🧧 CNY NOTICE: Last order date for shipping is Feb 13 will resume on Feb 23! Shop the sale now.
🧧 CNY NOTICE: Last order date for shipping is Feb 13 will resume on Feb 23! Shop the sale now.
Please be very aware that this information is neither intended nor implied to be a substitute for professional medical advice. Always seek the advice of your doctor or other qualified health professional before starting any new treatment or with any questions you may have regarding a medical condition.
Your hands are your primary tools. Whether you are gripping a barbell, blocking a volleyball, or fighting for a lapel grip in BJJ, your 27 hand bones and complex network of ligaments take a beating every single day.
Yet, most athletes wait until after an injury to start taping.
This is the Pillar Sports Ultimate Guide to Hand Taping. We have compiled the best techniques from physiotherapists, climbing experts, and pro athletes to help you tape for prevention, not just rehabilitation.
Before you wrap up, you need to choose your weapon. Not all tape is created equal, and using the wrong one can actually increase injury risk.
The Science: Research published in the Journal of Science and Medicine in Sport confirms that prophylactic taping significantly reduces the “Range of Motion” (ROM) in extension.
In plain English: tape acts as an external ligament, physically stopping your joint from snapping back too far.
Also Read Thumb Taping using Kinesiology Tape to understand when to use and not to use Kinesiology tape.
The thumb is the most mobile digit on your hand, which also makes it the most unstable. A “Skier’s Thumb” or generic sprain occurs when the thumb is forcibly bent backward away from the palm.
The Solution: Hyperextension Support. Instead of just wrapping the thumb in a circle, you need to create “Check-Reins”—strips of tape that anchor the thumb to the wrist and physically catch it before it bends too far back.
Fingers are not “one size fits all.” A volleyball player needs impact protection, while a rock climber needs pulley support. We have created specific protocols for every athlete.
Volleyball players face high-velocity impact at the fingertips. The goal here is shock absorption.
Read Finger Taping in Volleyball
Grapplers suffer from chronic joint inflammation and “Jersey Finger.”
Climbers need to compress the tendon against the bone to prevent bowing.
Hoopers need to keep the fingertip straight after a tendon rupture.
If you lift heavy or do CrossFit, your enemy isn’t a sprain—it’s friction. Rips and tears in the palm skin can sideline you for a week.
The Solution: The “Gymnast” Palm Guard. Instead of buying expensive leather grips, you can make custom grips out of wide Rigid Tape. This creates a sacrificial layer between your skin and the bar.
Rigid tape is for stability; Kinesio tape is for flow.
If you have bruised your hand or are recovering from swelling (edema), rigid tape might be too restrictive. By using a “Fan Cut” technique, Kinesio tape lifts the skin slightly, creating space for lymphatic fluid to drain away from the injury.
Sometimes, you need to support the entire wrist and hand unit as one. This is common in contact sports or when recovering from a wrist sprain where you want to prevent the hand from bending backward.
The Method: This tutorial from UK Healthcare demonstrates the standard athletic training method for locking a wrist using Rigid Tape.
We believe in evidence-based protection. The techniques in this guide are supported by the following medical bodies and studies:
Whether you are scaling a cliff or digging a volleyball, your tape is your insurance policy.
Last day to ship: Feb 13
Shipping resumes: Feb 23
Orders placed during this time will be processed when we return.
Happy Holidays!
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