@kennycro@@aol.com since punching power does come from your legs & hips, don’t you think an improvement in technique would allow you to recruit this more efficiently?
Absolutely
Technique allows you to harness the power and fully deliver it.
...if you improve your technique as well you’ll hit it even harder.
To Some Extent
As the majority have agreed, Mackey's on the money with his post regarding "Power" being delivered through the hips and legs.
Now let back track to...
The Foundation of Power
Research and empirical data show that the foundation of Power and Speed are build on Limit Strength (1 Repetition Max).
That means novice and many intermediate weight training individual increase Power and Speed first by increasing Limit Strength. Increasing Limit Strength is on going never ending process.
However, if you you only training Limit Strength, at some point, Power and Speed decrease. That due to the conversion of the "Super Fast" Twitch Type IIb/x Muscle Fiber to the Fast Type IIa Muscle Fiber.
Thus, for an individual to ensure Power continues to be developed, Power and Speed Training are necessary (Conjugate Training).
The Poster Children
Olympic Lifter are the Poster Children for Power. Olympic Lifter Power Output has been measured at 52.6 watts per kilo of body weight (Dr John Garhammer) Source:
The No Deadlift Program to Improve Your Deadlift
The only other group of athletes, that I am aware of that produce that same amount of Power Output are Shot Putters.
Olympic Lifter are also the Poster Children for Conjugate Training; employing two type of Strength Training at the same time, eliciting a synergistic effect, where metaphorically speaking 2 + 2 equals 5.
Power Rules
The majority of sports require Power. As Dr Fred Hatfield stated, in the world of sports Power is the King and Strength is the Queen.
However, to reiterate, the foundation to maintaining and developing Power is Limit Strength.
Dr Michael Stone, is one of the leading researchers in this area, previously one of the Strength Coaches at the US Olympic Training Center in Colorado Springs.
When asked what American Olympic Lifter needed to do to place higher. Stone replied, "They need to get stronger."
Evander Holyfield
Evander Holyfield is one of the few Boxers that really employed an aggressive Strength Training into his program with Dr Fred Hatfield; employing Limit Strength Training, as well as Power and Speed.
Holyfield understood the carry over increasing that Limit Strength would be to his Punching Power.
The Take Home Message
Yes, improving you technique will increase your how hard you hit, minutely.
However, for optimal Power to be produce, Limit Strength is vital.
I’m curious Kenny wether you’ve thrown many punches, ...
Qualifications
I am not quite sure what the relevance of your question is. I was and still am Powerlifter.
In college, I was in Karate. So, I threw some punch back then.
I was in some fights in my twenties. Weighting 165 lbs, I punched out a guy weighing around 210 lbs; then to make sure that he didn't get back up by dropping kicking his head with my Tony Lama Boot. Does that now qualify my response?
I spent two years doing Judo, another Power Sport. As a yellow belt, I beat a few brown belts and make a couple of black belts lives miserable in training; able to over power them due to the fact that I was much stronger than they were.
The brown and black belts were better technicians but much weaker, produce less power.
My background (noted on my profile on this site) is that I have a degree in Exercise Science and am a Certified Strength and Conditioning Specialist (CSCS) with the NSCA. Strength Coaches in the Pros and Universities usually are Certified Strength and Conditioning Specialist.
My area of expertise is in Limit Strength and Power Development. I have written/co-wrote four article on how increase Power for Powerlifing USA magazine, circa 2001.
Thus, my area coaching, that I still do a little of, involves Resistance Training Methods and Protocols for individuals in various sports as a means of increasing their Limit Strength, Power and Speed.
They then need to work with a coach in their sport on technique; leaning how to effective harness that Power.
...the OP did ask about increasing punching power specifically not increasing power generally.If you have two identical individuals one with bad punching technique & the other with great technique wouldn’t the latter hit harder?
Techniques
Let me reiterate,
Technique allows you to harness the power and fully deliver it.
Technique will minutely increase Punching Power. However, not to the same extent as increasing your Limit Strength and Power via a well written and executed Resistant Training Program.
Kenny Croxdale