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“Golf Gloves are your second skin”, according to many golf equipment manufacturers. Is it true? Let’s face it!
Indeed, golf is the game of precision. Getting yourself the right equipment and accessories is essential to have better controlled and precise shots. It’s like getting the right ingredients in the right quantity for a delicious pudding. But do you mandatorily need golf gloves? Not really.
Golf gloves are a recommendation by most of the ‘Gurus of Golfs’ to players for good reasons, such as gloves allow you to have a better grip, comfort, and protection. But they are not a necessity. You may find many golfers at all levels who don’t wear gloves at all. While there is another group of players who never play without gloves.
And, if you reading this article, then you must want to find some answers to the common queries like- what is the importance of golf gloves? What are the different types of golf gloves? How to choose golf gloves? Etc. etc. etc…
So, here we will try to find the answers to each of the above-mentioned questions. Plus, some other crucial information that will increase your knowledge bank of golf and help you to become an informed golfer.
Why Do We Wear Golf Gloves?
If I said that golf gloves are not a requirement but a recommendation it doesn’t mean that they are unimportant. Golf gloves do have their importance. What are they? Let’s break these into points to have a better understanding:
1. Gloves Give You Rid of Sweaty Hands
Let’s keep it simple. The major role of gloves in every sport(not only golf) is to get you rid of sweaty hands. This happens a lot in summer when you play in the sun your hands are likely to become damp with sweat that feels awkward and irritating. Wearing a glove(s) is a better option to prevent this situation.
2. Provide a Better Grip
The second importance of gloves is linked with the first. Naturally, wet and sweaty hands are more likely to give you a poor grip. This may result in twisting and shaking the club while you swing. Thus, gloves keep your hands dry, offer a better grip and better-controlled shots.
3. Protection from Blisters
Playing without gloves may give you blisters. How? See, when you play with bare hands you have to hold the club tighter than when you play by wearing gloves. This puts more pressure on your palms and fingers.
The pressure goes even to a higher level if your hands are sweaty. So, constantly, playing with bare hands can cause blisters. Gloves, on other hand, provide a better grip at lower pressure thus help to prevent blisters.
4. Protection Against Harsh Weather
Another advantage of wearing gloves is protection against extreme cold and heat. Gloves can be really handy for you when you play at places with harsh climates. Being aware of the fact that harsh weather can make the player uncomfortable which indirectly affects his/her game, manufacturers began making season-specific gloves that shield your hands against excessive heat, cold, and moisture.
How to Choose Perfect Golf Gloves?
The process of choosing the best gloves set can be broken down into 5 Simple Steps. So, if you are about to buy a set of gloves for the first time do this:
# Step 1: Do you need Regular or Cadet Gloves?
The first question that I want you to ask yourself is whether you need Regular or Cadet gloves? Regular gloves, as the name suggests are for the person with normal hands while cadet gloves are made for those who have short fingers accompanied by a large palm. So, look at your hand and decide which pair of gloves you need.
Note: More on Cadet gloves will be in a different section.
# Step 2: Choose the Right Size
The first step is to decide the size of the gloves. Golf gloves come in different sizes (S, M, L, XL) for men, women, and children. Research about which size would fit you the best. For your ease, I have written a section about how to select the size of golf gloves. Don’t forget to check that out.
Look for golf glove functionality. The golf glove you choose should have padding in the palm. Better gloves have stretchy material at the knuckles, allowing your glove to flex as you grip the club.
# Step 3: Decide Upon the Material
Now, as you have decided your gloves type and size the next thing to focus on is— the material. is the most popular and durable material for golf gloves. However, synthetic materials have their importance. Synthetic materials provide better comfort and stretchability while leather is more durable, gives a soft feel, and is long-lasting.
# Step 4: Grip
The grip is inevitable for Golf Gloves. Of course, it’s one of the most crucial reasons why you want to buy gloves.
The right gloves help you to avoid turning and slipping of the clubs while you swing. It also helps you prevent blisters by reducing the pressure on your palms. The best way to try to get this right is to try different gloves by yourself in the sports shop. If you are buying online then you have no option but to read the customers’ reviews.
Step 5: Think About the Heat, Cold, and Rain
Till now you have decided upon the type of gloves, their size, its material. And, you also have realized the importance of the grip. The next step is to think about the climate type you’re going to play golf in.
If the place is cold then go for thick leather gloves that can shield your hands from the freezing cold. On the other hand, if the climate is hot then going for properly ventilated synthetic gloves is better. And if you don’t want to keep yourself off the course even in the moist weather you also have an option of rain gloves.
# Step 6: Price
Though gloves are one of the cheapest accessories of golf and you have them for less than 10 bucks. You still need to decide how much you actually want to invest in a good pair of golf gloves.
Types of Golf Gloves Based on Material
Now, as you know material is an important factor while selecting the gloves. Based on material golf gloves can be divided into the following types:
#1: Leather Gloves
Leather gloves give the best feel among all the gloves thanks to their supple texture. They are either made of sheep leather made from the hide of sheep or carburated leather. Sheep leather golf gloves remain soft and nimble. The downside of these gloves is they are not durable and get stretched over time.
