All You Need to Know About Boxing Hand Wraps
As a boxer, your hands are your most important tools. For this reason, it is important to take whatever preventive measures you can to protect them from pain and injury. Along with buying good and quality boxing gloves, you need to choose a decent pair of hand wraps to protect your wrists and hands from impacts.
Hand wraps are an essential item for all types of boxing training if you want to minimize the chances of injury. They protect the small bones and tendons in your hands and at the same time, they support your wrist and thumb. So, before you hit the heavy bag or spar, remember to always wrap your hands properly with high-quality boxing hand wraps, which will provide the support and protection your need during training.
Types of Boxing Hand Wraps
Traditional hand wraps
There are many different types of hand wraps available nowadays, but the traditional hand wraps are undoubtedly one of the most popular wraps for boxing. They are made from a cotton weave and they do not stretch easily. However, since they have no give, it’s very easy to wrap them that tight that they will cut off the blood to your fingers, so one should be careful. They are regarded as less comfortable than the other modern types of hand wraps that are available today. The cotton herringbone hand wraps are also reusable and it is highly recommended to wash them after each use.
Mexican hand wraps
Mexican hand wraps are stretchy, safe and very comfortable, which makes them one of the most widely used wraps in boxing. They are made of a stretchy semi-elastic material and tend to stay tight for the whole training session, so you can make a fist and throw a good punch comfortably without feeling the wraps cut into your hands and fingers. They are really comfortable and reusable, which has made them even more popular in recent years.
Gauze bandage hand wraps
This type of hand wraps is commonly used by professionals and semi-professionals and they are used with a combination of sports tape. Gauze bandage hand wraps are soft, elastic and also reusable. These hand wraps can be used in two main ways: the gauze can be wrapped tightly all around your wrist and knuckles to compress your hand and hold the joints and bones together. Gauze can also be layered up over your knuckles to form a thick pad that will protect them from injury. It is highly recommended to have one person to help you put them on and tape them up properly so that you get the protection you need.
Things to Consider
The style of hand wraps you will choose is just a matter of personal preference. Some people like the comfort of the elastic hand wraps, others prefer the tighter fit the traditional hand wraps provide while gauze bandage wraps are used only for competitions.
Both, the traditional and Mexican style hand wraps are machine-washable and reusable, and both feature Velcro straps.
Boxing wraps come in several lengths, with 180 inches and 108 inches being the two most common. Many fighters and boxers opt for wraps with a longer length as it gives them the extra support and protection they need. Longer hand wraps can be wrapped more around the knuckles and provide additional support to your wrist.
Even though it doesn’t matter what color of hand wraps you will choose to use, still it’s worth mentioning that traditional and modern hand wraps today are available in a variety of attractive colors. Hand wraps are also available in many cool designs such as emoji hand wraps and comic strip hand wraps.
How to Wrap Your Hands
There are several ways to wrap your hands, but the principles of each method are the same: pad your knuckles, bind your hand, and support your wrist. The most important thing you need to remember is that your hand wraps must by comfortable so that they won’t be cutting circulation to your fingers. If you feel uncomfortable, unwrap your hands and do it again and this time not so tight. The first few times you wear your hand wraps will feel a bit strange, but after a few training sessions, you wouldn’t want to fight without them.
