How to Tape an Elbow and Tennis Elbow

The ache on the outside of your elbow that bites every time you grip a racquet, a dumbbell or the kettle is usually tennis elbow, and you do not need to play tennis to get it. Knowing how to tape tennis elbow gives you short-term relief so you can keep training or working while the tendon settles. Tape does not fix the tendon, and that distinction matters for getting the elbow right rather than just quiet for an afternoon. This guide covers the lateral (tennis elbow) and medial (golfer's elbow) methods separately, because they are different problems on opposite sides of the joint.

Get the side wrong and the tape works against you. Most guides online blur the two and hand you one generic wrap. We split them cleanly, give you a distinct method for each, and are honest about where taping stops and rehab starts.

Why tape an elbow

Elbow tape does one useful job: it changes how load passes through a sore tendon for a few hours so the area is calmer under grip and lifting. That can take enough edge off the pain to let you finish a session, a shift or a match. It is offloading and support, not treatment, and it sits alongside proper rehab rather than replacing it.

The mainstay of recovery for both tennis and golfer's elbow is graded load management and progressive strengthening, guided by a physiotherapist. A long-running primary-care trial on tennis elbow found that patients managed with physiotherapy, and even those who waited it out, were doing better at a year than those given a cortisone injection. Read that as a reason to build the tendon back up, not to chase a quick fix. Tape helps you stay active while you do the work that actually counts.

Tennis elbow vs golfer's elbow: know what you are taping

Tennis elbow is lateral epicondylalgia, an overuse tendinopathy where the forearm extensor muscles attach on the outside of the elbow. Golfer's elbow is medial epicondylalgia, the same kind of overload on the inside, where the forearm flexor muscles attach. Both are load-related tendinopathies rather than sudden tears, so the tape follows the sore muscles: outer forearm for tennis elbow, inner forearm for golfer's elbow. Lateral (tennis) elbow is the more common of the two by a clear margin.

The quick test is simple. Straighten your wrist and fingers back against resistance and feel where it hurts: pain on the outside points to tennis elbow. Curl your wrist and fingers down against resistance and pain on the inside points to golfer's elbow. That single check decides which method below you reach for.

What you need before you start

You do not need much, and the kit is the same for both sides. Reach for elastic or kinesiology tape for the muscle strip, a roll of rigid strapping tape if you want a firmer anchor, and scissors. Pre-wrap or a light adhesive spray helps on hairy or sweaty forearms and makes removal kinder on the skin.

Clean, dry skin holds tape far better than skin straight off the court. Wipe the forearm down, manage heavy hair with a clip or pre-wrap, and give any spray a moment to get tacky before you tape. If your skin reacts to adhesives, patch test a small piece the day before. If you have a known latex allergy, choose a latex-free tape. Never tape over broken skin, a fresh graze or a rash.

How to tape tennis elbow (lateral, step-by-step)

This method offloads the outer forearm extensors that refer pain to the outside of the elbow. Sit with the elbow slightly bent and the forearm resting palm-down on your thigh so the extensor muscles are relaxed.

1. Measure a strip of elastic or kinesiology tape from just below the wrist on the back of the forearm to a few centimetres above the elbow on the outside. Round the corners so they do not catch.
2. Lay the first few centimetres down at the wrist end with no stretch. This is your anchor and it must sit flat.
3. Apply the middle of the strip along the back of the forearm over the extensor muscles with light to moderate stretch, roughly a quarter to half of the tape's give, no more. Aim the strip toward the outer point of the elbow.
4. Lay the last few centimetres down above the elbow with no stretch to lock it off.
5. Add a short cross strip across the top of the sore forearm muscles, a hand's width below the elbow, with gentle stretch through the middle and no stretch at the ends. This is the strip most people feel working.
6. Rub the tape down for ten seconds. The heat helps the adhesive grab.

Bend and straighten the elbow a few times. It should feel supported, never pinched, and your fingers must stay warm with normal colour.

How to tape golfer's elbow (medial, step-by-step)

Golfer's elbow taping mirrors the tennis elbow method but runs down the inside of the forearm over the flexor muscles. Rest the forearm palm-up this time so the inner muscles are relaxed.

1. Cut a strip from just below the wrist on the palm side of the forearm to a few centimetres above the elbow on the inside. Round the corners.
2. Anchor the wrist end flat with no stretch.
3. Run the middle of the strip up the inside of the forearm over the flexor muscles with a quarter to half stretch, aiming at the inner point of the elbow.
4. Lock the top end off above the elbow with no stretch.
5. Add a short cross strip over the sore inner forearm muscles a hand's width below the elbow, gentle stretch in the middle, ends flat.
6. Rub it down and test the bend.

Same safety check applies. If the hand tingles, goes pale or throbs, the strip is too tight. Take it off and reapply with less stretch.

