I paid I expected much more. I hope there is something the supplier can do and this was a freak occurrence, because if this is the quality then they are not worth the purchase.I bought these as a gift for my husband who is a boxing instructor and he loves them. Only down fall is he wishes they had a thinner area for him to better grip.Great product, awesome for defensive focused padwork and movement. Great durability and small enough to fit in bags for travel. Highly recommended.These Hitstix are pretty good and easy to work with. I like them because I can use them with bigger clients and are easy on my shoulders.