What is this seemingly gymnastics-related device?

General Questions
#1

Is this video, what is this thing with a ball on top of a pole, that is fixed at the bottom but movable in a circle around it, that she is dancing around?

It seems to be something used in gymnastics/athletics and I get the impression that I have seen it before, but I don’t know what it is.

Valete,
Vox Imperatoris

#2

It looks like a punching ball for boxers.

Also, I was in high school when the original version of that song came out. Tony Basil was/is my mom’s age, and now the song’s being covered by somebody who looks like she could be my daughter.

ETA: Hmm. Looking at the comments, apparently this singer is 30. Nevermind.

#3

And how about a link? Looks like my guess was correct.

#4

Hm, I guess that makes sense. I’ve never seen a punching bag like that before, only the long, heavy kind (not that I know anything about boxing). And the song came out 9 years ago, so she was 21, although she doesn’t even look that old.

Valete,
Vox Imperatoris

#5

I have one simialr to this: http://store.titleboxing.com/title-professional-reflex-bag2.html.

I think they assembled it wrong for the video to make a better prop. Normally the pole is rigidly attached to the base and extends up to about 4’ high. Then there is a ~1’ long spring & the bag attaches to the top of the spring. In the one I linked to there is another short rigid section between the spring & the bag. So all the bag motion happens from a fixed point about 4’ off the floor.

In the video the spring is at the bottom, between the base & pole. Makes for something better to dance to, but would not work well for boxing training. It’d be too slow & have too big a motion.

The only problem is I had to watch the video like 10 times to do enough research (yeah, that’s it), to figure out what the prop was. Took all morning it did.

#6

The one she’s dancing around is designed for practicing kicks - I’ve got one like it at home that Mnementh uses for capoeira workouts. If you try kicking one with a spring at the top, you’ll end up taking the bag right off the pole.

#7

Yeah, I found that out after I posted. So in that video, she is young enough to be my daughter.

One of the comments really cracked me up, referring to the original Toni Basil version:

“this song is like during my parents time the 60s or was it the 50s. it doesnt matter they r old and r in their 40s”

I, um, issued a polite correction :smiley:

Indeed. I had to go so far as to download the video, was well as view several of this singer’s other videos.