Boxing Perspective: The Importance Of A Fighter’s Hands

A fighter can have the strongest hands in the world, but if he doesn’t have the technique on how to effectively land punches, it is as good as using a tennis racquet to deliver a jab.

Hands are the ultimate source of focus in this sport, thus a large amount of attention and care is needed to keeps those hands flexible and able.

My hand doctor is the very phenomenal Dr. Charles Melone. His other patients besides yours truly, and no, I am not a boxer, include such notable professional fighters as Evander Holyfield, Michael Moore and Arturo Gatti.

Dr. Melone describes the hands of boxers as “tools of the trade,” and says that the fighters are “allotted only so many punches in life before the knuckles start to break.” When this particular injury occurs, surgery is usually necessary to repair the ruptured tendon(s) and the fighter must wait and finish physical therapy before revisiting the ring and hitting a punching bag.

It is essential to practice prevention of this common injury before it befalls upon the fighter.

Dr. Melone advises the boxers to apply safety measures as described in Ringside and Training Principles. Some safety measures include “maintain a thumb-in-fist position” when punching, avoiding overuse of hitting, properly wrapping hands, be attentive to pain or inflammation of the hands, and use shock absorbing gloves for sparring/training.

Since boxers are so frequently injured, Dr. Melone has also designed the Everlast Evergel Glove Wraps to wear during workouts. He contrived this to protect the vulnerable parts of the hand, such as the metacarpal joints.

This glove aids in absorbing the jolt of the impact when it comes in contact with a fighter or a heavy bag, thus less force on the knuckles.

Certified hand therapist, Rita Terris, who worked with Dr. Melone, explains that it “supports the knuckles, not necessarily against the banging, but the metacarpal slip.” That injury involves repairing the tendon(s) through surgery. Adding these gloves or following these simple guidelines could unequivocally avert future injuries.

Although the main foundation of boxing is the agility and condition of the fighter’s fists, other ring-skills and talents are put into drive, by many fighters, to respond to the state of the their hand(s). This is how a fighter can reveal his other hidden skills.

Any fighter can defeat an opponent by relying solely on his hands to get the job done. A killer combo style happens when the fighter relies on and uses all of his skills; his speed, his feet, his positioning and not just what he has in his fists, to defeat an opponent.

Whether his hands are Mack truck powered or not, it is essential to use other versatile tactics of body movement and speed. This constitutes the meaning of a pure, dynamic fighter.

Being vigilant to the condition of his hands along with using his advantageous ring abilities, a fighter can make himself a sweet, sweet punch.