A
hand wrap or a
wrist wrap is a strip of cloth used by
boxers (and participants in other
combat sports) to protect the
hand and
wrist against injuries induced by
punching. It is wrapped securely around the
wrist, the palm, and the base of the
thumb, where it serves to both maintain the alignment of the joints, and to compress and lend strength to the soft tissues of the hand during the impact of a punch.