Most golfers I know love to shop around for new golf equipment. It’s like Christmas morning any time of year! We all love to test out the latest drivers, irons, wedges, and putters. But if there’s one golf item I hate buying, it’s gloves. I am very hard on golf gloves and go through several every year. I live in Oklahoma, where the humidity at times is overwhelming, and humidity and golf gloves definitely don’t get along. I rediscover this fact every year.
I have tried a lot of different brands throughout the years. I have had Titleist golf gloves in the past, as well as Maxfli and Nike. For the most part, however, I just buy Footjoy gloves and live with the sweat. I got the opportunity to test out some 3M Greptile golf gloves, and I accepted the offer quickly. First, I was shocked to even see the 3M brand on anything golf-related. I thought 3M only made post-it notes. I was wrong, and I have found a new golf glove of choice in the process.
I should also let everyone know there are two different types of 3M Greptile golf gloves. The first one, the one I am reviewing, is the Premium glove. The other one, which is a little cheaper in price, is the Standard glove.
Look and Feel
The Greptile glove definitely caught my attention when I first saw it. It looks like no other golf glove I have ever seen. The back side is very similar to most golf gloves I have worn. There are airholes on the top of the fingers that create ventilation, and there is velcro to fasten the glove on nice and tight. The glove is comprised of 100% Cabretta leather which creates a very soft feel. My hand stayed quite comfortable while hitting golf balls on the range.
Flip the glove over to the palm side, however, and you’ll discover what makes the Greptile different from most other gloves. There are numerous areas on the palm side of the glove that aren’t made with the leather material. These areas are actually made of 3M’s “Greptile” gripping material. The areas where this is visible are the key contact points between the glove and the grip of the club.
I’ll be the first to admit that I thought the 3M glove looked pretty goofy when I first saw it. But my frustration with other golf gloves allowed me to give it a fair chance. Once I put the glove on and played a round or two with it, I really didn’t care what it looked like. It was just as comfortable as any other golf glove I have ever worn, and that is one of the most important things as far as I’m concerned.
The only negative I have about the look of the golf glove is the absence of the little ball-marker button. Most gloves I have used in the past have that little button, and they sure come in handy for me. I play a lot after work with my friends, and we just wear mesh shorts a lot of the time and play relaxed. So obviously, I don’t have anywhere to put my ball markers (coins). The little button was nice because I could just take it off the glove and mark my ball. After I putted out, I could just snap it back on the glove. This is a very minor thing, and it’s something 3M can implement in the future.
Greptile Technology
The technology side of the Greptile brand is what sets it apart from a lot of other companies in my opinion. Keep in mind that 3M isn’t just using this technology with golf products. They are also using this technology with batting gloves for baseball as well. Greptile uses a micro-replication technology. This technology is based around using thousands (“replication”) of little (“micro”) fingers that grip surfaces and offer better performance. This technology actually allows for a couple positives.
First, the Greptile technology allows golfers to have a much firmer grip on the club without squeezing any harder. The grip, as we all know, is one of the key areas in a golf swing. If a golfer doesn’t have a comfortable grip, it usually makes for a very frustrating round. This stronger grip also allows golfers to use less effort when making a swing. This will enable golfers to maintain better control of their shots and also avoid fatigue at the end of a round.
Weather conditions are a huge factor for me. As I mentioned earlier, I am from Oklahoma and play nearly all of my golf in my homestate. There are numerous days where the humidity is well over 50%, and there are numerous areas on my home course where the humidity seems even worse. I’m not a huge technology buff to be honest, but from my experience using the 3M Greptile glove, this technology has made my life on the golf course much easier. I’m a huge believer in the small micro-replication fingers that are placed in key areas on the glove.
Performance
The performance area of the 3M Greptile golf glove can really be broken down into three areas. The first area is the grip, which I already talked about a little bit. The second area is the distance debate. And the third and final performance area is durability. The Greptile products are supposed to be superior in all three of these areas. I agree 110% with two of those, but the verdict is still out on the distance issue.
The grip is awesome, and that’s all I can say on that issue. I have never worn a golf glove that I feel so comfortable with in this area. My friend and I played a round the other day, and it started to rain a little. I was a little worried about this for one main reason. When I usually play in wet conditions, my clubs slip out of my hand slightly, creating a push most of the time. With the 3M Greptile glove, however, I continued to maintain a great grip on the club and hit the ball straight. The same can be said for playing in hot, humid conditions.
The durability of the glove is a little tougher to judge this early. I have been wearing the glove for a month now, and I usually play two or three times a week. So you do the math there. I don’t know how long the 3M Greptile glove will last, but I know it hasn’t even started to wear down from what have seen so far. The leather seems to be stronger than other gloves I have worn in the past, and hopefully this will lead to greater durability. I already mentioned my dislike for purchasing numerous golf gloves each year.
3M has conducted a couple different studies on the improved distance aspect of the Greptile golf glove. While I’m not questioning the validity of these studies, I have yet to see improved distance in my golf game since using the Greptile glove. My distance seems to be the same as it has been the past few months, so I’m not sure if I totally agree with this aspect of things. Then again, I don’t really purchase a golf glove in hopes of getting more distance with my clubs. That’s what working out is for isn’t it?
Conclusion
I know the golf glove is pretty boring compared to all the new drivers, irons, putters, etc. Even golf shoes and golf shirts get more respect than gloves do. But, whether I like to admit it or not, the golf glove is one of the most important pieces of equipment in my bag. I can’t afford to play without a glove because of the humid conditions where I live, and I can’t afford to wear a glove that falls apart due to the humid conditions either.
There is only one minor negative when looking into buying the 3M Greptile Premium golf glove, but it is so minor that it shouldn’t be a decisive factor in making a purchase. I should just start wearing khaki shorts more often, so I will have a ball marker. The grip and durability are the only two factors that really intrigue me when selecting golf gloves, and I am very impressed so far with the performance in these areas by the 3M Greptile. I would highly recommend that everyone at least give one a shot. And besides, it may shave a couple strokes off the golf game in bad-weather situations.
The 3M Greptile Premium and Standard gloves can be purchased online. The Greptile Premium, the one I reviewed, is $19.95. The Greptile Standard is $12.95. And just for the record, the Greptile Standard glove does have the little ball-marker button for all you “mesh-shorts” golfers.
Looks neat. I really like the look of the palm side. When mine wears out I’m going to check this glove out.
I wish they sold them in black as well as white but that’s just me being picky.
Thanks for the review. I go through a glove every 4-6 weeks. I am still looking for the “perfect” glove, though the Callaway X-spann comes close.
If you don’t have a pocket for your ball marker, then where do you keep your divot tool, that you know doubt need and use?? 😉 Putting over pock-marked greens is my biggest peeve, behind slow play.
I feel you on that one. I keep my tees and divot tool either in my cap or between my shoelaces. I’ve always done it that way for some reason. I definitely fix the divots though, that is a pet peeve of mine as well.
Thanks for the comments!
For all you golfers out there, the greptile glove is the best hot weather golf glove I have ever whorn and it’s been ten years now for me playing golf. Theses golf are the best when it’s humid. The golf clubs never slipped out of my hands once.
Thanks
When I was last in the States, I bought two. They have lasted over12 months of 2-5 rounds per week.
When I next go to the states, I’ll buy a box of them. I have been using the regular and won’t use any other glove now.
I have been using them for over two years now and they were available at $7.00 each.Playing golf in a city where humidity is 70-90% on many days there has been nothing better for me so far.However, Of late I find the greptile gloves cost about $15 and available in a few sizes .