The 1 Reason Behind Volleyball Players Tape Their Fingers

Volleyball is not a very soft game. It requires vigorous physical touch, which often results in the players getting hurt. But is it the same reason that Volleyball players tape their fingers? Well, precisely the answer is exactly the same. Volleyball players tape their fingers not just as a fashion symbol but as a precautionary measure.

The real reason why Volleyball players tape their fingers is to prevent the fingertips from cracking and bleeding during the game. However, another theory says that Volleyball players tape their fingers to get a better grip over the ball, which is very similar to wearing a knee cap in some other Sports. To find the real reason read along till the end.

The logic, Why Volleyball players tape their fingers!!

If you are a Volleyball player in your school or college, you might have noticed that there are players who suffer more than the others. Many of them cannot even play for a single month without having to tape their fingers. There are various reasons why Volleyball players tape their hands. Let us see each one of them in more detail.

When a player plays volleyball regularly, their hands, especially the palms and fingers, undergo stress. in the preliminary days, you might notice all those torn skins and Cracks in your Palms

But as you get more used to the game, you gradually stop noticing these minor injuries. Before we answer why Volleyball players tape their fingers, we must understand how these injuries happen.

Creating Topspin

Creating topspin is an essential skill that needs to be developed in every individual Volleyball player. But to create this, the player needs to have friction between their hands and the ball. The presence of friction becomes essential in this case. If the palms of the player are sweaty, then there is a very high chance that the player might not be able to create an effective topspin.

But this is the procedure to create topspin. Now how does it affect the skin of your Palms? When one is trying to develop topspin by constantly pulling up over the ball, the skin of the fingers and the fingertips are stretched and pulled simultaneously. This constant friction causes the skin to crack up and sometimes results in bleeding. 

The various reasons for tearing up of the skin can be due to:

• The dry skin
• Multiple pulling and stretching of the palms

 This becomes an even more significant problem when playing in cold environments. The temperature orphan causes the skin to dry up quickly, hence cracking up.

How do Volleyball players tape their fingers?

There are various methods that different Volleyball players follow to tape their fingers. In this article, we share one of the easiest methods that even a newbie player can follow.

Step 1: Measuring

First, you need to determine how long you want the tape to cover your hands. If it’s just the fingertips that are getting cracked up most of the time, then there is no requirement to cover the entire finger with the tape. It is always advisable to cover only the part where you find the maximum friction is happening. 

Step 2: Cutting

After taking the measurements, it’s time to cut the tape to the appropriate size. It would be best if you remembered that tape should run on both sides of the finger. We mean that you should not just stick a piece of the tape on the parts where it’s required. It would be best to put the tape of the same length on the other side of the fingers. This is how Volleyball players tape their fingers to prevent the tape from falling off.

Step 3: Strap it up

Once you have covered the required region with the tape, it’s time to ensure that it remains in its position. The correct method is to cut another piece of tape and wrap it around the two ends of the first step. Tuck in the edges and repeat the procedure for the rest of the fingers

Myths behind Volleyball players taping their fingers

Although most of the time, the Volleyball players tape their fingers as a precautionary measure, the spectators, the fans of the game, often think of various other reasons for doing so. Some of the reasons are as follows:

1. It helps to distract the spiker’s attention

 This is a widespread belief among the masses why Volleyball players tape their fingers. Humans are easily attracted to the color white and the color of the tapes in the same. So most people believe the Volleyball players tape their fingers so that they can distract the speaker and score a point for the team. However, this myth has been busted quite sometimes. People who have played volleyball already know that you cannot distract a player by just putting some white tape on your hand.

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2. Wearing tape helps to hit the ball harder.

Let us use our common sense and find out whether it’s true. Do you believe just adding some tips to your fingers will give you enough strength to hit a ball harder? Of course not. This is a myth. However, people still do believe in this. The purpose of the tape is to make you feel comfortable when you have a cracked finger. It will not give you some extra strength to hit the ball. 

Frequently asked questions ( FAQs)

The Bottom Line

 If you are beginning to play the game and not suffering from many cracks or cuts, then the requirement to wear tips on your fingers is absolutely ni. The Volleyball players tape their fingers to mostly use them as pads to protect the finger cracking up of the skin.