With its repetitive motions, jumping and diving, volleyball places a significant amount of stress on your muscles and joints that can eventually lead to injuries. Healthy muscles and joints are essential for volleyball performance. When you sustain an injury, you may be required to wear a protective wrap, brace or support to help recover from the injury and prevent further damage.
Function
Designed to protect against wrist sprains and strains that may occur during dives or falls, wrist supports and braces for volleyball players can help prevent injuries or promote recovery from injuries. Because the natural reaction of a volleyball player during dives and falls is to brace the impact with the wrist, a wrist brace can provide support to prevent further injuries.
Types
Volleyball players have many options when it comes to wrist supports. A common type is athletic tape that is applied before every practice or game. A mild-support wrist brace provides a lower level of support for minor wrist strains. Moderate-support wrist braces immobilize the wrist and provide a high level of stabilization, while maximum-support braces are for severe wrist injuries and totally immobilize the wrist joint.
Design
The best wrist support for volleyball players combines function and stabilization without compromising performance. A high-profile wrist support can negatively affect performance by limiting your ability to pass, serve or hit the volleyball. As a result, wrist supports for volleyball players have low-profile wraparound designs made from materials such as neoprene.
Considerations
Wear your wrist support during practice before using it in a game, so you can make sure the wrist support is comfortable and doesn’t negatively affect your performance. You may also need to consider a maximum-support wrist brace if you sustain a severe injury. Consult your doctor for other possibilities in protecting your wrist.