When it comes to protecting the testicles in any sport it’s mostly about a groin cup covering your entire genital area, right?  Sounds simple…  But it’s not. 

Here are five common experiences when choosing groin protection for your sport.

1. GETTING THE RIGHT GROIN CUP FOR YOUR SPORT.

Q: What does a baseball catcher, hockey player, and a martial artist all have in common?

A: They all need a groin cup designed for their particular sport.

A hockey player doesn’t bend over like a baseball catcher.   A baseball catcher doesn’t do high kicks like in karate.  So the cup shape, design, material, and support structure are all unique, and vital for protection.  Make sure the protective cup works best for your sport.

2. CUP SIZE DOES MATTER.

Face it guys, we hear this often, but not so much with athletic cups.  

Men and boys all have different sized bodies and genitals.  Most jocks, cups, and compression shorts are sold by waist size. Great, so it fits around your waist. You’re protecting your testicles, not your waist!

Most leading groin protection cup manufacturers have multiple sizes including youth, teen, adult, etc.  Some even have different sizes for adults, based on needs for a particular sport. 

You should not get an “extra-large” groin cup unless you need that size based on your anatomy.  And too small of an athletic cup is really a bad idea!  It has to fit completely and securely around your entire groin area and keep the testicles from touching the cup. If it doesn’t… then you are likely to get some significant pain at some point, and maybe worse.

3. DON’T GO FOR CHEAP GROIN PROTECTION! 

Would you wear a cheap helmet for hockey?  NO, so why even think about cheap genital protection. 

Both boys and men get excited when they start a sport, and they “jump in” without fully thinking about all their gear.  A cheap cup is cheap for a reason.  Many are poorly designed, made of poor quality material, and worst… don’t even fit the male body correctly.  Don’t buy generic cheap groin cups.  Most are terrible for running, kicking, and squatting in particular.

4. ALWAYS WEAR AN ATHLETIC GROIN CUP CORRECTLY.

A large number of men do not wear their athletic cups correctly. Surveys have shown that males of all ages get “sloppy” on wearing groin protection.  A protective cup has to be completely over your entire groin area.  If it moves, or worse, lets a testicle slide out while squatting or doing a high kick, it’s more than useless.  It is dangerous.

Make sure the product you purchase is high quality enough to hold the cup in place.  Also, avoid “One-Size-Fits-All” products for all sports protection!

5. DO I ACTUALLY HAVE TO WEAR THE GROIN CUP

Wearing an athletic cup can really suck.  They are not fun to wear and some are very uncomfortable.  Surveys of male athletes have shown a sharp decline in groin cup usage in the last 30 years.

In some sports, such as American football, they are almost nonexistent now.  There is a lack of consistency in protecting the most sensitive and important area for any man.

The most cited reasons are “not comfortable”, “not needed”, and “doesn’t work”.  If you get the right genital protection product, none of these are issues.

The only day you need to wear a groin and pelvic cup is the day you are glad you were wearing it.  Avoid serious pain and injury.  Always wear it! 

Watch and learn how you can change your game

Ben Thulen
Sports Injury Researcher, United States
SportsResearcher@pm.me