How to Tape Wrists for Boxing

Taping your wrists before you box helps protect the bones in the hand from breaking. The wrist tape also helps prevent the knuckles and the wrists from jamming during a match. Wrap your hands and wrists very tightly and make multiple passes across your knuckles for extra cushioning and protection.

Things You'll Need

  • Mexican hand wrap
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Instructions

    • 1

      Place the thumb through the loop at the beginning of a roll of Mexican hand wrap. Pull the wrist tape across the back of the hand and under the wrist, about 5 inches down, and begin wrapping your wrist very tightly.

    • 2

      Make 3 loops around the wrist with the tape, winding up until you reach the top of the wrist. Make the fourth loop over the base of the thumb and across the palm of the hand, going back down between the thumb and the fingers.

    • 3

      Continue to wrap the wrist tape around the palm of the hand, covering the knuckles. There should be at least 2 loops that cover the knuckles on your hand and go as high as the first knuckle on your fingers. Keep your fingers slightly splayed while wrapping.

    • 4

      Use wrist tape to make an "X" by taping from the little finger to encircle the wrist. Loop around the wrist, then come back around and between the thumb and your fingers. Make at least 2 passes, or 2 X's, to protect the small bones in the back of your hand.

    • 5

      Wrap another loop around your hand just below the first knuckles on your fingers and work your way around, covering the X's.

    • 6

      Protect the thumb by taping across the top of the hand, across the top of the thumb and then around the thumb, bringing the wrist tape back up between the thumb and the fingers. Continue across the top of the hands and across the knuckles, then go back around the thumb in the opposite direction.

    • 7

      Continue this entire process until you use the full roll of Mexican hand wrap. Go back and forth, creating the X's across the back of the hand, securing them with circular wraps and making additional wraps around the wrist.