I'll tell u the way I learned. Stand square to the bag, strike it with the front of your fist. The bag will hit the back of the platform, then the front and then the back again. Then you strike it again. I did two strikes with each hand. Go slow at first. Remember, hitting with the knuckles flush keeps the bag moving in a straight line. Just count, when you hit the bag, 1-2-3-hit, 1-2-3-hit. good luck. Once you ge the hang of it you can speed things up. It's really not as hard as it seems.