PROTECTIVE CUP

Always wear a cup in a cup-jockstrap, cup-brief, or cup-sliding short that's designed to hold a cup. The jockstrap, brief or sliding-short will have a pouch to house the cup. There will be elastic, metal snaps or a Velcro closure to keep the cup in place in the pouch.

A cup (inside a cup-jockstrap, cup-brief, or cup-sliding short)should be worn without anything underneath (don't wear underwear underneath). This maximizes their protectiveness by completely encasing the male genitals and allowing the genitals to be held tightly against the body. However, if you want to wear something underneath, only a thin pair of nylon/spandex briefs should be worn. EXAMPLE: Under Armor Compression Shorts.

Generally, there are two different styles of cups. The first being the "traditional", older style of cup. It's shaped like a "V", and some brands of this design have most of their capacity at the bottom. It's also somewhat flat on the side that fits against the body, although some brands contour somewhat to the body. The other style of cup (the "banana" cup) is narrower at the top, is curved like a banana, and is commonly referred to as a "banana cup" because it's curved like a banana to contour the body. Most of its capacity is spread out through the entire cup.

The "traditional" cup would appeal most to men who prefer their penis to be held upward and laid across/inside the wide top part of the "V" shaped cup. Conversely, the "banana cup" is designed so that the penis dangles downward, which is most comfortable for most men. Not all "traditional" cups have enough capacity for some men. It is important when selecting a cup to wear to buy one that has sufficient capacity and adequate rubber or foam padding on its edges. All cups, both the "traditional" and the "banana" cup, must fit firmly and tightly against the body to work properly. Some of the cup-jockstraps, cup-briefs, or cup-shorts that come with cups do not hold the cup firmly and tightly against the body. If a cup fits loose, an impact to the cup will just slam the cup into the testicles, resulting in almost as much pain and injury as if the man wasn't even wearing a cup. For a cup to work properly, it must be able to transfer the energy of a blow or impact through the cup and into the rubber or foam padding and against the body but not against the penis or testicles. Tight fitting nylon/spandex athletic briefs can be worn over a cup-jockstrap to hold it firmly and tightly against the body.

Which of the two styles of cups is most comfortable for a man to wear depends on his unique body shape and on the brand of cup he wears -- not all "traditional" cups and not all "banana" cups are the same. Some banana cups are also large enough for this. Some men feel that the banana cup is much more comfortable than the traditional cup since it conforms to the body. Make sure to buy a cup that will hold all of you. If not, the cup can tend to float over the genitals, sometimes pinching them on impact.

Men should consider shaving or trimming their pubic hair on the scrotum and around the base of the penis before wearing a cup. This ensures the cup does not pull on the hairs and cause unexpected pain.

Boxers wear a cup that have a wide, padded waistband all the way around, to protect the kidneys. They are worn over or under shorts. However, better protection will be delivered to the groin wearing the cup under the shorts.

Some soccer and basketball players prefer to wear a "soft" cup, that is made of a pliable plastic. It's not as protective as a hard cup, but allows for some protection applicable to less-risk sporting games. However, if you feel you need more protection when playing these sports then you will want to wear a hard cup.

The origin of the modern jockstrap can be traced all the way back to the loincloths worn by ancient Egyptians and the codpieces of the Renaissance, eventually leading to the "modesty girdles" of the 1800s.[5] The precursor of the jockstrap was a rubberized cotton canvas girdle worn for the sake of modesty by men and boys beneath their worsted wool bathing suits on public beaches during the 1860s. As public sporting events grew in popularity, athletes began to wear the rubberized canvas girdle under their tights and uniforms, in order to avoid charges of corrupting public morals with displays of their covered but uncontained genitalia. In 1867, a Chicago sports team refused to take the field wearing "modesty" girdles and forfeited the competition. A riot ensued; in a newspaper story about the event, a Dr. Lamb was quoted as "having recognized a medical benefit to males by the wearing of a protective girdle."[citation needed] In the 1870s, the Boston Athletic Club sought an undergarment that would provide comfort and support for cyclists (or, bicycle jockeys as they were then known) riding the cobblestone streets of Boston. Traditional undergarments were uncomfortable and the rubberized canvas "modesty" girdle caused chafing and blistering on bicycle seats. What the Boston Athletic Club wanted was a comfortable garment that would accommodate the movements of the bicyclist yet would contain and control the male genitalia in the manner of the rubberized canvas girdle. In 1874,[1][2] Charles Bennett of the Chicago sporting goods company, Sharp & Smith, invented the jockstrap. The original name of Bennett's invention was the Bike Jockey Strap and its logo, a large bicycle wheel. The jockey strap was intended, first, for "bicycle jockeys", and secondly, for horseback riders. The "bike jockey strap" became known as a "jock strap" and, eventually, simply a "jock". Bennett's newly-formed Bike Web Company patented and began mass-producing the Bike Jockey Strap. The Bike Web Company later became known as the Bike Company. The first consumer mass marketing of the jockstrap occurred in the 1902 edition of the Sears and Roebuck Catalog which claimed the garment, now termed an "athletic supporter", was "medically indicated" for all males that engaged in sports or strenuous activity.[6] In the early 1900s, the jockstrap influenced the invention of the Heidelberg Electric Belt, a low-voltage electric powered supporter that claimed to cure kidney disorders, insomnia, erectile disfunction, and other ailments.[7] Jockstraps are medically used today to facilitate recovery from injuries and surgeries such as hematocele, hydrocele or spermatocele. Collectable celebrity jockstrap: Wade Boggs' Florida spring training jockstrap, date unknown. Through the early and mid-20th century the jockstrap became standard equipment for professional and student athletes. Its ubiquity of use led to the slang term "jock" to mean any athlete (see above), and the garment entered popular culture as a humorous symbol of athletics. "Knock their jocks off!" is a phrase used by American football coaches and fans to motivate football players.[8][9] By the 1980s and 1990s, jockstraps were no longer generally mandatory in high school and college sports and gave way to compression shorts. A Bike company spokesman stated in a 2005 interview with Slate magazine that "kids today are not wearing jockstraps."[10] Aside from use in sports, the jockstrap has been used in the worlds of fashion, art, and entertainment. Images of jockstraps appear particularly frequently in gay visual art.[11]. Jockstraps have been erotically depicted in films and theater.[12] In the early years of the 21st century, various athletic and fashion clothing manufacturers have released their own lines of jockstraps. A wide array of stylish "fashion jockstraps" are currently marketed as an alternative to regular underwear.[13] In November 2005, Bike (by then owned by Russell Athletic) made its 350,000,000th jockstrap. The jockstrap was taken off the assembly line, framed, and flown to Bike's Atlanta headquarters.