We wear golf gloves for a number of reasons. The main one is
grip; when we wear a golf glove, the friction between our hand and club grip
throughout the swing is hugely enhanced.
We also play golf in a mix of climates and conditions, and a
good-quality glove will help you maintain a strong grip, whether it’s hot and
sweaty or cold and wet.
The last thing you want during a swing is for your grip to slip, but the best golf gloves will bolster your hold on the club and give you more confidence in the follow-through.
Why do golfers wear gloves?
Gloves protect your hands and provide an extra layer of
padding. When the temperature on the course rises, the breathable material used
in golf gloves helps keep your hands cool and dry.
Flexibility is key when shopping for golf gloves. Your glove
should allow a full range of motion in the swing while fitting you snugly, based
on the measurements of your palm circumference and middle finger length.
Quality golf gloves are typically made from leather, as this
offers a superior feel and fit, as well as being soft and flexible. Leather
also tends to keep its shape better, but it can be expensive, so many popular golf
gloves use a blend of leather and other materials.
PGA Tour winner Aaron Rai is well known for wearing two gloves, but generally speaking, most golfers only wear a glove on their lead hand (left for a right-hander and vice versa), as this is where the club sits.
The best golf gloves: our top picks
FootJoy Pure Touch Limited
RRP: £26.99
FootJoy is the leading glove manufacturer, and this is its premium
offering.
This is a hugely popular glove on Tour. It’s made from
Cabretta leather, so it offers plenty of feel and comfort. Where it truly
excels, though, is moisture management, so you’ll always have a perfect hold on
the club, even when it’s hot out on the course.
Looks-wise, it’s strikingly simple but arguably as good as it gets in this market.
Ping Tour Glove
RRP: £19
Ping has always made premium golf gloves, and this Cabretta
leather glove is super-soft with pre-curved fingers, finger vents, and
perforations to optimise breathability.
There’s also a wristband to encourage moisture wicking and promote the perfect fit.
FootJoy StaSof
RRP: £23.99
This is arguably one of the most recognisable golf gloves on
the market, so it deserves a mention for that alone.
The StaSof excels at durability, making it very popular with
the world’s best players, who might not want to change their gloves after every
round.
“It’s a great golf glove. I want to have a glove that I can use more than just once or twice; I like to wear it for four or five days in a row during a tournament. The fact that the durability of the StaSof can withstand after that many rounds, with all the golf swings involved with that, is unbelievable,” says Billy Horschel.
Titleist Players Flex
RRP: £20
Any Titleist glove is going to be stylish and simple but
still offer outstanding performance—the Players Flex is no different.
This glove is slightly thicker than the Players version, but the netted satin panels provide supreme comfort and flexibility. You can expect this glove to keep performing for plenty of rounds.
Callaway Tour Authentic Glove
RRP: £24
Another popular choice on Tour is this high-grade Cabretta glove,
which is great around the greens if you prefer to chip and putt with your glove
on. There are several additional reinforcements in key areas to minimise wear,
especially in the spots that tend to experience higher friction.
G/Fore Collection
RRP: £15-£30
G/Fore is a leading brand in style, colour, and substance,
and its gloves are no different. Gone are the days of simply white golf gloves
with few options for any other colours.
The men’s collection has six colours to suit every palette. Each glove is precision-crafted from premium Cabretta leather and has embroidered detailing on the tab.
TaylorMade Tour Preferred Glove
RRP: £17.99
This is a fantastic-looking glove with a performance and
price to match.
It’s engineered to encourage breathability through the larger gaps in the fingers and is made from the finest AAA Cabretta leather. The blue and grey colour options are also simple and classic-looking.
Nike Tour Classic IV
RRP: £32.99
Nike may no longer make clubs, but the iconic swoosh is
still very much visible when it comes to gloves—thanks to Rory McIlroy.
Although at the higher end of the price range, this glove noticeably features more perforations than others in the back of the hand and in the fingers, while the surrounds are made from premium leather.
FootJoy HyperFLX
RRP: £21.99
The exceptional breathability of this glove makes it a
popular choice on Tour. It has a lot going on, with material along the back of
the hand to promote moisture control and a mesh to improve fit and flexibility.
It’s also great in hot weather and, like all FootJoy gloves, looks very smart.
The best golf gloves for bad weather
Given the conditions many of us have to contend with when golfing in the UK, we couldn’t resist including include a couple of options, especially for when we’re playing in bad weather.
MacWet Micromesh
RRP: £30
Aaron Rai wears these on the PGA Tour because he loves the
breathability the soft mesh back and water-resistant material provide. The ‘bad’
news, though, is that if you want to properly mimic Rai, you’ll, of course, have
to purchase two!
However, the good news is that they’ll last you a long time.
FootJoy WeatherSof
RRP: £11.99
FootJoy claims this is the #1 selling golf glove.
What’s true is that it’s certainly fantastic value, with a
soft feel and ultra-durable and breathable material. There’s additional leather
on the palm and thumb, and you can purchase in packs of two and three, so there
are no arguments from a value-for-money perspective.
It’s the perfect choice if you hit a lot of balls out on the range.
Golf gloves are a common golf accessory all year round. If you’re shopping for a new glove, you might want to protect it, along with the rest of your equipment, with specialist golf insurance.
With Golf Care, policies include Equipment Cover up to £7,500, Public Liability of up to £10m, and Personal Accident Cover up to £50,000. Click on the banner below to learn more and get a quote.
