Why Golfers Only Wear One Glove When Golfing

By Alex Mercer

October 8, 2019


Turning on the golf channel or watching any major event, there’s a good chance you’ll see a golfer wearing only one glove, not two. We break down why golfers only wear one glove and not two.

Golfers only wear one glove to reduce the friction between the club and hand. If no glove is worn on the top hand, blisters will start to form.

In this article, we will show you why it’s important to wear a glove and what it can do to help your hands.

Why Golfers Wear One Glove

Golfer’s Grip

The main reason golfers wear one glove is for the grip. There’s a dominant hand and a non-dominant hand (depending on if you’re right-handed or left-handed). Each hand plays a significant part in the golf swing in making clean and powerful contact.

Right-handed golfers will wear gloves on their left hand because that’s the hand that absorbs the most impact. It’s also the hand that is most dominant when controlling your swing speed and velocity.

The hand must lock the club into place with little to no movement throughout the swing. This is why the glove is useful for golfers on the one hand because it keeps the golf club locked into place.

As mentioned, depending on whether you’re a right-handed or left-handed golfer, one glove will favor a grip instead of the other.

Avoiding Blisters

Blisters are common in golf. Consistently swinging at max velocity with a tight grip will cause blisters to form. A glove will help reduce the friction between the skin and the club.

This is also the reason we see golfers wear two gloves. Blisters are an injury that could sideline a golfer for a week or two.

Especially during the hot summer, hands get sweaty, and gloves will loosen up. This is the perfect recipe for blisters. One glove should help prevent blisters, but wearing two is not uncommon. PGA players such as Tom Gainey ( seen below) wear two.

Avoid Sweaty Hands

As mentioned, keeping the hands as dry as possible is important. Golf club control is something every golfer struggles to find, which can be altered by sweat.

A sweaty hand can alter the swing pattern by the golf club moving in the hand. Wearing one glove helps secure the golf club to ensure the swing is sturdy throughout the entire loading process.

Keeping The Hands Dry

Golf fanatics play golf in any weather. Rain, 100-degree days, and even sometimes snow! The hand moisture, on top of light precipitation, can also affect the golf swing.

Unlike other sports, the golf swing can cause a ball to sway left or hook right if off by centimeters. Everything needs to be perfect on every stroke to maintain an efficient score.

What Golf Gloves Should I Wear?

Golf gloves come in the traditional sizes of small, medium, large, and XL. Golf gloves can be found in the pro shops of the golf course you’re playing at. We recommend trying gloves out in person to ensure they fit perfectly.

If you want to buy golf gloves, we recommend trying brands like Callaway Gloves or Under Armour Gloves.

If you’re an avid golf player, we recommend buying gloves in bulk (3 or more pairs). Golf gloves will get old and stale after multiple uses, especially on hot summer days when you’re sweating. We recommend this three-pack of gloves that will last you throughout spring/summer.

No Golf Gloves For Short Range

Golfers can be seen taking off their one glove when they start to approach the greens. Once it’s off, it will be placed in their back pocket, where it dangles half out of the pocket.

Golfers till take off the one glove and put it back in their pocket for a few reasons:

  • Better Feel
  • Better Control

The short game is the most important part of golf. Controlling the club without gloves can help.

Feeling Comfortable With No Golf Glove

If there’s a layer of the glove between the hand and the club, some golfers feel that having no glove on will help them control the club better. This preference is completely up to the golfer.

As golfers get closer and closer to the hole, the less power they’ll need in their swing. This eliminates any worry about blisters, so golfers will often take one glove off their hand for a shorter stroke.

See Our Complete List Of Helpful Golf Articles Here.

Better Control Of The Club

When approaching the green, putting is all about controlling the ball to go exactly where you want it. First, get the read, adjust the feet/hands, and then contact the ball. Taking a glove off can help the hands stroke the ball more fluidly, as golfers can get more control.

Especially when putting control over everything. The difference between a birdie and a bogey is stroking the ball with perfect speed and accuracy.

Conclusion

Golfers wear one glove to enhance their grip, prevent blisters, and fight weather conditions. To beat all the elements, it’s important to wear at least one glove. Maintaining healthy hands throughout the entire golf season is important, especially if you’re retired and play throughout the year.

Blisters can be prevented by wearing a glove. Check the local pro shop for gloves that can be worn on the spot.

Why do you wear one golf glove? Do you wear two? None? In the comment section below, let us know what your main reason is for wearing golf gloves throughout the entire golfing season.

About the author

Hey There! My Name is Alex and I run Get Hyped Sports. I created this platform to help people find their love for sports and gaming.

Our work has been featured on platforms like Mashable.com, SVG.com, and XXL.com.

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