Find out how to properly wrap your hands for your boxing training sessions. Lower the risk of injury and add power and speed to your punches when hitting the heavy punch bag. Best practises taken from expert Youtube tutorials and learnt directly from licensed boxing coaches.
Follow the instructions below to learn how to wrap your hands for boxing and give it a go yourself! We recommend having a go at wrapping your hands a few times in the comfort of your own home before trying it out down the local boxing gym.
Why You Need to Wrap Your Hands
This is something that is asked often in boxing gyms around the world and the answer is quite simple really, to protect your hands and wrists. Despite their everyday use, the hands have some really delicate and at times fragile bones and joints which can be easily fractured, broken or damaged if too much pressure is put on them (through excessive force, shock or vibrations). Wrapping your wrists, hands and knuckles helps fasten and secure these sensitive, movable bones and joints firmly in place so that when you are hitting the heavy bag, the pads or your sparring partners, you don’t sustain an injury.
Wrapping your hands is especially important when training with a heavy punching bag. The tough exterior, filled interior and weight of the bag is the cause of many boxing injuries. This bag is often when fighters really give it their all and go for power punches which means the wrists can take on a tremendous amount of shock and force throughout such a workout. Wrap your hands correctly to ensure that you have happy and effective heavy bag training sessions throughout your boxing career.
Many new boxers incorrectly assume that the wraps are meant to support and cushion the knuckles but this is not the case. The knuckles are protected already by industry standard size boxing gloves which are suitably designed for intense workouts.
How to Wrap Your Hands
Initially we will simply provide a list of steps on how you can wrap your wrists to get you started. However, we intend to update this post soon with relevant pictures and videos to make learning how to wrap your hands that much easier. Please check back for this later.
1. Loop round the thumb and across the back of the hand
To prevent the wraps from slipping off as you are wrapping them (yes, before you have even thrown a punch they can slip off if done incorrectly!), loop the straps round the thumb and across the back of your hand. The straps should tighten with and clenching of your fist(s) when done correctly.
2. Wrap the wrist at lead 3 times
You should wrap at least 3 times round the wrists. Adjust and fasten for your desired level of tightness (it should feel comfortable but secure). This ensures that from the get go your wrists wont be taking all the shock from a hit to the heavy bag on themselves but that it can be distributed evenly across the whole hand, wrist and forearm.
3. Wrap the palm of your hand 3 times
Just like with the wrist, we will want to wrap round our hand at least 3 times now. You should be going across the palm of your hand and round the back.
Once you have done this, bring the roll (roll of wraps – it is always easier to wrap if you pre-roll the straps) back down to the bottom of your thumb (just where the thumb meets the wrist).
4. “X” the fingers
Next, wrap the straps in an “X” motion in between the fingers, across the back of the hand and through the space in between the next finger.
This not only allows the straps to cover your knuckles but also to offer added support and resistance once you have your hands in a fist.
5. Wrap the thumb
Make sure you wrap the thumb as this forms the foundation of a strong fist.
With enough power behind a punch and inadequate wrapping, the thumb can be seriously injured.
6. Lock your thumb in place
Bring the roll of strap round behind the thumb and across the palm of your hand before coming round the thumb again.
7. Wrap the knuckles
The bit most fighters are most eager to do, wrap the knuckles.
Go three times round the knuckles to provide some additional support to the fragile areas of the fingers round closer to the finger tips/knuckles.
8. Carry on wrapping until you have no material left.
Should you still have some material left, continue wrapping round the wrist, around the back of the hand and even do some extra “Xs” in between the fingers if there is enough material.
Continue doing this until you are out of the material and make sure to end at the wrist so you can secure the straps in place with the velcro section.
Now get training!
The more you practise the easier you will find it but ultimately, wrapping your wrists isn’t that hard. Make sure that they are comfortably tight and don’t cause you any pain then get training.
Perhaps take it at only 70% initially to get a feel for your new technique and so you don’t suffer an injury if you missed a step.
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