While not everyone uses them, golf gloves can make a round of golf a much more comfortable and enjoyable experience, and can also help your performance immensely as they improve your natural grip on the club which has a host of benefits.

Being able to hold the club more delicately without sacrificing grip is a good way to improve your fluidity and can help solve issues in your swing.

Golf gloves help immensely with this, but there are a lot of things newer golfers may not know about golf gloves, such as which hand they’re’ worn on, what they’re used for, what they’re made of, or what some of the best options are.

In this guide, we’re going to take an in-depth look at golf gloves breaking down each of these issues and helping you to get a better understanding of why golf gloves are so important and why they are used by all the best players and even amateurs to help improve their play.

We’re also going to look at other common questions about golf gloves so you can feel comfortable wearing them and know what to look for to make sure you get a glove that suits you and your needs perfectly.

But let’s look at the basics first and foremost.

Which hand do I wear a golf glove on and why?

The truth is this is different for each golfer depending on whether they play right-handed or left-handed, and the glove is worn according to this.

For right-handed players, a golf glove is worn on the left hand, and for left-handed players, this should be worn on the right hand.

This is essential as the lead hand provides the most grip and connection to the club during a swing, while the dominant hand is lower down the club and is used more to guide the swing. A glove isn’t usually worn on the dominant hand to help improve feel for the shot.

What are golf gloves used for?

Golf gloves are primarily used to improve your grip. Gripping the club with minimal pressure is a key foundation to a good set up as it helps promote a more relaxed posture and avoid tension in the swing – the reason why a golf glove is so important.

Using too much pressure to grip the club will increase tensions which can result in several bad habits in your swing. This is because a grip that is too strong reduces the fluidity of the stroke and impacts all aspects of the swing negatively, restricting the followthrough, forcing the downswing, and arresting the upswing.

Part of the reason why people grip the club so hard without a glove is that they are worried that their grip may fail, particularly in wet conditions or with sweaty hands.

A golf glove removes a lot of these worries and issues, as the glove is naturally tacky and helps provide excellent control over the club, without the need for such a strong, overbearing grip!

This can subsequently reduce or eliminate the issues we mentioned earlier and improve your game immensely.

What are golf gloves made of?

Gloves can be made of various materials depending on the brand, quality and intended use of the glove, but there are generally two main common materials used by most brands and their main line of gloves.

Genuine Cabretta Leather – This material is very common amongst the more premium golf gloves as it provides the best level of grip. Golf gloves made of genuine cabretta leather are common on tour and probably what most pros and top amateurs will use.

Synthetic Material – Modern synthetic or hybrid materials are also used for their excellent comfort. They are cheaper than genuine cabretta leather gloves and designed to try and match the level of grip. They are generally a little thicker and therefore offer greater durability.

Which material is best for you really depends on the specific brand as well as the needs of the golfer and the conditions they are playing in. Check out our guide to the best golf gloves if you’re interested in finding the best glove for you.

How should a golf glove fit?

Golf gloves need to fit snugly, and should ideally be skin tight.

One of the best ways to test if your glove fits properly or not is to put the glove on and open your palm facing up.

The material that covers your palm should be stretched taut and be totally free of creases. This demonstrates that the glove fits you almost perfectly and offers the best performance.

This is important as creases here can be uncomfortable during play and cause blisters due to the incredible force hitting a golf ball creates. Creases in the glove also reduce the grip and defeat the entire purpose of wearing a golf glove in the first place.

Finding a glove that fits properly is more important than the material that is used or the brand, so don’t be afraid to try multiple different sizes and styles to find one that best fits your hand and is comfortable too.

What are some of the best brands of golf gloves?

There are many excellent brands in the golf world, from historic and storied companies which have equipped some of the world’s best players, to new and innovative brands looking to usurp the established order.

Even brands not traditionally associated with golf have recently sought to tap into this market, so the competition is fierce and has led to excellent performance gloves at very respectable and competitive prices.

I personally play a FootJoy WeatherSof Glove, which offers a nice balance of grip and durability. However, there are loads of decent golf gloves out there, particularly from the brands below;

• FootJoy
• TaylorMade
• Titleist
• Srixon
• Under Armour
• Callaway
• Nike
• Mizuno

There are many smaller brands too, but these are the main big hitters (so to speak) and each brand offers a range of truly excellent gloves for you to choose from.

Do I need different golf gloves for different conditions?

While golf gloves are excellent for providing grip, they are only reliable in dry weather. In wet conditions they actually severely reduce their grip or even make gripping the club a lot harder than not using a glove at all.

This is where wet weather or winter gloves become important and something you should always keep handy in your golf bag.

Wet weather golf gloves are designed to both provide excellent grip in the wet. The wetter they are, the better they actually perform, so there’s no need to be worried about picking your ball out a hole full of water.

Winter gloves on the other hand are designed to keep your hands warm whilst playing in cold temperatures. They are slightly thicker than traditional golf gloves but differ from golf mittens in that you can keep them on whilst you play your shot as they offer grip and feel. If you’re interested in learning more about these, you can check out our guide here.

Many of the brands above offer excellent options for both wet, dry and cold weather.

How often should I replace my golf glove?

A golf glove will typically last between 10 – 20 rounds. However, there are many factors which influence the life of a golf glove including the material of the glove, the quality of the glove, your grip pressure and the conditions in which you play golf.

Generally, you should consider a replacement if you notice issues such as holes, tears, reduced grip, weakened or compromised fasteners, a worsening fit, or if the grip is starting to go crisp and dry out.

A golf glove with any of these signs of wear isn’t going to help you out on the golf course, so get rid. There’s nothing worse than standing on the tee with the feeling that the club could slip out of your hands.

However, many of these issues can be prevented with proper care. Follow our advice below to help prolong the life of your golf glove:

• Have a seperate glove for the driving range – Instead of using the same glove all of the time, have a seperate glove dedicated for practice.
• Let your glove breath – when moist from sweat after a round, let the glove breath and dry out on the side or on top of your golf bag.
• Keep your grips in good condition – Keeping your golf grips clean will improve their tackiness and reduce the pressure needed to hold your club.

Stick to these tips and you should be able to keep your gloves in pristine condition and help them last longer.