Difference Between a Soft and a Hard Athletic Cup

The proverbial male athlete question. Sounds simple enough. NO means your balls are fully exposed to anything that can (or wants to!) hit you there. Not a great plan! YES, means you need a cup.  

The “cup” seems simple…. when the cup gets hit, it takes most of the energy from the hit, not your testicles. But it is not that simple.

There are two basic types of cups… Soft and Hard.  

Soft cups are not designed to take kicks, hard hits, or fast-moving objects. Hard cups are but come in many forms, materials and even shapes.  

Avoid cheap athletic cups!

Metal cups are sometimes used, mostly in several types of martial arts, but have limited popularity and are generally considered quite uncomfortable. Cups made from plastic or composite materials are what most athletes wear, and using are slid into a pouch in a jockstrap, or a compression short, or worn over the top of the short held in place with tight straps.  

There are probably over 50 “types” of athletic cup designs in circulation today. Some are sports-specific, some are not. Picking the right one is important as is using it correctly. Never simply slide a cup into your underwear, jockstrap, or compression shorts! As you move around, so will it! It is useless if it is not covering your testicles. And avoid cheap products also.  

Your balls are one thing it ok to spend money on!

Watch and learn how you can change your game

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