Do You Need Hand Wraps with Your Boxing Gloves?

To avoid permanent damage to your hand during training or competition in boxing, you need hand wraps with gloves. They secure your loose joints and moveable bones to fix them properly so they can’t move on impact. According to the British Boxing Board of Control, “Bandages are permitted to protect hands. These must be 2-inch wide soft bandages and 1-inch zinc oxide plaster. The tape must not be applied over the knuckles.”

Almost every beginner starts boxing as a power puncher and slugger which involves a higher risk of a hand injury. If you throw punches without hand wrapping, a metacarpal injury, sprain injury, or phalange damage can be done. You can avoid all of them by wearing high-quality custom hand wraps.

Why is Wrapping Crucial with Boxing Gloves? Understanding the Hand Anatomy

Boxing, a sport known for its physical demands and intensity, requires protective fight gear, skills, and strategy. The hand protection of the boxer is at the center of their safety. A human hand has different types of bones that you need to protect. These bones in the hands are fragile and any damage will negatively impact the fighter’s performance. Even though boxing gloves are highly effective for hand protection, they offer two types of protection when combined with hand wraps.

• Hand Wraps: Secure your hand’s moveable bones and loose joints. They provide extra padding between the gloves and your hands, ensuring every punch you throw is safe and powerful.
• Boxing Gloves: Cush the impact of a punch to protect your hand and your opponent’s face and body.

Due to the complex structure of the human hand, wrapping can have the following benefits.

Prevent Hand Injuries

A study by the American Journal of Sports Medicine found that hand wrapping reduces the risk of hand injuries by up to 50%, in combat sports. Athletes can prevent sprains, fractures, and dislocations by wrapping their hands. The practice reduces the risk of acute injuries and helps prevent long-term damage to the hand and wrist joints.

Performance Enhancement

Boxers who use hand wraps experience physical protection and a significant boost in their confidence. According to the International Journal of Sports Physiology and Performance, the increased sense of security leads athletes to a perceived ability to deliver stronger and more effective punches without the fear of injuries. However, the combination of physical protection and mental assurance significantly optimizes the performance of athletes in the ring.

Enhanced Support & Stability

Hand wraps are an essential part of your boxing gear offering essential support to the wrists and stabilizing the bones in the hand during high-impact activities. Also, they reduce the stress on the metacarpal bones, which are most susceptible to fracture during boxing. With such enhanced support to the hand, the boxers can throw proper punches with a noticeable decrease in hand injuries.

Shock Absorption

The padding provided by boxing hand wraps plays a vital role in absorbing the shock from punches during the sport, reducing the risk of bruising. Biomechanical studies have demonstrated that the shock-absorption properties of a hand wrap distribute the impact force, lessening the strain on the single part of the hand. This highlights hand wraps’ crucial nature as an injury prevention tool and is important for maintaining long-term hand health.

How Do You Know If Your Hands Are Wrapped Properly?

When wrapping your hands, ensure they feel comfortably fit without being too tight, allowing for wrist flexibility and finger movement. Also, a wrap should provide pressure without restricting blood circulation or creating pressure points. It is important to have proper padding around your knuckles and proper support for your wrist. If you experience any tingling, numbness, or loss of circulation in your fingers, it means that wraps are too tight. Finally, the wraps should stay in place and provide proper support without unraveling or loosening.

How to Wrap Your Hands?

As you continue your boxing journey, perfecting the art of wrapping is essential to gain real benefits. Here is how you can wrap your hands perfectly.

• Start with the wrap loop around your thumb, and unroll the wrap over the back of your hand.
• Wrap around your wrist 3-4 times, depending on your size.
• From the wrist, move up to the area between your thumb and index finger, and then wrap around the back of your thumb.
• Next, wrap across the palm of your hand and around the outside of your hand, crossing over the back of your hand to your wrist.
• Continue wrapping around each finger, starting with the pinky and working towards the index finger, creating an X pattern over the back of your hand with each pass.
• After the fingers, wrap around your thumb again, then move back across the palm to the wrist.
• Finish by wrapping the wrist several more times for added support.
• Secure the Velcro at the end of the wrap to ensure everything stays in place.
• Flex your hand and fingers to ensure the wrap is not too tight.

Boxing Hand Wrap Tips

Along with knowing the right way to wrap your hand with boxing gloves, you should also know a few important considerations including:

• Buy legal and high-quality boxing wraps for hands made of durable materials.
• Ensure that the wrap feels comfortable all the time.
• Fighters who throw hooks don’t tight their wrist.
• Those who throw straight punches should make a tight roll around their wrist.
• Keep the wrap even across your wrist and hand to efficiently distribute support.

Hand Wraps & Boxing Gloves: A Perfect Pair

Hand wrapping and a pair of high-quality gloves are the most needed products in boxing. Boxers must wrap their hands before bouts or practice. They are designed to protect your hands by providing essential support to the bones and joints, reducing the risk of severe injuries. The boxing gloves and wraps are indispensable for training and competitions.

Choosing high-quality materials in both wraps and gloves is crucial for the desired protection, support, comfort, and durability. Some companies offer custom hand wraps for boxing, boxing gloves, and fight gear in superior quality for men, women, and kids in custom designs. Their products enable boxers to focus on their performance and technique with the assurance that they remain protected against the rigorous demands of the sport.