How to Wrap Hands for Boxing: Ensuring Maximum Protection

When stepping into the boxing ring, ensuring the safety of your hand and wrist is paramount. Before you even throw a few punches, it's essential to understand the importance of properly wrapping your hands. Not only does it cushions the impact when you hit, but it also protects your hands from injuries.

Boxing isn't just about strength; it's about technique, and part of that technique is ensuring you're well-equipped. Hand wraps play a crucial role in this. They provide the extra padding needed between your hands and the boxing gloves, ensuring that every punch you throw is both powerful and safe.

1. Start with the Loop: Place the loop at the top of your thumb. Ensure the wrap lies flat against your hand. The wrap should feel secure but not so tight as to cut off circulation.

   
   

2. Wrist Wrapping: Wrap the material 4 times around the wrist. This provides the necessary support to prevent wrist injuries.

   
   

3. Cover the Knuckles: Move upwards to cover the knuckles, ensuring you don't wrap too tightly. Your fingers should be able to move freely.

   
   

4. Between the Fingers: The wrap should go between the middle and ring fingers. This ensures that the cotton wraps stay in place even when you make a fist.

   
   
5. Secure the Thumb: Loop the wrap around the base of your thumb. This provides extra protection and ensures the thumb isn't left vulnerable.

As you continue your journey in boxing, mastering the art of wrapping becomes second nature. But it's always good to revisit and refine, ensuring that every wrap is as perfect as the last.

Hand wraps aren't just pieces of cloth; they're a boxer's first line of defense. They ensure that the middle finger, often the most exerted during a punch, is well protected. They also ensure that the impact on the knuckles is cushioned, reducing the risk of fractures or bruises.

There are several varieties of hand wraps used in boxing. Let's explore them. The most commonly used hand wraps in boxing include Cloth/Cotton Wraps and Tape/Gauze. However, nowadays, many boxers are transitioning to Inner Gloves, Fast Wraps, and Elastic ‘Mexican Style’ Wraps for their training sessions.

The dark grey Rival Guerrero hand wraps are known for their durability and comfort. On the other hand, if you're looking for something quick and easy to wear, the black & white Bytomic red label quick hand wraps might be your best bet. For our younger boxing enthusiasts, the black Bytomic kids handwraps are perfect for smaller hands.

While the basic technique remains the same, the type of hand wrap you choose can vary based on your needs. For instance:

Training Sessions: You might want a wrap that's easy to put on and take off, like the Bytomic red label hand wraps.

Professional Matches: Opt for something more durable and protective, such as the Rival Guerrero hand wraps.

Young Boxers: It's crucial to ensure that the wraps are suitable for their hand size. The Venum 2.5m Hand Wraps are designed keeping in mind the anatomy of smaller hands.

Avoid Overstretching: While it's essential to ensure the wrap is snug, stretching it too much can cut off circulation.

Mind the Padding: The area over the knuckles should have extra padding. This not only cushions the impact but also ensures that the boxing gloves fit snugly over the hands.

Practice Makes Perfect: The more you learn how to wrap, the better you'll get at it. So, practice, practice, and practice some more!

Once you've mastered the art of wrapping, the next step is to find the perfect pair of boxing gloves. These gloves are designed to fit snugly over your wrapped hands, providing an additional layer of protection. They ensure that every punch thrown is powerful yet safe, minimizing the risk of injury to both you and your opponent.

While the focus has been on hand wraps and gloves, it's crucial to understand that every piece of equipment in a boxer's kit has a purpose:

Headgear: Protects against cuts, bruises, and concussions.

Mouthguards: Shields the teeth and jaw, reducing the risk of oral injuries.

Shin Guards: Essential for those practicing Muay Thai or kickboxing, they protect the shins from painful kicks.

At made4fighters, we pride ourselves on offering the latest and best in boxing equipment. Whether you're a newbie looking to start your boxing journey or a seasoned pro aiming to upgrade your gear, we've got you covered.

Boxers wrap their hands to provide additional support to the wrists, stabilize the knuckles, and protect the hands from injuries. The wraps cushion the impact when punches are thrown, reducing the risk of fractures or bruises. They also prevent the bones and tissues in the hand from any damage during a bout or training session.

Yes, boxers use specialized bandages known as hand wraps. These are not the typical bandages you'd find in a first aid kit. They are made of cotton, elastic, or a blend of materials, designed specifically to provide support and protection to the hands and wrists during boxing.

Yes, Mike Tyson, like all professional boxers, used hand wraps during his training sessions and fights. Hand wraps are a standard and essential piece of equipment in boxing to ensure hand and wrist safety.

Not wrapping your hands for boxing can lead to various injuries. The impact from punches can cause fractures, sprains, or bruises to the hands and wrists. Without the support and cushioning of hand wraps, the risk of damaging the bones, tendons, and tissues in the hand increases significantly.

Hand wraps should be snug but not so tight that they cut off circulation. It's essential to ensure that the fingers can move freely and that there's no numbness in the hand. The key is to find a balance where the wrap provides support without causing discomfort.

Wrist wraps are primarily designed to support the wrist during weightlifting. While they can provide some level of support in boxing, they don't offer the comprehensive protection that boxing hand wraps do. For boxing, it's recommended to use proper hand wraps that cover both the wrist and hand.

The boxer you're referring to is Luis Resto. In a 1983 match against Billy Collins Jr., Resto's gloves were tampered with, and padding was removed, making his punches more damaging. It was later discovered that not only were the gloves tampered with, but Resto's hands were also wrapped in plaster of Paris, which hardens like cement. This incident led to significant changes in boxing regulations.

If your hand wraps hurt, it could be due to several reasons:

They might be wrapped too tightly, cutting off circulation.

The wrapping technique might not be correct, causing uneven pressure on the hand.

The material of the hand wrap might be causing an allergic reaction or irritation.

It's essential to ensure that the wraps are applied correctly and comfortably.

Stacking hand wraps, or using multiple wraps on one hand, can lead to reduced mobility in the hand, uneven distribution of padding, and excessive tightness, which can cut off circulation. It's essential to use a single, appropriate-length wrap for each hand to ensure proper protection and comfort.