BEGINNER'S GUIDE TO BOXING EQUIPMENT

IMAGE: Christopher Dendle INSTAGRAM

Boxing is a relatively affordable sport to get into when you are first starting out. All you really need is some basic equipment to protect yourself while you are pouring all the hard work and determination out in gym.

For home workouts with a punch bag and no partners, you will need:

• skipping rope
• training gloves
• hand wraps
• an interval/ round timer

For training with a partner, you will need:

• sparring gloves
• head guard
• mouth guard
• groin protector (or chest protector for females)

 All to be done under supervision in a Boxing Gym with coaches and trainers.

Hand Wraps

It is crucial to protect your hands as they are your weapons. Hand wraps provide protection for the hundreds of little bones in your hands. They soak up sweat, and prevent you from bleeding all over the place due to scraped knuckles. Using hand wraps can prolong the life of your gloves. STING’s range of hand wraps are carefully designed to provide maximum performance, while protecting your hands during training and competition.

Head Guards

Invest in a durable head guard! It is a padded helmet that protects your head from soft tissue damage (this includes cuts, scrapes and swelling). STING’s core range of head guards are designed with comfort lining, minimal slip and ample protection. They are also approved by AIBA and used by world federations worldwide.

Training Gloves

Training gloves are different from sparring or competition gloves. They are designed with sufficient padding to protect your hands while you punch the heavy bag. Their purpose is to protect your knuckles while hitting the bags and shields. You should invest in a quality pair as poor quality gloves disintegrates on the bag very quickly where you could sustain an injury.

Sparring Gloves

As mentioned, training gloves and sparring gloves are not the same. Training gloves are padded just enough to prevent hand injuries during punch bag workouts, whereas sparring gloves are designed to minimise the damage done to you and your partner. These gloves have extra padding and are shaped differently. Sparring Gloves have a balanced weight distribution from the padded knuckles to the wrist support. If you are training with a partner, sparring gloves are a must.

So, how do you define a good pair of gloves? Different people have different needs. However, the best boxing gloves should:

• be comfortable to wear with hand wraps on
• fit your hands, wrists and fingers perfectly
• not put any pressure on parts of your hands to shape in a certain way
• be durable
• have excellent cushioning qualities and feel great!!