General elbow support and hyperextension

Not every sore elbow is a tendinopathy. For a joint that feels loose or gets knocked in contact, or one that snaps into full extension under load, a firmer support strap helps more than a muscle strip. Anchor rigid tape around the upper forearm and lower upper arm, then run supporting strips across the front of the elbow crease with the joint held at a slight bend, so the tape checks the last few degrees of straightening. Keep the back of the elbow clear so it can still move.

This is short-term support to get through a game, not a fix for an unstable joint. If your elbow gives way, locks, or was forced past its normal range, get it assessed before you load it again.

Kinesiology tape vs rigid tape for the elbow

The two behave differently and suit different jobs. Rigid tape gives firm restriction and is the choice when you want to limit how far the joint travels, such as blocking hyperextension. Elastic and kinesiology tape allow the elbow to move while cueing the sore muscles and easing pain in the short term, which suits tennis and golfer's elbow where you still want a working arm.

Be straight about the evidence. Studies on kinesiology tape for lateral elbow pain show a small short-term pain benefit at best, and it is a supportive adjunct, not a cure. It is worth trying because it lets some people keep moving comfortably, but do not expect the tape to do the tendon's rehab for it. If you want the detail on how kinesiology tape actually works, we have covered the mechanisms and the honest limits separately.

Taping by sport: tennis, golf, gym and lifting

In racquet sport, tennis elbow flares on the backhand and the serve, so the lateral method plus a firm anchor tends to hold up best through a match. Golfers and throwers load the inside of the elbow, so the medial method is the one to learn, and throwers who carry that load up into the shoulder can turn to our guide to shoulder support. In the gym, heavy gripping, pulling and pressing drives both, and it is usually the extensor side that complains first from all the gripping.

Whatever the sport, tape is there to get you through the session while you address the load that caused the problem. Cutting training volume, fixing grip and technique, and building forearm strength is what stops it coming back. Tape buys you time; it does not buy you out of the rehab.

Tape or a counterforce brace: which to choose

Plenty of people searching for elbow relief end up looking at a tennis elbow brace, the padded band worn just below the elbow. It works on the same idea as the cross strip in the tape method, spreading load away from the sore attachment. A brace suits all-day wear, work and situations where no one is around to reapply tape. Tape suits sport and precise, lower-profile support you can shape to the exact sore spot.

Neither is better in the abstract; they solve the same problem in different settings, and some people use both. If a band is the easier option for your day, our elbow braces and supports cover the counterforce style. For everything else recovery-related, from hot and cold to compression, the recovery and rehab range is the place to look.

Common mistakes

The most common fault is tape applied too tight, which is why the circulation check matters every single time. Stretching the anchor ends is another: the ends should always go down flat, with the give kept for the middle of the strip. People also tape the wrong side, wrapping the outer forearm for what is actually golfer's elbow, so run the resistance test first. Finally, skin prep gets skipped under time pressure and the tape lifts within the hour, so clean and dry the skin before you start.

When to see a physiotherapist

Tape supports an elbow and eases load in the short term, but it does not treat the underlying tendon and it is no substitute for assessment. See a physiotherapist or GP if any of the following apply:

• Pain that lasts beyond about six weeks despite rest and taping
• Pain at night or pain that is getting worse
• Weakness in your grip, or dropping things
• Numbness or pins and needles running into the hand or fingers
• The elbow locking, giving way, or having been forced past its normal range
• Any uncertainty about what is actually wrong

Book the visit sooner rather than later if you are unsure. A tendinopathy caught early and loaded properly settles far better than one strapped up and pushed through for months.

Tape must never cause numbness, pins and needles, colour change or throbbing below it. If it does, the strip is too tight: take it off straight away and reapply with less stretch or leave it off. Remove tape slowly in the direction of hair growth to spare the skin, and stop using it on any skin that is broken, raw or reacting.

Frequently asked questions

Does taping cure tennis elbow? No. Taping offloads the tendon and can ease pain for a few hours so you can keep active, but the tendon recovers through graded loading and strengthening, usually guided by a physiotherapist. Treat tape as support alongside that work, not instead of it.

How long can I leave elbow tape on? Elastic and kinesiology strips are generally comfortable for a day or two, including through a shower, as long as the skin stays happy and circulation is normal. Rigid support straps come off after the session. Remove any tape that itches, lifts or irritates the skin.

Which tape for tennis elbow, rigid or kinesiology? For the muscle-offloading strips, elastic or kinesiology tape is the usual choice because it moves with you. Add rigid tape only when you want a firmer anchor or to check hyperextension. Both have a place depending on the job.

Can I keep playing with a taped elbow? If the pain is mild, the tape is comfortable and your grip is normal, taping can help you get through a session. Stop and get it looked at if the pain is sharp, worsening, or the hand goes numb.

Straptor is Australian-owned and made for the way clubs and trainers actually work, on the sideline and in the change room. If you want to see where taping sits across the whole joint, start at our body part taping hub.

Related articles

• How to strap a wrist
• How to tape a shoulder for support