While some wrestlers prefer wrestling kneepads with a bubble pad for maximum impact protection, many advanced wrestlers at the collegiate and international level prefer minimal wrestling shooting sleeves, which offer much greater range of motion than basic wrestling kneepads. That's because wrestling shooting sleeves are made from much less material, since they do not have the bulk of a pad. Shooting sleeves for wrestling are constructed from lightweight and stretchable material.
Wrestling shooting sleevess increase the distance wrestlers slide across the mat when shooting a takedown. Though they do not have padding to protect the knee from direct impact on the mat, they do minimize the chances of getting mat burn and similar injuries. For many wrestlers, particularly on the elite level, this is just enough protection, and heavy padding would just actually get in the way.
The main brands of wrestling gear all offer a version of wrestling shooting sleeves. One of the most popular is the ASICS Shooting Sleeve, made of Lycra covered neoprene, which is slicker than cotton, enhancing a wrestler's ability to slide across the mat. A similar wrestling shooting sleeve is the BRUTE Icon Knee Sleeve, which also features flexible side panels and a ventilated mesh back panel for greater comfort. A totally old-school shooting sleeve for wrestling is the Cliff Keen Single Leg Shooting sleeve, made of knit stretch polyester. Though wrestling shooting sleeves are not for every wrestler, those who don't require impact protection and prefer flexibility plus range of motion find them the best choice.
