Many boxing fans wonder why professional fighters have so many different kinds of boxing gloves, and why they don’t use their fists instead.
So do boxing gloves hurt more than fists? Do boxing gloves let you punch harder?
This article will discuss whether boxing gloves hurt more than fists.
Do Boxing Gloves Hurt More Than Fists?
Yes, boxing gloves hurt more than bare fists because:
- Boxing Gloves Protect Your Hands, Not Your Opponent’s Head
- Boxing Gloves Have A Greater Surface Area
- Boxing Gloves Can Do More Internal Damage
- Boxing Gloves Can Weigh More And Have Less Padding
Tests show that a bare-knuckle punch generates more force than a punch with boxing gloves.
However, when considering a large number of punches, boxing gloves will do more damage than bare fists.
Boxing Gloves Protect Your Hands, Not Your Opponent’s Head
First, boxing gloves hurt more than fists because boxing gloves protect your hands, not your opponent’s head.
Punching full force with bare hands and without wraps is only good for a few punches before you risk damaging your bare knuckles, wrists, or small bones in the hand.
Using boxing gloves with hand wraps provides more protection and more padding, reducing the risk of hand injuries.
Because of the extra hand protection, you are able to throw more punches without worrying about getting broken hands.
Boxing Gloves Have A Greater Surface Area
Next, boxing gloves hurt more than fists because boxing gloves have a greater surface area than fists.
With a bare fist, the force applied is only transferred through your knuckles, which are unstable contact points.
Without boxing hand wraps, the impact can fold your wrist and make the punch ineffective, no matter how hard you throw.
With a boxing glove, even if you throw with less power, the force generated will be fully transferred to your target because of the greater and stable surface area.
If you decide to throw harder and with more force, this will cause more damage to your target with the exact same punching technique.
Boxing Gloves Can Do More Internal Damage
Next, boxing gloves hurt more than fists because boxing gloves can do more internal damage.
While punching with your bare fist will cause more surface damage, like cuts and bruises, a lot of the impact will rattle through your hands and forearms.
With tight hand wraps and well-fitting boxing gloves, your hands will be stable and the impact will rattle through your opponent instead.
Compared to the bare fists’ surface damage, a boxing glove can cause more shock damage even if your opponent has a stronger chin.
Because of this extra shock damage, boxing gloves are more effective than fists when landing clean body shots.
Boxing Gloves Can Weigh More And Have Less Padding
Last, boxing gloves hurt more than fists because boxing gloves can weigh more and have less padding.
Many people believe that the heavier the boxing glove, the harder the punch. The opposite is actually true.
Heavier boxing gloves have more padding to protect your hands and your opponent. These gloves are best for beginners who are just starting to hit the heavy bag or spar.
On the other hand, lighter gloves (8 oz) have less padding, so your hands and your opponent will feel the impact more.
You can get the same effect with heavier boxing gloves that don’t last long and have worn padding.
Because of this, the combination of added weight with less padding for gloves is dangerous when thrown with a punch.
This is why sparring and training gloves are usually heavier at either 14 or 16 ounces, and lighter gloves are usually used as competition gloves at 8 or 10 ounces.
Conclusion
Boxing has come a long way from bare-knuckle fighting.
The introduction of boxing gloves into combat sports pushed the sport forward. With them, you can hit harder and not worry about injuring your hands.
Punching with a bare fist is better for a street fight than boxing, and even then, that will put you at a disadvantage.
If you’re having trouble deciding what boxing equipment to get, check out these articles: