Punching a bag or an opponent puts a lot of stress and strain on a boxer's hands. When you punch an opponent with your boxing glove, your hand bones contact the bones of your opponent's body, which can lead to pain and injury. However, fighters can reduce that stress by taking the proper precautions before a match or training session.
Step 1
Boxers know to wrap their hands before putting on your boxing gloves for a bout or training session. If you are using 180-inch Mexican hand wraps, start by wrapping the cloth around your wrist three times. This provides a base for the rest of your hand, according to boxing gyms.com. Next wrap your thumb and the bottom part of your hand. Take the wrap over the second knuckle before securing it and putting on your boxing gloves
Step 2
Throw punches with your entire body. Use your legs, hips, core muscles and upper body in addition to your shoulders, elbows, forearms and fists as you land each blow. This allows you to throw punches with more force. The point of impact remains the fist, but using your entire body to throw punches spreads the force of the blows and lessens the chance of injury.
Step 3
Deliver your punches squarely. If you miss your mark when you deliver a punch and the bulk of the force is delivered by your ring and small fingers, you put more stress on that area than it can handle. That increases the chances of a hand injury. Punching squarely so the bulk of the blow is delivered by the index and middle fingers is less likely to lead to injuries.
Step 4
Wear oversize gloves for all sparring sessions. Gloves with extra padding reduce the stress on your hands when you land a punch. Boxing gloves are regularly 8, 10 or 12 oz. for professional matches. Sparring gloves are normally 14 or 16 oz. Wear heavier sparring gloves for the most protection.
Things You'll Need
- Boxing gloves
- Boxing hand wraps
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