Knees are one of the most commonly injured body parts, especially for athletes. Many great careers end because of some kind of knee injury. Which is why it is extremely important to take good care of your knees and provide enough protection and support to them. The possibility of a knee injury for volleyball players, in particular, is much higher than athletes of other sport’s disciplines, so they are ought to wear knee pads during all games and practices without exceptions. And if you are a budding volleyball pro as well, or just like to play the sport as a hobby, here are some tips on how to find the best and most suited volleyball knee pads for you.
The first and probably the most important tip on how to find the perfect knee pads would be to figure out which volleyball positions you will be playing because it will determine the amount of padding necessary for you in your knee pads. Back players dive less and need to move faster, therefore they will need less padding, so they can be faster and more mobile. However, front players are diving very often, therefore they need as much padding as possible in order to provide enough protection for their knees. Also, if you are a beginner, you will need a lot more padding than say someone who has been playing volleyball for years, because experienced players have learned how to dive properly without injuring their knees. But they still wear knee pads because accidents do occur, and their knees still need to be protected. So keep this in mind when you are looking at all different volleyball knee pad variations.
Another extremely important tip is to choose knee pads that fit you well. No matter how good the knee pads look or their ratings are, if your knee pads don’t fit right, they won’t protect your knees properly. For example, if the knee pads are too big they will either slide up or down or will rotate making them not only uncomfortable but also useless at protecting your knees from injury. Or if the knee pads are too small they will cut off blood circulation and rub into your leg, causing a lot of discomfort to you. So make sure that you find the right fit for your knees.
And lastly, select knee pads that are comfortable. Everyone has their own preferences when it comes to comfort. Some people opt for more tight fitting knee pads, while some like longer pads that cover a larger surface area. It all comes down to personal preference, and it is important to understand what yours is. Otherwise, the knee pads will bother you all throughout your volleyball games or practices and you will absolutely hate to wear them. How to know which volleyball knee pad type or fit is right for you? If you find knee pads that are so comfortable that is feels as if you are not wearing knee pads at all, you can count that as a great indicator that the knee pads are perfect for you.
Of course, there are many other things people look at when searching for their knee pads. Often the design of the knee pads, their appearance, and even their price play a huge role in people’s decision to buy one knee pad set over other. But the three above-mentioned things – suitability, fit and comfort – are the fundamental features of knee pads that will let you chose the best knee pads for you , which will be enjoyable to wear and will protect your knees from any possible injury.
