How to wrap your hands and how to do it properly for boxing is very important for preventing injuries and punching harder. In addition, wrapping your hands will help keep all of your joints and bones in the hands in place after repeated punching.
But before we explain how to wrap your hands for boxing, you need to know that hand wraps are not meant to cushion the impacts when you hit your opponent, mitts, or the heavy bag. The main reason for wrapping your hands before putting your boxing gloves on is to fasten all your joints together so the shock is better distributed across the entire hand and therefore, prevent a fracture.
Expert boxing says that “if your hands are loose when you punch, it’s very easy for small joints in your hand to collapse over each other and break. Even if you don’t break your hand, you don’t want to risk hand injuries that prevent you from doing other things in life like typing on a computer, holding a pen, or carrying things. Save your hands for life after boxing!”
What types of hand wraps are there?
For wrapping your hands, you will need, of course, a pair of hand wraps. Depending on your size you will need 120” or go up to 180”. There are several types of hand wraps you can use:
- Traditional: These create a tighter fit and are used always in every training before you put on your boxing gloves. They are specifically designed to prevent injuries in the wrist, knuckles and fingers.
- Quick wraps: This is a wrap that eliminates the need for hand wrapping and you just slip it onto your hands. It is a fast alternative to the traditional way.
- Tape: If you are sparring or fighting you can use strapping tape. It is also useful for tapping up fight gloves as well.
- Cotton inners: This is a lighter type of hand wrap and it is great for sweat protection inside your glove.
If you are wondering how to choose between traditional hand wraps and quick wraps, here is a table published by Punch Equipment that you may find useful:
| Pros of hand wraps | Pros of quick wraps |
| Creates a tight fit | Quick and easy |
| Protects better against injuries | Less time wrapping and more time training |
| Perfect for seasoned boxers | Ideal for beginners |
As for cotton inners, you should go for high-quality material that will surely last longer and can be washed many times. However, they may shrink after several washes.
According to their material, these are the types of hand wraps you can choose from:
- Cotton wraps: They are good for frequent training and they come in adult and junior lengths with a secured Velcro at the end.
- Mexican wraps: These are similar to cotton wraps but have woven elastic fibers that allow them to mold more easily.
- Gel wraps: These are slipped on like a fingerless glove and are more expensive than the first two options. However, they don’t provide too much support.
- Competition wraps: These are made of gauze and tape and there are boxing rulebooks that specify the exact amount that can be used so that both fighters have the same amount of padding. They are not reusable.
How to wrap your hands for heavy bag and boxing in general
Here are some easy steps for wrapping your hands for boxing, whether you are going to use the heavy bag or do sparring, follow them and practice until you find the perfect fit for you! You can also check out our video and follow along.
- Start with the knuckles. Go once around them starting from the opposite side of your palm.
- Go between your fingers. Take the hand wraps through your fingers and immediately around your wrist. This will keep your knuckles separated but also in place for support. Start between your index and middle finger and work your way to your pinky. Then go around your wrist and between your thumb and index fingers twice.
- Finish wrapping around the wrist. This way you will have more support for the wrist. Do it until you run out of hand wraps.
Consider that if you can’t complete three or more final wraps around the wrist then you wraps are probably too small for you and you should consider buying longer ones that will give you full protection. On the other hand, if you have too much leftover, then you will probably need shorter wraps.
The reason for getting the perfect wraps is that if you wrap too much you won’t be able to make a good fist and if you don’t wrap enough you could get hurt. And don’t wrap so tight that you lose circulation!
