Facebook 
Twitter 
LinkedIn 
Mastodon 
Youtube 
With glove to better grip
So far, the "Equipment" category has been about the basic equipment of every golfer, about the clubs and their different situations of use. But there is more to complete equipment. A glove, for example. It offers both grip and protection, and can even be a fashion accessory.
Anyone watching golf for the first time will notice it very quickly: Golfers wear gloves, but mostly only one. What at first seems a little strange, maybe even quirky, but there is a good reason for it. After all, the purpose of the glove is to protect the gripping hand and make the shot safer and more stable.
Each hand has its task
To explain this, let's first take a step back: It's no secret that the grip used to hold a golf club with both hands is very complex. Accordingly, it must also be practiced and checked again and again during the career. Small changes quickly creep in that can have major effects. Basically, however, each hand has its task: one grips and the other guides and supports.
The club is not gripped - as one would think - with the "strong" hand, i.e. not the one that normally performs the important tasks for the player, such as writing. In short, the right-handed player grips the club with his left hand, the left-handed player with his right. This hand holds the club during the swing and this hand therefore also gets the glove. Again, the right-handed person wears the glove on the left and vice versa.
Support is needed
This arrangement makes a lot of sense, because the gripping hand needs grip and that is supported by the glove. No one wants to unintentionally throw the club after the ball during the swing, which can happen without a glove, for example, if the weather conditions are not optimal, i.e. slightly humid, or if the player is sweating a bit. Then the rubberized grip of the club can quickly become slippery and that's it.
The gripping hand must therefore be able to hold the club securely, with the other only supporting the swing movement and guiding the swing. Therefore, no glove is required there. Of course, you can also wear a glove on the other hand in cool temperatures.
By the way, this one glove on the gripping hand has another purpose. Anyone who has ever played a round of golf without a glove knows that the gripping hand is subjected to a lot of strain during play. The ball of the hand can become red and easily sore if it is not protected by a glove. Blisters can also develop. So playing with a glove is definitely recommended.
But of course, as with the clubs, there is a wide selection of different manufacturers with a wide variety of glove models. How to find the right one? There is no way around the specialist store, at least at the beginning of your career. Of course, the glove has to be the right size. The only way is to try it on. And it has to give you such a good feeling when you wear it that you forget the glove is even there. This also requires trying on.
Nowadays, golf gloves are mostly made of Cabretta leather with flexible inserts around the joint areas. This makes for a good feel and the right fit. There are also cheaper ones that use synthetic materials. However, in my experience, they don't wear as smoothly and also quickly make your hand sweaty. This makes playing not a pleasure.
Consider weather conditions
When purchasing a glove, you should also consider the conditions under which the glove will prove its worth: Will it only be played in dry weather? Or can it also be used on a rather wet day? The resourceful industry has the right glove for any weather. However, I have never paid attention to weather resistance when buying a glove. And I've played in both sun and heavy rain. In case of emergency, there should always be a spare glove in the bag so that you can change if the one you are using gets too wet.
Finally, the manufacturers also like to point out that a glove needs some care. For this purpose, there are special glove clamps on which the good piece can be pulled to dry after a wet round. I myself handle my gloves but rather less care, they like to forget - even wet - in the bag of the trolley. You can always use them afterwards.
Loss is always
Maybe they don't look as nice anymore and don't last as long as they could. But since you can get a usable glove for around 10 Euros (watch out for offers!), I don't care about the care. If the thing becomes holey or too worn (for example in the handball area) then it comes away. A little loss is just always.
By the way, the glove is usually not worn permanently for the entire round. When putting, most golfers take it off because they have more feeling for the putt without it. Others put the glove on before each stroke and take it off again immediately afterwards. Ultimately, it's a purely personal decision. I usually wear it from the beginning to the end of the round and my putts are no worse than those of my golf partner who putts without a glove. Conclusion: Everyone as he likes...
Previous article in the series: The wedges: How many should be in the bag?
