Best Tennis Ankle Brace

Explosive movements in any direction put incredible strain and stress on your ankle joint and the ligaments that surround it. A high-quality ankle brace can help you avoid rolling or twisting an ankle, pulling a muscle, or suffering from a repetitive strain injury that can keep you off the court for months.

Key Features to Consider - Tennis Ankle Brace

It’s easy to choose the best tennis ankle brace for your needs when you keep these things in mind:

• Level of support needed

  If you are recovering from surgery or a sprained ankle, you will benefit most from a rigid brace that will protect the ankle from further damage, prevent tennis ankle pain, and provide a bit of compression to keep swelling down.

  If you have weak ankles or you’re living with arthritis, a tennis ankle support system that’s flexible and warms the joints will keep you on the court longer. In this case, we’d recommend compression that can be adjusted during tennis matches or other activities like basketball, hiking, and walking.

• Injury Recovery VS Injury Prevention

  During injury recovery, your goal is to strengthen injured muscles and tendons while protecting damaged joints and tissue. Stiff ankle support provides ample stability at the expense of decreasing range of motion. As you begin to heal, you can choose a more flexible brace that allows for adjustment to the compression level and more fluid movements.

  For injury prevention, an ankle compression sleeve brace works wonders at keeping joints and muscles warm and inflammation-free. Lace up ankle braces and those that mimic the support of athletic tape will stabilize the ankle and still allow you to move from the baseline to the net with ease.

• Sizing

  One size fits all braces are usually adjustable and fit the most common foot sizes. If you wear a standard size shoe, this style of ankle brace is made just for you, though you can also wear a sized brace without issue.

  If you’re buying a brace for a child or have unusually large or small feet, you may wish to lean toward a tennis ankle brace that comes in specific sizes. You’ll need to measure your foot to choose the appropriate size brace, but having a custom-fitted ankle brace can offer more stability and better support than one size fits all braces.

• Ease of Use

  The best tennis ankle brace is the one that you will wear and use every time you step on the court. Some braces lace-up, others have a figure-eight design and some slide on like a sock. After figuring out how much support you require, it’s essential to consider the design of each brace. If it’s too complicated to put on, adjust while wearing, or difficult to take off, you’ll be less likely to wear it.

How to Prevent Ankle Injuries While Playing Tennis

Tennis is a game of constant movement. Whether you’re volleying at the net, serving from the baseline, or rushing after the ball at the sideline, you’re always in motion. If you have weak ankles, arthritis, are getting back in shape after an injury, or simply need a little extra support, a tennis ankle support system can help.

That’s not all you can do to prevent injury. These tips will help you stay injury-free while sweating it out on the court.

• Activity Modification

  When your ankles are sore, they’re trying to tell you something! You can avoid repetitive strain injury and ankle irritation by mixing it up a little.

  Modify your actions and movements for a few days each week, and you’ll put less strain on already taxed ligaments and joints. Instead of hitting the court day after day, try yoga, an afternoon of stretching, or a bike ride. Your body will thank you.

• Muscle Strengthening

  Your joints are powered by the muscles that surround them. Your ankle joints will take less of a beating when the muscles around them are strong and healthy. Weight training and resistance training, among other activities, can strengthen bones and muscles and make you a better tennis player.

• Adequate Warm-Up

  Warming up before playing tennis prepares your body for the hard work it’s going to do. By gradually increasing your heart rate and movement, you’ll increase blood flow to muscles and loosen joints so it’s ready for a workout.

• Stretching

  Stretching after a tennis match or rigorous practice session is a must. Rolling your ankles in a circle, loosening the quads with a massage roller stick, and relaxing your hamstrings will go a long way in upping your tennis game.

• Wear a Brace

  If you have arthritis, are in recovery from injury, or deal with weak ankles, an ankle brace is a must. Wear it during practice and matches to prevent injury and decrease inflammation.

• Hot-Cold Therapy

  Even if you don’t have a muscle strain, your body will benefit from the healing properties of hot and cold therapy. Applying ice or a gel pack post-workout reduces muscle inflammation. Using a heated wrap or heating blanket after a tennis match will increase circulation, prevent next-day soreness, and soothe tired muscles.

• Rest

  Overworked or injured muscles aren’t as flexible as usual. If you’ve been going at it hard and your joints are achy and spent, it’s time to take a breather, and that means taking at least a day off.

Weighing All the Factors

If you need a tennis ankle brace to keep you active and on the court, McDavid’s support brace offers phenomenal stabilization and compression without challenging your range of motion. If you’re recovering from injury or need extra protection around the ankle joint, you can’t go wrong with the A2-DX from Zamst. And if you want a compression-style brace that’s easy to put on and take off but will also keep your ankles healthy, turn to the Foot Sleeves by Gonicc.