Rules on Boxing Hand Wraps

The sight of the boxer with his wraps on is one of the most iconic in sports. Boxing training puts a lot of strain on your hands and wrists and can lead to broken hands and sprained wrists. If you’re serious about boxing training, you need to look after your hands. There are different types of wraps for different applications. While different schools and organizations may have their own rules concerning hand wraps, there are basic common guidelines.

  1. Why Wrap?

    • Bones in the hand are delicate and you can easily damage them if you connect badly with pads, bags or sparring partners. Wraps and gloves help protect the hands, allowing you to punch harder without worrying about injury.

      Hand wraps keep the knuckles and other bones of the hand together. They also fill your gloves, so you hit your target with a solid block, rather than leaving space for your hand to move around. Wraps around your wrists stabilize them and help prevent you from damaging your wrists by punching with incorrect alignment.

      Wearing some form of hand wrap is common even in aerobic or light-contact kickboxing. They help soak up sweat, which increases the longevity of your gloves and helps to prevent them smelling.

    How to Wrap

    • Wraps have a loop at one end and a Velcro fastening at the other. Hook the loop over your thumb, then begin wrapping it around your hand and wrist. After wrapping around the wrist, start wrapping around the thumb and the fingers. Pull the wrap tight with every pass over the wrist so that it is comfortably tight. The end result should feel solid.

    Types

    • The best type of wraps for you depends on the type of training you are doing.

      Ordinary cotton wraps come in different lengths. Shorter ones take less time to put on, while longer ones offer more support. They range from 6 to 15 feet.

      Padded wraps have foam or gel padding covering the knuckles and either a glove-like fastening or a short amount of wrap to stabilize the wrist. They go on fast and are convenient to wear.

      Hand guards resemble padded knuckle-dusters that can be slipped over your fingers, covering your knuckles. They are worn over ordinary wraps and provide additional padding for your fist.

      Slip-on wraps look like fingerless gloves. Sometimes they have light padding but they are only suitable for light work. They absorb sweat but do not protect the wrist.

      Professional boxers will have their hands wrapped with bandages and tape until it is almost solid.

    Always wear wraps

    • Applying wraps can be a pain, especially the long ones. Make sure you wear them properly, as there are few things as frustrating as injuring yourself because you haven’t bothered to put them on. All it takes is one misplaced strike to leave you injured for a long time. They can be time-consuming to put on, so make sure you leave a bit of extra time before class to put them on properly. You might get a reputation as a warm-up dodger if you constantly find yourself doing your wraps as the rest of the class are going through their paces.

    Care

    • Always wash wraps after you use them. If you train regularly, you will need several pairs. Washing them inside a sock bag keeps them from tying together everything in the washing machine. Roll them up neatly after they dry for ease of storage, transportation and application.