A boxer with a bad hand is just as ineffective as a left halfback with a bad ankle.

Proper-Hand-Bandaging

Let me stress here that a boy without bandages on his hands should never box or hit a bag.

The following procedure for bandaging is proper: Place hand outstretched with the back of the hand facing up, and fingers spread apart at least half an inch. This is very important to assure that the bandage will not be too tight when the fist is closed. A loop made in one end of the bandage should be slipped over the thumb. Start the bandage high on the wrist and wrap it fairly tight, to minimize bending of the wrist when the boxer strikes. (See Illustration 1.) Wrap the bandages over the back of the bones (metacarpals) between the knuckles and the wrist almost down to the first joint of the fingers. Make at least three loops over the thumb to fully protect the big joint of the thumb (Illustrations 2 and 3).

The boxer should open and close his fist three or four times during the wrapping so that the bandages will be neither too tight nor too loose (Illustration 3).

Let me emphasize the importance of taking proper care of the wrists, bones of the hands, and the thumbs. Most important is proper bandaging of the backs of the hands, rather than the knuckles. Many people mistakenly consider the latter proper and adequate protection.

In preparation for a regular match use surgical gauze for bandages, as shown in the illustrations. Up to 10 yards is necessary, depending upon the size of the boy's hands. For training sessions, ankle wraps cut in five-yard lengths, elastic bandages, or even carpet binding, are satisfactory. A hole in one end to slip over the thumb, and a split at the other end for tying purposes will do the trick. The boys should straighten out their bandages after each ses­sion and hang them up in their lockers to dry.

The Correct Position of the Hand When Hitting

Proper hand-bandaging minimizes hand injuries, but the coach must still teach his boys how to hit properly to fur­ther avoid all possible injuries. Once a boxer learns to hit properly, he is rarely troubled by hand injuries. When starting either a left jab or a right cross, point the four knuckles of both hands outward, and the thumb knuckle upward (Illustration 4). When the left jab or right cross lands, the finger knuckles should be pointing upward, and the thumb knuckle inward (Illustration 5). This is a very important point and cannot be stressed too strongly.

At the start of a left hook, the finger knuckles are point­ing outward, and the thumb knuckle upward, as shown in Illustration 4. When the left hook lands, the knuckles are turned inward to the right, but the thumb knuckle must remain pointing upward. In other words, with both the left jab and right cross there is a sort of corkscrew twist from start to finish. (Illustrations 4 and 5.) This is not true with the hook. In the execution of a hook, the thumb knuckle starts and finishes pointing upward (Illustration 6). In this connection, note Illustration 7 (the wrong way to land a left hook).

I always insist that boxers I am coaching keep their fists closed from bell to bell. No high school, college, or ama­teur boxer has enough experience to keep his gloves half open until the moment of contact. A boy trying this will, at some time or other, miss on his timing and a hand injury may result. He should at all times make an "even fist," meaning all knuckles should be even across (no knuckle protruding) when the first is closed (note Illustration 4). When the fist lands, see to it that all four knuckles make contact at the same time, both for the sake of safety and for maximum striking power (see Illustration 5).

Another rule, an important one for proper hitting, is: never bend the wrist when hitting. Many boys make this mistake, particularly when throwing a hook. Make this a hard and fast rule: keep the forearm rigid from the knuckles of the closed fist up to the elbow. If your boys remember this rule they will have better hitting power and no sprained wrists (note Illustration 8).

I deem it all-important to bring a boy along step-by-step. Each step is contingent upon the previous one. If a boy is not in condition he will likely lose to an inferior boxer who has been properly conditioned. Hence the stress on road work.  Your boxer may have a "Mike Gibbons" left hand, and a "Joe Louis" right, but ignorance of how to wrap his hands properly or hit correctly may nullify this punching ability. I again stress the fact that boxing is not a difficult sport to master. The basic fundamentals, when well executed, are sufficient to assure frequent victories.

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