Boxing gloves are designed to protect your hands from injuries while you train. However, when your boxing gloves hurt your hands it isn’t always what you’re doing that’s causing the pain.
A proper pair of boxing gloves should be snug and allow you to make a fist without discomfort. The glove padding should also be dense and evenly distributed.
1. They’re Too Tight
In boxing it’s important to make sure that the hand wraps and boxing gloves fit well. This will help protect your hands from injury and provide a comfortable fit, which is particularly important for beginners who are new to the sport and may not have developed strong wrist or forearm muscles yet.
If the glove is too tight it will be pushing back against your knuckles, which can lead to bruising. It’s also a good idea to use a wrist support to help keep your wrist straight when punching, and incorporate wrist curls and extensions into your training. This will also help to strengthen the muscles in your wrists and forearms, which can help to cushion the impact of the punches.
The type of boxing gloves you wear can also have an effect on how much force is transferred to your knuckles. For example, competition gloves are often made to be a bit lighter than amateur boxing gloves so that opponents can feel the power of your punches. In addition, professional boxing gloves have more padding in the knuckles to protect the fighter against injury. If you prefer convenience without sacrificing quality, Revgear offers a range of hook-and-loop gloves that provide a perfect balance of comfort and security for all your training needs.
It’s also important to remember that the padding in boxing gloves is designed to absorb and disperse impact, rather than completely absorbing it. This means that even a well-fitting pair of boxing gloves can cause injuries if you use poor technique when throwing your punches, or if you are using a very heavy pair of gloves.
If you are a beginner, we recommend starting with lightweight boxing gloves that offer good wrist and forearm support, and don’t require any breaking in. This will help reduce the risk of injury as you gradually increase your training frequency and intensity.
2. They’re Too Big
A pair of boxing gloves are a crucial part of training for any fighter, martial artist or boxer and serve two major purposes: protecting your hands from injury and helping you to deliver a more powerful punch. However, if your boxing gloves are too big or don’t fit properly, they can cause pain and potentially even damage your wrists and joints.
It’s important to find a pair of boxing gloves that fit your hand well, especially when you are just starting out. You should look for a glove that has a secure closure around your wrist and that allows you to move your hand inside of the glove freely without feeling tight or restrictive. You should also consider the weight of your boxing gloves; the heaviest ones are typically best for sparring, while lighter pair are ideal for cardio kickboxing and boxing exercise.
Boxing gloves are designed to gradually decelerate the impact of a punch by transferring the force into something other than your hands, reducing the peak stresses and pressures. This is why heavier gloves tend to hurt less than lighter pairs, despite their greater bulk. However, padding density and thickness also matters as too thin or loose a material may not absorb the full force of a blow, leading to shock waves that transmit through your wrists and hands and can lead to pain and injury.
To combat this, it is advisable to use a quality pair of boxing gloves that are designed with durable materials like PU leather and are suitable for your level of training. You can also help to protect your hands by training correctly, gradually increasing the intensity and duration of your boxing sessions. Strengthening exercises that target your wrists and forearms can also be a great way to build up the muscles in these areas, helping them to better withstand the impact of a punch.
3. They’re Too Light
The ideal boxing glove is snug and comfortable, allowing your hands to move naturally. They also allow you to deliver powerful punches and feel like an extension of your fists.
A key component to this is the padding. Typically, the more dense the padding is, the bigger and heavier the gloves will be. Boxers often use layered foam or IMF padding to give the gloves varying levels of density in different parts of the glove, protecting high-impact areas like the knuckles and wrists. Other factors impacting the padding include if the gloves are made for sparring or heavy bag training, and whether they use horsehair or gel to provide shock absorption.
When choosing the right pair of boxing gloves, it’s important to consider your goals and workout needs. For example, lighter gloves (8-10 oz) are perfect for speed work and partner drills, while heavier ones (16-20 oz) are better for pad or heavy bag workouts and light technical sparring.
You can further protect your hands by wearing wrist wraps that keep the boxing gloves securely attached to your wrists during training. Wrapping properly is important because it can help to prevent the gloves from slipping off during intense workouts, which can cause hand injuries. Boxing gloves should also be wiped down after every use and stored in a cool, dry place to avoid unpleasant odors and to prolong their lifespan.
4. They’re Not Enough Padding
When you hit the heavy bag, it’s important to focus on technique and power. But it’s also a good idea to pay attention to the fit, padding, weight, and material of your boxing gloves, because these details can make or break your heavy bag workout.
The ideal pair of boxing gloves will be snug without causing any pain or discomfort in your hands. But the size of your hand will also play a role in the fit of the glove, with smaller gloves often having less padding and therefore more of a tendency to hurt your knuckles when punching.
Heavier gloves (such as those worn in sparring) offer more padding to protect the hands from the impact of heavier punches, but they can still cause pain if you train too hard or with poor form. It’s essential that you use the proper form when training with boxing gloves to prevent wrist strain. This can be achieved through a combination of the right training techniques and properly wrapping your wrists.
Achieving a smooth and precise punch is all about balance. For this reason, it’s a good idea to alternate between lighter and heavier gloves for heavy bag workouts. This will help to spread the impact over a wider range of muscles and avoid overworking one particular muscle group.
It’s also worth noting that getting punched with bare fists hurts more than punches delivered in boxing gloves. This is due to the fact that when a punch lands, it creates a bigger surface area and transmits more impact force to the opponent’s body. This can result in more intense pain depending on the amount of force, location and area sensitivity.
5. They’re Not Correctly Wrapped
Hand wraps are a vital piece of equipment for anyone who trains boxing or any other striking sport. They help protect your wrists and hands from injury, especially when you’re throwing punches against a heavy bag or sparring with another fighter. However, hand wraps are only effective if they’re correctly wrapped. If not, they can actually cause your hand and wrist injuries.
Wrapping your hands properly can be difficult and confusing at first, but it becomes a habit after some time. The best way to make sure you’re wrapping your hands properly is to ask a professional coach or someone who knows how to do it. A proper wrap helps prevent your hand from slipping inside the gloves and allows you to punch harder without hurting yourself.
To wrap your hands, start by placing the cloth in a “C” shape around your hand and wrist. Then, take the end of the cloth and fold it back behind your thumb and down your palm. This lock will secure the thumb and keep the wrap from sliding around your knuckles. Next, wrap the thumb section three times around your fingers. Once you’ve done that, wrap the rest of your hands as usual. After your hands are wrapped, fasten the velcro on your wrist and throw a few punches against a heavy bag to make sure they’re secured well and comfortable enough to train in.
Boxing is a great way to build strength, endurance, and confidence. But it’s important to remember that your safety is the most important thing. If your boxing gloves aren’t protecting your wrists and hands properly, it’s time to replace them. If you know the signs that your gloves need replacing, it’ll be easier to maintain proper form and avoid injury.
