Glove Vs. No Glove

[HughfromHerneHill]

On 9/2/2014 at 9:44 PM, galunga said:

glove, no ring, no watch.

 

yet I cannot seem to putt with the glove... my brain tells me the feel is all off

Same ... glove, no ring, no watch. Rotate 2 gloves during my round.

Can putt with a glove because it is more a case of visualization for me.

[Bonvivant]

No glove for me. I have always kind of seen it similar to those arm sleeves that they were in the NBA. Minimal functionality, mostly style. 

[Yukari]

On 4/20/2020 at 5:37 AM, Bonvivant said:

No glove for me. I have always kind of seen it similar to those arm sleeves that they were in the NBA. Minimal functionality, mostly style. 

Gloves help with the grip especially if your hands get sweaty.  As for the arm sleeves, it is to protect your arm from getting scratched by other player when they are defending you.

As for me, I wear gloves then playing golf but take them off when putting.  But now with Covid-19.  I keep it on.  I try not to touch anything unnecessarily, including touching my own gloves to take it on-and-off for putting.

[Bonvivant]

25 minutes ago, Yukari said:

Gloves help with the grip especially if your hands get sweaty.  As for the arm sleeves, it is to protect your arm from getting scratched by other player when they are defending you.

I don't have the grip issue. I didnt say completely useless for either of them, just that its more for style the way I see it. I'm curious what percentage of golfers actually suffer from sweaty hands and what percentage wear a glove just "because they are supposed to"

[ChetlovesMer]

1 hour ago, Bonvivant said:

I don't have the grip issue. I didnt say completely useless for either of them, just that its more for style the way I see it. I'm curious what percentage of golfers actually suffer from sweaty hands and what percentage wear a glove just "because they are supposed to"

Under "normal" circumstances I only wear a glove when hitting driver or fairway metals. No glove for Irons, wedges, and putting. However, in the last course VLOG I did, it was under 40 degrees outside so I wore the glove most of the time. 

I'm not a huge fan of the glove. I find my hands sweat more with it than without. And it gives you a weirdo tan. I like to use the glove with the driver and fairway metals (I think it does help my grip for my weaker hand.) But, I've played full rounds without a glove many times. 

[Bonvivant]

1 minute ago, ChetlovesMer said:

Under "normal" circumstances I only wear a glove when hitting driver or fairway metals. No glove for Irons, wedges, and putting. However, in the last course VLOG I did, it was under 40 degrees outside so I wore the glove most of the time. 

I'm not a huge fan of the glove. I find my hands sweat more with it than without. And it gives you a weirdo tan. I like to use the glove with the driver and fairway metals (I think it does help my grip for my weaker hand.) But, I've played full rounds without a glove many times. 

I can understand using a glove for weather conditions for sure, and if feels like it's helping for the longer clubs then that's great. I just never saw a reason for me to use one. One less thing to spend money on for me. I know Couples never wore one, and I'm sure there are plenty of others out there that don't/didn't (Moe Norman comes to mind and he hit tons and tons of balls).

[humblepeasant]

I just started wearing a glove at the beginning of this year. I have a tendency to squeeze the club too tight, and the added feeling of tackiness from wearing a glove has helped me with that...I just naturally squeeze the club less tightly if it feels tackier

I also got new grips at the same time, so probably a combo effect.

When I swing the club without a glove now, I really miss it. Probably just what you're used to.

[sjduffers]

No glove but ring and watch for me. I never take those last 2 off as I would be liable to forget where I put them... As for the glove, I used to wear one until maybe 4 years ago just out of habit as that is the image of a golfer, is it not? When I first started playing golf, I easily got blisters on that left hand so I put a glove on, but that was due to a poor grip more than anything else.

I kept it on just out of habit until one day when I noticed that my grip was very loose (a 1 or 2 on a scale of 1-10) and I was re-gripping at the top, because otherwise the club would go flying, I suppose. Removing the glove forced me to hang onto the club more right from the get go, during all the takeaway and through the swing, giving me a more equal pressure throughout. It worked and I haven't looked back except now and then when I watch how much I am saving when I take a peek at the glove prices in the pro shop! 🙂

[saevel25]

Glove while practicing, just because I find drills tear up my hands more than just playing golf. 

 

[Piz]

I wore a glove when I first started because everybody else did...except when putting.  So I would take it off, once on the green, and then forget to put it back on.  It eventually occurred to me that I didn't like wearing it.  That was 40 some-odd years ago.

 

[NM Golf]

On 4/20/2020 at 5:37 AM, Bonvivant said:

No glove for me. I have always kind of seen it similar to those arm sleeves that they were in the NBA. Minimal functionality, mostly style. 

Come on man, a huge majority of the best players in the world use a golf glove. You really think they do it for style points? That's a pretty ridiculous general statement. 

13 hours ago, Bonvivant said:

I don't have the grip issue. I didn't say completely useless for either of them, just that its more for style the way I see it. I'm curious what percentage of golfers actually suffer from sweaty hands and what percentage wear a glove just "because they are supposed to"

Good for you that you don't have a grip issue, although it could be because your swing speed isn't fast enough to cause one. I wish I didn't have to use a glove, it would save me some money for sure as I go through 10+ a year. I certainly don't wear one for the aesthetics of it, my palms sweat and I can't hold on to the club with as much confidence without one. 

[Bonvivant]

6 minutes ago, NM Golf said:

Come on man, a huge majority of the best players in the world use a golf glove. You really think they do it for style points? That's a pretty ridiculous general statement. 

