How does the weight of the gloves affect how I strike?

Naturally, wearing heavier gloves will slow down your punches—even a couple of ounces make a big difference. Also, heavier gloves have more padding, a fact that has pluses and minuses. Additional padding offers more protection for your hands, which is a benefit to beginners who are still adjusting to fight-training. Unfortunately, heavier gloves also soften your punches—and I’m sure your opponent won’t complain about that.

If you’re not yet at the point where you’re sparring, and are still in the early stages of training, wearing heavier gloves will help you avoid injuring your hands while you learn the basics. As you improve, you can trade out your “16-ouncers” for lightweight, MMA open palm gloves, which I use myself.