The right golf glove can help you improve your grip and comfort, and therefore your game. Here’s how to find the Nike gloves to always have in your golf bag. Even if it is not mandatory on the playing field, the right golf glove can prove to be a valid aid in improving performance: it can make you shoot further, it protects your hands so that they do not get tired during the game and it can even help you understand what you are doing right (or wrong) in your swing. This is why most professionals wear a golf glove during tournaments. Here’s how a golf glove can improve your game and how to find the right Nike gloves for you.
What are the benefits of golf gloves?
Golf gloves create more friction between your hand and the club, so you have better control without having to squeeze your hands and forearms too tightly. When the lead arm (left for right-handers or right for left-handers) has a better grip on the club, it can do the bulk of the work during the swing, rather than relying on the push of the other arm. According to a review of research on golf injuries published in the Journal of the American Academy of Orthopedic Surgeons, it is likely that this way of shooting, with greater effort on the leading arm than the other, is one of the techniques that allows professionals to make perfect swings.
In the same review, we also read that when the club is raised with the leading arm, in addition to improving impact with the ball, a more effective grip can also reduce potential elbow injuries. These injuries, often due to excessive hand gripping the club, are the most common among amateur golfers.
Three benefits of golf gloves to improve your game
1 . Longer drives
In a study conducted by Research in Sports Medicine , scientists found that golfers who wore gloves while swinging with a driver achieved faster speeds with both the club and the ball, making drives that were about 10 yards longer. Ten meters doesn’t seem like much, but it can make a difference. According to a 2020 study by the United States Golf Association, Distance Insights , a 50-foot longer drive can result in one less stroke on your total score, in part because the length of holes continues to increase. Between 2004 and 2018, the length of the par 4 and par 5 holes increased on average by around 5 meters: today with a drive 10 meters longer you get as close to the hole as you would have done twenty years ago with a longer drive. short.
2 . Feedback on grip and swing technique
The most common place for cool golf gloves to start to wear out is at the base of the palm. If this happens, it doesn’t just mean the glove is wearing out: it means the grip isn’t right and is affecting your game. The worn palm indicates, in fact, that the club is held with the palm instead of the fingers. When the club is gripped with your fingers, your wrists have more range of motion in the swing, so you can hit shots further and, more importantly, reduce the risk of hitting a slice or hook.
3 . More comfort and more confidence
If you like the feel of gloves on your hands, don’t underestimate it. Changing the way we talk to ourselves can improve our game , and the same goes for the feeling of security that good equipment gives us. Scientists who study grip technology in sports say that better grip can increase our perception of other equipment , such as the golf club, and even our “perceived performance level.” State of mind and mindset are important. Greater confidence can be instrumental in improving your score.
Just one glove or two? And on which hand?
For almost all golfers on the professional circuit, only one glove is needed, and it is worn on the hand that is at the top of the grip. This is the hand that holds the club steady. For right-handed players, it is the left hand, for left-handed players it is the right.
How should a golf glove fit?
The fit must be perfect: neither too loose nor too tight. If the glove is too tight, it will be more difficult to close the fingers and you will feel it pulling on the tips. It will be annoying and uncomfortable and will not make you grip the club in a relaxed manner, which is one of the advantages of using the cool golf glove.
If it’s too large, the fabric bunches around the fingers or extends past the tips and can actually make you feel like the club is slipping more than it would with bare hands. Gloves that are too large can also cause chafing and, consequently, blisters on the hands.
A glove with the ideal fit gives you the feeling of a second skin. The hand should move freely and comfortably. If you’re trying on a glove in store, you can use a sizing chart to check your hand size before purchasing. You can also ask the staff if you can try doing a few swings with the glove to evaluate how it goes in motion.
How many golf gloves do you need?
Some golfers use two different types of gloves: one for hot weather and one for cold weather.
Warm-weather gloves, like the Nike Tour Classic 4 and Nike Tech Extreme VII, are usually heavily perforated, so they’re breathable and keep your hands cool and dry. Colder weather gloves, such as fleece gloves, keep your fingers warm to give you a good grip feel and are more comfortable for playing in the spring or fall.