#2: Synthetic Gloves
These materials resemble genuine leather and offer better flexibility and durability. Gloves made of synthetic materials are also cheap. Their flaw is— they fail to provide the feel and breathability of leather gloves.
#3: Hybrid Gloves
Yes, you guessed it right! Hybrid gloves are the result of the creativity of golf equipment manufacturers. Sensing the pulse of the market that players need gloves that can give the feel and breathability of leather gloves and durability and flexibility of synthetic gloves. In short, they made hybrid gloves by combining both leather and synthetic materials to give you the best of both worlds.
So by buying a hybrid glove you’ll have genuine leather on your finger and palm for better grip and feel. While synthetic material on the joints and wear points give you more flexibility and durability.
Types of Golf Gloves Based on Player
#1: Men’s Gloves
Men’s gloves are the largest in terms of size as well as their market. These can come in different sizes such as S, M, L, and XL. These gloves also come in all three materials(leather, synthetic, and hybrid).
#2: Women’s Gloves
Like men’s gloves, women’s gloves are also available in varieties of sizes, and materials. Obviously, they do not sell as much as me because of the fact that we have a much lesser number of women who play golf.
#3: Youth Gloves
Children or juniors are growing creatures whose body parts’ size changes as they grow up. The same thing applies to hands. Therefore, while shopping for children’s gloves, the ‘Price’ is the most important factor. Comfort and durability are also important but as you know they are not going to wear these gloves for long because of their growing bodies.
Here we see an impressive move by the manufacturers that they make children gloves with flexible material so that they can use them longer than what is expected from stretchable gloves.
#4: What are cadet golf gloves?
As I have promised you above, discuss the Cadet Gloves in a different section, finally we have reached there.
Cadet gloves are made for players whose fingers are not in normal proportion with their palms. In simple words, they have shorter fingers and wider palms. And, that’s why regular gloves won’t give them proper fitting.
Acknowledging the needs of such golfers brands started manufacturing Cadet Gloves that address the needs of these golfers. And, like any other category, these gloves also come in different sizes.
How to Take Care of Your Golf Gloves
Taking care of golf gloves is easy. You don’t have to take care of the 100 things to keep them in the right shape. Just take care of the below-mentioned points and you can use your gloves longer than usual.
#1. Keep Them Dry
The first thing to keep in mind is—keep them dry as much as possible. It’s better to have two gloves for a single hand so that you can rotate both from time to time. And, when you are playing by wearing one, allow the other to air dry. This way you can keep it dry and minimize the odor.
#2: Use a Soft Damp Cloth for Cleaning
Water can spoil the leather of the gloves. On the other hand, dirty and sweaty gloves can cause skin infections. Therefore you should clean your gloves when they get dirty. Just make sure to clean them, do it with a damp cloth. After cleaning, allow them to dry in a shade where they can use a lot of air to take away moisture.
#3: Wear the Gloves
Once your gloves have dried, wear them up to bring them back in shape. Next, either lay them flat on the surface or hang them somewhere in the house.
WARNING: Don’t stuff your gloves in the golf bag because this will deform their shape.
Which Hand a Golf Glove Should be Worn in?
‘Lead Hand’. What’s that?
‘Lead Hand’ is the hand that leads the swing of your golf club. In other words, the top hand on the club is your hand. So, if you are a right-handed golfer then your left hand is the lead hand and vice versa.
However, it’s not a thumb rule that you wear gloves only on the lead hand. Many pro golfers wear gloves on both hands. Contrary to this, several golfers are there who do not wear gloves at all.
FAQs (Why Golf Clubs?)
How much do golf gloves cost?
As stated above, golf gloves are one of the cheapest accessories of golf. You may find a food set of gold gloves in famous brands between $10 to $20.
Are golf gloves worth it?
Yes, golf gloves are worth it! Although wearing gloves is a recommendation and not a requirement, I still believe(like a large number of golfers) golf gloves can help to improve your shots by reducing the chances of turning clubs while swinging. Secondly, they keep your hands sweat-free ensuring your comfort. Thirdly, they protect you from harsh weather. So, in my opinion, they are definitely worth it and don't cost a fortune.
Why do many golfers wear only one glove?
Many golfers wear gloves only in one hand (lead hand) for better grip, prevention from sweat, and protection of skin from ripping. The reason why they don't wear gloves in both hands is that they feel that the other glove is interfering with the grip as well as it takes away the feeling. The only time you would see these golfers wearing two gloves is when it's raining.
Does any pro golfer not use a glove?
Yes, some pro golfers don't wear gloves. Some of them are: ● Fred Couples ● Lucas Glover ● Jonathan Byrd ● Ben Hogan
Why do Pro Golfers Take Their Gloves Off After Every Shot?
Golfers take out their gloves after every shot to air their hand. Taking off gloves helps them to dry the hand fast as well as allow their skin to breathe. Bare hands give better feel than gloved hands so golfers take off their gloves when playing the shots in which they don't need gloves such as chipping and putting.