RockTape Review

It is evident that the game of golf has evolved into an athlete’s game in recent years. Much of that can be attributed to the young professionals that have been successful on the worldwide Tours. Tiger Woods, Rory McIlroy, are Lee Westwood are all perfect examples of players that have really incorporated physical training into their golf games. However, with increased exertion comes the opportunity for injury and fatigue. These two problems aren’t necessarily limited to the elite athletes either. Many of us, including myself, have nagging injuries that are either caused by, or are exacerbated by our golf games. RockTape, a product that I’ve been reviewing for a few weeks, was designed to assist in both injury recovery and increase athletic endurance.

Introduction to RockTape from the Company
Since I’m not very knowledgeable about training or sports injuries, I did some research on RockTape’s website and thought it would be useful to THP’s readers.

RockTape is a special kind of tape known as kinesiology tape. First used by acupuncturists and chiropractors in Japan, today kinesiology tape is used by practitioners throughout the world to treat injuries and improve sports performance.

While we can’t turn a 5 hour marathoner into a 3 hour runner, we do have methods to help you break the 3 hour barrier if you’re already close. When applied properly, Rocktape can help athletes improve form and decrease fatigue through better blood flow. These are the two most critical aspects of increasing performance in almost any sport.

What does it do?

  • Rocktape is a kinesiology tape and is fantastic for treating common sports injuries like shin splints, plantars and runner’s knee. Rocktape also can increase endurance by promoting blood flow during an athletic event.

How does it work?

  • When applied properly, ROCKTAPE lifts the skin away from the muscle, which promotes blood flow. Faster blood flow means more oxygen and more lymph drainage, which helps remove Lactic Acid.

Is it difficult to apply?

  • Not at all. If you can apply tape, you can apply ROCKTAPE. There are instructions in every box and more than a dozen HD instructional videos can be viewed here.

How long will it last?

  • ROCKTAPE can be worn up to 5 days. It is 100% organic cotton and can be worn while swimming or in the shower.

Package Contents and a General Description

In all honesty, I really had no idea what I was opening up when I saw the small package I received. Inside the box was a roll of brightly colored tape and a tightly-folded instructional brochure. The RockTape itself felt like a smooth fabric rather than actual tape. It was very thin and stretched easily. After a little research on the website, I learned that there are literally dozens of colors, designs, and sizes available to choose from. Sports teams or organizations can also have their logo added to the RockTape for a little personalization if they are buying larger quantities.

The brochure gave some very detailed pictures and instructions of how, when, and why to apply RockTape for various purposes. As I mentioned, my knowledge was limited, so this was really helpful to me. I concentrated a little more on the applications for injuries as first, but over time I delved into the performance uses as well.

The Confessions of an Unfit Golfer
I’m not really an athletic guy. The majority of the exercise I get is walking my golf course two times a week. However, I still have a number of nagging injuries that do hamper my golf game, including meniscus tears in both knees, wrist pain, and lower back pain. My lower body also tends to fatigue from walking my hilly course. This is something that I often blame for poor shots late in my round, whether or not that is truly the case. RockTape claims to be useful for all of these problems, so I was eager to see if it helped me at all.

Application
I tested RockTape for both the injury treatment properties and performance enhancement.

Some of my worst pain in recent weeks has come from my right knee, so I decided to try RockTape there first. The application instructions were pretty simple to follow and involved a couple cuts with my scissors. You can see how I did it in the pictures below. The application was simple, the RockTape stretched easily, and it stuck well to my leg.

The second application I chose was for endurance in the hopes that I could walk a round of golf without as much fatigue in my legs, specifically the quadriceps muscles. I’m going to include a video I found on the RockTape website to explain it. There are dozens of videos there with instructions for various ailments and endurance applications.

Performance – Injury Treatment
First of all, this is a tough call for me to make. I can manage the pain in my knees through rest and medication, but according to my doctor, there really isn’t anything outside of surgery that is going to cure them completely. I will say that I noticed some of my pain diminish over time while wearing RockTape, but that’s also a typical scenario when I rest the knee. Regardless of my indecision, I did notice a few things. First, the RockTape remained firmly stuck to my leg through a night’s sleep, a shower, and a day of work. Secondly, it wasn’t uncomfortable. It stretched enough that I didn’t feel like it was constricting me in any way. Lastly, my knee felt warm to the touch. I have no clue if that’s good or bad, or even related to the RockTape, but it was something I observed while wearing it.

Performance – Endurance
This was extremely interesting to me. There is science that backs up these claims and many elite athletes, trainers, and physical therapists currently use RockTape or other similar products. I actually had a couple rounds that I finished out pretty well while testing this product and leg fatigue didn’t seem to bother me as much. I can’t definitively say if it was a product of the RockTape, a placebo effect, or some other factor, but it was an honest observation I had. I plan to continue using the product for this purpose in the immediate future.

Final Thoughts
A standard roll of RockTape costs around $20 when purchased directly from the company. According to the company, this should cover 10-20 applications. Depending on your needs, this may or may not be a good value. The science behind RockTape is certainly out there for you to read, so I’ll save my final comments for the quality of the actual product. As I noted, the application was quite easy and the company provides a huge amount of information to guide their customers. In addition, it was comfortable to wear and stayed in place, even after activity, showering, and sleeping. The variety of designs and colors also makes it a fun way to throw a little personalization into the mix. For more information, including some other interesting products from the company, you can head over to www.RockTape.com. As always, thanks for reading a good luck on the course.

Ryan H.

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Ryan Hawk
Editor and writer Ryan Hawk lives in northwestern Illinois with his fiance and son. He's been a writer for The Hackers Paradise for two years and has been involved with a number of THP events.
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