Why do catchers tape their fingers

Cuts down on the bruising and risk of a thumb sprain. Comment Post Cancel. Meant the glove hand. I have noticed more and more guys with tape on the glove hand - especially the thumb and index finger.

Not sure about the index finger. I suppose you could sprain the index middle knuckle, which tape might help. But for the thumb, catchers thumb is a b But I don't think tape will do too much. A thumb guard of some kind is invaluable. My cocky 14 year old decided he didn't need his guard which is an evoshield last night when catching dad who stands at about 20' short of the mound and throws as hard as he can. He's hurting today. Google us. Anyone know how the taping should be done?

In the past, Koman said, the real threat for catchers was "clots in the big artery in the palm. Signs of hand trauma were still common, however. Overall, 11 of the players 36 percent reported hand symptoms such as pain, numbness, weakness or tingling, the researchers said. Catchers were by far the most likely to suffer symptoms, with 44 percent reporting weakness in the gloved hand vs.

The finding came as a surprise, he said, since the researchers had expected trauma would be focused in the palm, not the fingers. Many of the catchers complained of weakness, tingling or pain in the index finger, especially during games, although some "resting" symptoms were reported as well. Index fingers were also often found to be significantly enlarged, another sign of chronic damage to circulation and nerves.

Koman stressed that none of these injuries seemed to hamper young ball players in terms of their ability to play the game. A famous example of a pitcher who has difficulty seeing is Jake Peavy.

According to an article from the Boston Herald , Jake Peavy is legally blind without corrective lenses. Because of the difficulties he has with seeing, his catcher would use different colors on his right hand in order to help Jake Peavy see the calls.

Common colors for catchers to use on their nails include white and yellow. Catchers have also been known to paint white stripes on their fingernails in order for their fingernails to stand out. If your team colors include a bright color — use that! Really, any color that can ensure your pitcher understands your play calls will do the trick.

So, what else can catchers do to make their fingers stick out more when calling pitches? Athletic tape can be a great alternative to effectively calling pitches as a catcher. To use athletic tape in place of nail polish and nail stickers, just wrap each individual finger with some athletic tape.

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