Hand wrap is a strip of cloth that fighters or trainees of combat sports use to protect their hands and wrist against fracture, crack or injury induced by punching or blocking. It is wrapped securely around the wrist, the palm, the base of the thumb, and between fingers to maintain the alignment of the joints, and to compress and lend strength to the soft tissues of the hand during the impact of a punch.
Types of Hand Wraps
Although Hand wraps can be categorized in different ways, considering factors such as material, length, reusability, elasticity, ease of use, and …, in this writing we only consider the “reusability” and “ease of use” factors and come up with bellow variations:
Professional Hand Wraps
These hand wraps consist of layers of thin gauze and tape, usually applied by a cornerman or trainer. Professional wraps are common in real fights but can also be seen among many high-level boxers during training. Hand wraps used in this way are usually one-time use and are disposable.
Training Hand Wraps
Training wraps are reusable strips of cloth which have a thumb loop and a small tie-tab or tightening velcro. These hand wraps are usually non-elastic, but lately most trainees prefer to have them with slight elasticity. The length of these wraps will vary depending on rules, personal preference, hand size and age, and can be between 10 – 16 feet.
Inner Gloves or Gel Fingerless Gloves
Many trainees, especially beginners, use inner gloves instead of traditional training hand wraps as they find it more convenient and less time-consuming. These hand wraps provide the same support as the regular hand wraps and can be used in all types of training, sparring, and punching Havey bags.
Benefits of Hand Wraps
Although hand wraps add an extra layer of support and padding to trainees' hands and knuckle, which is good, the main objective of them is not to protect or pad you knuckle; instead, they are primarily used to provide a solid rock-like fist, by preventing fingers as well as knuckles sliding or breaking on each other while punching or blocking.
How to Apply Hand Wraps
