How To Wrap Your Hands For Boxing

November 10, 2021

Having fought professionally in Thailand, New Zealand, and China I was exposed to many different styles of hand wrapping from various coaches and fighters. Below are 3 different hand wrapping techniques for boxing that have really endured for me and ones that I still use to this day both in my own training and with my athletes.

How To Wrap Your Hands For Boxing

Hand Wrap “Thai Style”

This style of hand wrapping I learned in Thailand and is great for providing your knuckles with extra padding and support. It has a very comfortable feel to it and really helps to absorb the brunt of the impact received on your knuckles.

Why Use This Technique?

This style of hand wrapping is recommended for more experienced boxers/fighters as it places more protection over the knuckles at the expense of protection and support at the wrist.

This means you need to be good at timing when to clench your fist before impacting with your target – something that comes with experience.

Step 1

Thread your thumb through the loop provided with your hand wrap (if you don’t have one skip to Step 2).

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Thai Style Hand Wrapping Step 1

Step 2

Wrap your hand wrap 3 times around your wrist making sure you cover a decent amount of area.

Thai Style Hand Wrapping Step 2

Step 3

Wrap your hand wrap around your hand/ knuckles 3 times.

Thai Style Hand Wrapping Step 3

Step 4

Thread your hand wrap through each of your fingers, looping back around your wrist each time.

Thai Style Hand Wrapping Step 4

Step 5

Wrap your hand wrap 1 – 2 times around your knuckles to seal everything in.

Thai Style Hand Wrapping Step 5

Step 6

Finish up on your wrist.

Thai Style Hand Wrapping Step 6

Hand Wrap “NZ Style”

This style of hand wrapping I learned in New Zealand at the first Muay Thai gym I trained and fought out of. This technique places more protection/support over the wrists and slightly less over the knuckles.

Why Use This Technique?

Often when people are new to the sport of boxing or Muay Thai they misjudge the timing of when to clench their fists and this can cause wrist injuries to occur. This style of hand wrapping places more emphasis on supporting the wrists which in turn makes it ideal for beginners.

Step 1

Thread your thumb through the loop provided with your hand wrap (if you don’t have one skip to Step 2).

NZ Style Hand Wrapping Step 1

Step 2

Wrap your hand wrap 3 times around your wrist making sure you cover a decent amount of area.

NZ Style Hand Wrapping Step 2

Step 3

Wrap your hand wrap around your hand/ knuckles 3 times.

NZ Style Hand Wrapping Step 3

Step 4

Thread your hand wrap through each of your fingers, looping back around your wrist each time

NZ Style Hand Wrapping Step 4

Step 5

Wrap your hand wrap 1 – 2 times around your knuckles to seal everything in.

NZ Style Hand Wrapping Step 5

Step 6

Finish up on your wrist.

NZ Style Hand Wrapping Step 6

Hand Wrap “No Hand Wraps”

This one isn’t a hand-wrapping technique but it is worth a mention. Not wearing hand wraps is a technique you can use to both condition your wrists and knuckles and also perfect your timing with the clenching of your fists before connecting with your punches.

Why Use This Technique?

This technique gives our knuckles and bones a bit more exposure to direct impact force which can increase Osteo Blast cells. These cells help to stimulate bone growth and in turn improve bone density.

Not only that but it is a fantastic tool for more advanced practitioners to perfect their timing when throwing punches – with the sensory feedback being you hurt your hand if you throw incorrectly. Although this may seem a little rudimentary, graded exposure is the key. Start with lighter shots and over time you will find that you feel a lot more comfortable throwing with more power.

Should You Wrap Your Hands For The Heavy Bag?

Depending on the density or how hard the heavy bag is, it is recommended that you wear hand wraps when doing so. Certain heavy bags can be very hard and if you get a badly bruised knuckle, it can take weeks and in some instances months to heal.

If your objective is to throw lighter shots and focus more on technique then you can get away without wearing wraps. However, if you are planning on bombing the bag into oblivion then you will want to wrap up!

Can You Reuse Hand Wraps?

You can definitely reuse boxing hand wraps. Good hand wraps should last you forever if you are looking after them properly.

The main thing with hand wraps is that they will get very stinky as they are essentially like the socks of your boxing gloves. Don’t be that person in the gym that everyone avoids because their wraps absolutely stink!

What Is The Best Length For Boxing Hand Wraps?

The standard hand wrap length is approximately 180 inches or 4.5 metres. Anything less than this makes it hard to fully support both your knuckles and wrist and almost defeats the purpose of wearing them.

How Many Hand Wraps Do You Need For Boxing?

How To Wrap Hands For Boxing

Ideally, you’d want to have about 3 pairs that you can work your way through during a week of training. This also helps to slow down the wear and tear process on the wraps and keeps you with fresh wraps for each striking session you jump into.

How Long Do Boxing Wraps Last?

Most boxing wraps will last you a long, long time – especially if they are from a reputable brand. Most of mine I’ve had now for over 9 years and they are still going strong. Just make sure that you wash them regularly and don’t let them get too tangled up.

How Tight Should Boxing Wraps Be?

When wrapping your hands, you want to aim for a firm fit but not one that is too restrictive or cuts off the blood flow. A common mistake is thinking that tighter is better when it comes to wraps and all this does is make your hands go numb and ache profusely.

As you wrap your hands try to think about small amounts of tension on each wrap around your wrists and knuckles and aim for a taught feeling but not restrictive or tight.

Summary

If you want a recap for a quick reference so you know how to wrap your hands for boxing, then check out my full video tutorial below.

About the author 

Steve Pipe

Steve was awarded "Best Instructor in Bangkok 2019" and has trained the likes of Superbon Banchamek, Liam Harrison, & Singdam Kiatmoo9 to name a few. He is a high-performance coach who specializes in working with elite-level Muay Thai and combat sports athletes.


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