# What is this seemingly gymnastics-related device? **URL:** \ **Category:** Factual Questions\ **Created:** [October 25, 2008, 2:52am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-is-this-seemingly-gymnastics-related-device/469468 "2008-10-25T02:52:17Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 7\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![Vox\_Imperatoris](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/v/f9ae1b/32.png) [@Vox\_Imperatoris](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Vox_Imperatoris)\ **Post date:** [October 25, 2008, 2:52am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-is-this-seemingly-gymnastics-related-device/469468/1 "2008-10-25T02:52:17Z")
Is [this](http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=lW8zZrjHGiQ) 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 ---
**Author:** ![Mister\_Rik](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/mister_rik/32/491_2.png) [@Mister\_Rik](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Mister_Rik)\ **Post date:** [October 25, 2008, 3:02am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-is-this-seemingly-gymnastics-related-device/469468/2 "2008-10-25T03:02:47Z")
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. ---
**Author:** ![Mister\_Rik](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/mister_rik/32/491_2.png) [@Mister\_Rik](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Mister_Rik)\ **Post date:** [October 25, 2008, 3:06am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-is-this-seemingly-gymnastics-related-device/469468/3 "2008-10-25T03:06:14Z")
And how about a [link](http://store.titleboxing.com/specialty-bags.html)? Looks like my guess was correct. ---
**Author:** ![Vox\_Imperatoris](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/v/f9ae1b/32.png) [@Vox\_Imperatoris](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Vox_Imperatoris)\ **Post date:** [October 25, 2008, 3:57am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-is-this-seemingly-gymnastics-related-device/469468/4 "2008-10-25T03:57:57Z")
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 ---
**Author:** ![LSLGuy](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/lslguy/32/5813_2.png) [@LSLGuy](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/LSLGuy)\ **Post date:** [October 25, 2008, 12:35pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-is-this-seemingly-gymnastics-related-device/469468/5 "2008-10-25T12:35:02Z")
I have one simialr to this: [http://store.titleboxing.com/title-professional-reflex-bag2.html](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. ---
**Author:** ![Daerlyn](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/898d66/32.png) [@Daerlyn](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Daerlyn)\ **Post date:** [October 25, 2008, 4:10pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-is-this-seemingly-gymnastics-related-device/469468/6 "2008-10-25T16:10:30Z")
> [@LSLGuy](#): > > 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 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. ---
**Author:** ![Mister\_Rik](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/mister_rik/32/491_2.png) [@Mister\_Rik](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Mister_Rik)\ **Post date:** [October 26, 2008, 12:47am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-is-this-seemingly-gymnastics-related-device/469468/7 "2008-10-26T00:47:21Z")
> [@Vox\_Imperatoris](#): > > And the song came out 9 years ago, so she was 21, although she doesn’t even look that old. 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 😃 > [@LSLGuy](#): > > 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. Indeed. I had to go so far as to download the video, was well as view several of this singer’s other videos.