Hand/wrist wraps

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Hand wraps made of gauze and tape are frequently worn under boxing gloves for competition. This wrap primarily supports the wrist and knuckles, but each athlete has their preference.

Hand and wrist wraps are strips of cloth used in boxing and martial arts to wrap around the hand for protection and to assure a proper fit for boxing gloves.

There are many bones in the human hand and striking surfaces can cause serious, possibly permanent, injuries, including nerve damage and broken bones. Such fractures are so common that a fracture of the fifth metacarpal is commonly called a "boxer's fracture," although other parts of the hand, wrist and nerves may also be damaged. Hand and wrist wraps are used to secure the bones in the hand, allowing boxers to throw punches with more force than if they did not utilize them. This can make the boxer's hands have extra weight, but it also allows them to feel less pain when punching.

Each athlete, cornerman or cutman has a preferred wrapping style, based on the situation. Variations can be used to provide more wrist support, thumb support, padding for the knuckles or less fabric within the fist. Sometimes a single wrap between fingers to help stabilize the wrap and keep it from "riding up" within a looser-fitting glove. Competition rules may restrict the type and amount of material used, giving each fighter a limited amount of gauze and tape which may be divided and rolled in various ways for a particular fighter or match.

Training wraps are usually re-usable cloth and may be secured with a small tie-tab or with velcro. Conventional handwraps are non-elastic. Mexican-style handwraps are slightly elasticized and are popular with many boxers. The length of wraps will vary depending on personal preference, hand size and the type of glove to be worn, with shorter wraps common for fingerless "grappling gloves" used in mixed martial arts. A new alternative to handwraps consist of fingerless gel-lined gloves worn inside standard boxing gloves; these can be used for bag work, but not for sparring or competition.