Basketball sleeves have become a popular accessory with players ranging from NBA stars to toddlers in local youth leagues. Relatively new to the world of basketball, these arm sleeves appeared on the scene in 2001, first worn by Allen Iverson. There are many reasons to wear basketball sleeves, including increased performance and reduced injury. No matter what basketball skills you have, shooting sleeves are worth adding to your sports wardrobe.
Temperature regulation
While playing a pickup game or full-blown team affair, basketball arm sleeves will help keep your arms warm and in turn increase your flexibility. This is most important during the warm-up, as this is the time when the muscles are at risk of injury if they are overextended. Shooting sleeves not only help during warm-up, because they are made from high-performance fabrics that wick moisture away from your skin, but also regulate your arm temperature, keeping it at a more constant temperature throughout the course of your game. This prevents the muscles in your arm from cooling down too quickly, risking possible injury.
Tattoo Covers
Many basketball players have tattoos, some of which are not suitable for a family setting. In these cases, a shooting sleeve is a great way to cover them up. The fabric and fit of the basketball sleeves are designed to offer flexibility and movement, so they will not reduce performance and may actually benefit the player. This is a simple solution that keeps G-rated basketball.
Increase confidence
That feeling you get after a haircut or putting on a new pair of shoes always gives me a little confidence boost. The same goes for wearing basketball arm sleeves. Sporting a new sleeve in your favorite color, or one that has multiple colors or a great design may be all it takes to give you the extra confidence to sink that jumper you’ve been working on.
Improve form
Basketball sleeves help the elbow stay straight throughout the shooting motion. This improved form can go a long way to anyone who doesn’t have the best chance. The by-product of improving your form will show up when you see your shot percentage go up. Wearing basketball arm sleeves that have compression will offer more support and shape correction than shooting sleeves that do not have compression.
Prevents and protects cuts
Basketball arm sleeves can help prevent trauma to the arm or protect any superficial injuries. These sleeves add a layer of performance fabric that won’t hamper your performance. By doing so, the shooting sleeves give you a layer of protection against cuts or scrapes that you might not otherwise have while playing basketball. If you are in the process of healing a cut or scrape on your arm, a shooting sleeve can help protect the injury and will also help keep the bandages in place.
Filling
Some puller sleeves have flexible padding built into the elbow. This padding helps reduce the possibility of injury if you fall or any physical contact occurs, as is common in basketball. Nobody wants to be healing an elbow injury when they could be on the court.
Compression
Wearing compression basketball sleeves can benefit your health not only during play, but also after practice to speed recovery. Compression arm sleeves work by putting direct pressure on the arm. This squeezes the capillaries and larger blood vessels in the arm, increasing circulation to the limb. Improved blood flow means that more of the lactic acid generated during exercise is removed from the muscles, reducing pain and speeding recovery. Shot compression sleeves when used for recovery also reduce the amount of muscle swelling related to inflammation by reducing the ability for fluid to accumulate in the arm tissues.
Style
There’s something to be said for the form-fitting nature of basketball shooting sleeves. They are stylish, especially now that two-color sleeves and patterned sleeves are not available. The wide range of colors and designs allows each player to express their individuality. While NBA stars like Dwayne Wade, Kobe Bryant, and Lebron James may wear shooting sleeves primarily for performance benefits, surely they must think they look good too.
Basketball arm sleeves are inexpensive and will benefit most basketball players. It is definitely worth a try if you are looking to improve your game and stay injury free. You can find them in many sporting goods stores or very easily online.