Although a few people choose to play golf without a golf glove, you will not find it happening much anymore. Professional golfer Fred Couples is one, saying that it decreases the feel he has for the golf club. But he is a rare exception. It is a key piece of equipment to your golf game, and is the connection between you and your swing and your precious golf clubs that we give advice on all the time.
They offer protection for the hands, plus they give the golfer a better grip on the club, which is always important but imperative when the weather is damp or the hands get sweaty.
Protection. In everyone's golf swing there is some friction between the hands and the club, and the fingers moving against each other. The golf glove will prevent the hands and fingers from blistering, particularly if you haven't played for some time and the hands have yet to callous. Normally a right-handed golfer would wear a golf glove on his left hand, but you may opt for one on each hand if your hands are still soft from not playing.
Grip. Not only do you not want the club to slip out of your hands, but you don't want to be compensating with the slippage to have to clutch the club too tightly. Many amateur golfers do this, and it diminishes the suppleness in the hands necessary to generate maximum power. As golfing great Sam Snead once said, "If a lot of people gripped a knife and fork the way they do a golf club, they'd starve to death". The traction on a golf glove will allow you to loosen your grip.
Now that you know why you need a golf glove, what should you be looking for in purchasing a glove? First, it has to fit on your hand snuggly. If it's loose, it will allow the club to twist in your hand, taking away a main advantage. Plus it will loosen and stretch some with use. But it should still feel comfortable on your hand. The best ones will have plenty of ventilation between the fingers to allow moisture to vent.
The best gloves in the United States are Brazilian sheepskin, and they have a great feel and will last longer. On the other end of the quality spectrum are synthetic fabrics, which will do the job fine but will probably wear out quicker. It also will not have the nice, soft feel of the more expensive varieties will. Not only will quality vary, but there are those that perform better in rain as well as those which are heavier and will protect the hands against the elements.
I usually go with the moderately priced glove, and prefer to get a new one a little more often. You can prolong their life by keeping them dry when you are finished with a round, but don't dry them on direct heat or they'll become brittle.
They offer protection for the hands, plus they give the golfer a better grip on the club, which is always important but imperative when the weather is damp or the hands get sweaty.
Protection. In everyone's golf swing there is some friction between the hands and the club, and the fingers moving against each other. The golf glove will prevent the hands and fingers from blistering, particularly if you haven't played for some time and the hands have yet to callous. Normally a right-handed golfer would wear a golf glove on his left hand, but you may opt for one on each hand if your hands are still soft from not playing.
Grip. Not only do you not want the club to slip out of your hands, but you don't want to be compensating with the slippage to have to clutch the club too tightly. Many amateur golfers do this, and it diminishes the suppleness in the hands necessary to generate maximum power. As golfing great Sam Snead once said, "If a lot of people gripped a knife and fork the way they do a golf club, they'd starve to death". The traction on a golf glove will allow you to loosen your grip.
Now that you know why you need a golf glove, what should you be looking for in purchasing a glove? First, it has to fit on your hand snuggly. If it's loose, it will allow the club to twist in your hand, taking away a main advantage. Plus it will loosen and stretch some with use. But it should still feel comfortable on your hand. The best ones will have plenty of ventilation between the fingers to allow moisture to vent.
The best gloves in the United States are Brazilian sheepskin, and they have a great feel and will last longer. On the other end of the quality spectrum are synthetic fabrics, which will do the job fine but will probably wear out quicker. It also will not have the nice, soft feel of the more expensive varieties will. Not only will quality vary, but there are those that perform better in rain as well as those which are heavier and will protect the hands against the elements.
I usually go with the moderately priced glove, and prefer to get a new one a little more often. You can prolong their life by keeping them dry when you are finished with a round, but don't dry them on direct heat or they'll become brittle.
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