The correct hand position for delivering effective chest compressions is the heel of one hand in the center of the chest, on the lower half of the breastbone (sternum), with your other hand on top and fingers interlaced.

Quick Scoop: Hand Position in One Look

  • Find the center of the chest between the nipples, on the breastbone (sternum), not over the ribs or the soft belly.
  • Place the heel of one hand on this spot (the hard, flat part at the center of the chest).
  • Put your other hand on top, interlock or lift your fingers so they do not press on the ribs.
  • Keep your shoulders directly above your hands, elbows locked, arms straight, so you press straight down.
  • Push hard and fast: at least about 2–2.4 inches deep in adults, at a rate of 100–120 compressions per minute.

Think of it as: “heel of the hand, center of the chest, straight arms, push hard and fast.”

Mini Sections

1. Exact Hand Placement

  • Target area: lower half of the sternum, centered between the nipples in an adult.
  • Do not place your hands on:
    • The very tip of the breastbone
    • The ribs to the side
    • The upper chest near the collarbones
      These spots increase the risk of injury and give weaker compressions.

For most layperson CPR teaching, the simple cue is: “center of the chest, between the nipples.”

2. How Your Hands Should Look

  1. Place the heel of your first hand in the correct spot on the sternum.
  1. Place the heel of your second hand directly on top of the first.
  1. Interlace or lift your fingers so they are off the chest, pressing only with the heels of your hands.

This stacked, compact hand position lets you transfer your body weight efficiently into the chest and reduce fatigue.

3. Body Position and Compression Style

  • Kneel close to the victim’s chest on a firm, flat surface if possible.
  • Position your shoulders directly over your hands and lock your elbows.
  • Use your upper body weight, not just your arm muscles, to push straight down.
  • Allow full chest recoil: let the chest come all the way back up between compressions without lifting your hands off the sternum.

An easy mental image: your arms are like straight pillars; your body moves up and down over your hands.

4. Why Correct Hand Position Matters

  • Proper placement focuses force over the heart, improving blood flow to the brain and vital organs.
  • It reduces the risk of unnecessary rib and soft-tissue injury compared with pressing too low, too high, or off to the side.
  • High-quality compressions, with correct hand position and depth, are the single most important factor in CPR survival.

Even professionals are trained again and again on hand placement because small errors can lower the effectiveness of CPR.

5. Quick Note on Adults vs. Children vs. Infants

  • Adults: two hands, heel of one hand in the center of the chest between the nipples, second hand on top.
  • Children (1 year to puberty): one or two hands on the center of the chest, just below the nipple line.
  • Infants (under 1 year): two fingers on the breastbone just below the nipple line, not the whole hand.

The landmark stays the center of the chest; what changes is how many hands or fingers you use.

Tiny Story to Remember It

Imagine you’re pressing down on a large doorbell located right in the center of the chest. Your hand heels are stacked exactly over that “doorbell,” your arms are straight, and your whole upper body leans in rhythm: down–up–down–up, 100–120 times a minute. That image matches the correct, effective CPR hand position.

TL;DR:
Heel of one hand on the center of the chest over the lower half of the sternum, between the nipples; other hand on top, fingers interlaced, arms straight, shoulders over hands, push hard and fast 100–120/min.

Information gathered from public forums or data available on the internet and portrayed here.