Okay, so I’ve been getting into combat sports lately, and let me tell you, the whole glove situation? It’s a thing. I started off with some cheap gloves I found, figured they’d be fine for just hitting the bag at my local gym. They were, to say at least, not fine.
First of all, those things started falling apart after like, a week. The stitching came loose, the padding felt like it was made of cotton balls, and my hands? Don’t even get me started. I felt every single punch, and not in a good way. My knuckles were sore, my wrists were aching, and I’m pretty sure I was close to developing some serious issues.
So, I did what any reasonable person would do – I went on the internet and bought some new pairs of gloves.
- I grabbed a pair of Everlast gloves. I mean, that’s what Mike Tyson used, right? They had to be good.
- Then, I found these “Combat Sports Max Strike MMA Training Gloves.” They looked pretty cool with the open palm, and I figured they’d be good for when I wanted to mix things up with some grappling.
- Lastly, I snagged some “Combat Sports” brand competition gloves. They were on sale, and I thought, why not? You can never have enough gloves, especially when you’re beating the crap out of them regularly.
My first time hitting the bag with the Everlast gloves, I was blown away. It was like night and day compared to those cheap gloves I started with. The padding was thick and absorbed the impact really well. My hands felt protected, and I could actually focus on my technique instead of worrying about hurting myself.
The Max Strike gloves were a different story. They were great for grappling, don’t get me wrong. The open palm gave me a good grip, and I could transition between striking and grappling seamlessly. But for just straight-up punching? Not so much. They didn’t offer as much protection as the Everlast, and I definitely felt it after a few rounds on the heavy bag.
Finally, the competition gloves. Honestly, I haven’t used them that much yet. They’re lighter than the Everlast, which is nice for speed, but I’m still a bit hesitant to use them for heavy bag work. I’ll probably save them for when I start sparring, whenever that happens. I tried them for like ten rounds, and they really provided some protection.
What I Learned
Don’t cheap out on gloves. Seriously, it’s not worth it. Your hands are important, and you need to protect them. Spend the extra money and get some quality gloves. Trust me, your hands will thank you. And, maybe talk to your coach or some experienced people at the gym. They can probably give you some good recommendations based on your specific needs.
Different gloves are good for different things. If you’re just starting out and mainly hitting the bag, get some good boxing gloves like the Everlast. If you’re doing MMA and want to grapple, the open-palm gloves might be a good option, but make sure they have enough padding for striking. And if you’re planning on competing, well, you’ll need some competition gloves, obviously. Also, don’t forget mouth guards and hand wraps.
It’s been a journey, but I’m finally starting to feel like I know what I’m doing, at least when it comes to gloves. Now, if only I could figure out how to throw a proper jab…