I think they do it because they get paid to. A majority of the pros have grip strength that outstrips the common man, and they could probably hang on to an oiled rope. It's another place for a sponsor's logo to go. Actually it is one of the best places for a sponsor's logo because enthusiasts are likely to look at the hands when they see a shot.

Edit*

Most of these pros grew up watching people play with a glove, therefore used a glove in their youth and don't want to give it up. IIRC Freddy didn't use one because he ruined one in the rain as a kid and his parents wouldn't buy another one afterwards, so he just played without.

Edited April 22, 2020 by Bonvivant
addition

[NM Golf]

2 minutes ago, Bonvivant said:

I think they do it because they get paid to. A majority of the pros have grip strength that outstrips the common man, and they could probably hang on to an oiled rope. It's another place for a sponsor's logo to go. Actually it is one of the best places for a sponsor's logo because enthusiasts are likely to look at the hands when they see a shot.

I kind of doubt any of them are getting big "glove money", and they all wore a glove well before they made any money playing golf. I didn't see a single player not wearing one at the US Am nor the NCAA Championships last year, I guess they are just wearing them to be stylish and cool?

[Bonvivant]

2 minutes ago, NM Golf said:

I kind of doubt any of them are getting big "glove money", and they all wore a glove well before they made any money playing golf. I didn't see a single player not wearing one at the US Am nor the NCAA Championships last year, I guess they are just wearing them to be stylish and cool?

I think you are either missing my idea or don't agree but aren't speaking up about it. My idea is that golfers are conditioned to use a glove by golf culture. Some of that is watching pros, some of that is watching their buddies. For someone that has extremely sweaty hands, it makes sense. If your hands don't sweat much, it's just another shiny object to fit in.

Most pros most likely grew up playing with a glove on because of this pressure. Golf gloves were introduced in the leather era, where a slippery grip was much more common. Of course pros would use these to great success, and it would trickle down to the average consumer (that could afford it). From then on, it was gloves all the way, even when the grips were improved to the point where the glove was unnecessary (unless you sweat lots). 

History of the Golfing Glove | Golfweek

---

For right-handed golfers, a golf glove is worn on the left hand. The opposite is true for left-handed players. Because gloves are so popular today--they are as much a part of the golfer’s outfit as shoes with spikes--it may be...

 

[NM Golf]

2 minutes ago, Bonvivant said:

I think you are either missing my idea or don't agree but aren't speaking up about it.

 

I'm not missing your point you said golf gloves have ...

On 4/20/2020 at 5:37 AM, Bonvivant said:

 Minimal functionality, mostly style. 

I disagree with you and I believe they are much more functional than stylish. In fact I don't find them stylish at all they are nothing more than a tool, a tool to help improve a player's grip. What I am saying is I think your statement is ridiculous. I've been playing golf a long time, I've heard people brag about clubs, bags shoes, shirts, gadgets, you name it. But I have never, in my 25 years of playing golf, heard somebody say, "Hey look at my cool new golf glove". 

[Bonvivant]

15 minutes ago, NM Golf said:

I'm not missing your point you said golf gloves have ...

I disagree with you and I believe they are much more functional than stylish. In fact I don't find them stylish at all they are nothing more than a tool, a tool to help improve a player's grip. What I am saying is I think your statement is ridiculous. I've been playing golf a long time, I've heard people brag about clubs, bags shoes, shirts, gadgets, you name it. But I have never, in my 25 years of playing golf, heard somebody say, "Hey look at my cool new golf glove". 

So I tried looking up coefficient of frictions for skin to rubber and leather to rubber but didn't have much success in finding anything. I believe that with our skin (the palm has the greatest result in CoF tests when it comes to human skin) and rubber, the CoF would be higher than that of leather to rubber.

I still think that they serve a purpose for people that have trouble gripping the club, but I think that far too many people are afraid of gripping the club firm, because it's tough to do while keeping your wrists supple and not flexed. I believe there is a piece here on TST that talks about how most amateurs grip the club too gently because that's what they have been told to do, even though gripping the club firm or even tight feeling doesn't actually cause any problems in mechanics.

edit*

Funny that Sam Snead was an early glove adopter and Hogan didn't use one.

Edited April 22, 2020 by Bonvivant
found resource

[SteveH]

I find it a lot easier to grip the club with a glove on. I find it gives me much more tackiness to my hand without having to use extra pressure.  I have fairly high swing speed so like the extra grip it provides. I used to wear holes in them frequently but find they last a lot longer now and I also don't get callouses anymore.  I prefer the all weather FJ gloves and will have a couple in my bag to rotate for if it rains.  I have "rain gloves" but not a big fan unless it's heavy rain.  I prefer to putt without it but will keep it on if it's cold out in the winter.  Never used to like wearing my watch, thought it interfered with wrist hinging and had a V2 shotscope for a spell that I found a little chunky and uncomfortable. I have been keeping my watch on for probably over a year now and now it doesn't bother me.  I have also bought a new Shot Scope which is about the size of an Apple watch so hopefully will be wearing that soon, instead of my regular watch.

[boogielicious]

On 4/20/2020 at 7:37 AM, Bonvivant said:

I have always kind of seen it similar to those arm sleeves that they were in the NBA. Minimal functionality, mostly style.

I started wearing arm sleeves last year. I sweat a lot and it keeps my arms drier.  The are very functional and do not look fashionable in my opinion, but I don’t care. They work and they keep your hands drier. 

I don’t like wearing gloves and arm sleeves reduces the need to. I only wear rain gloves during wet weather now whereas I would wear them in really humid conditions too. I think you are off base about glove functionality too. Some people’s hands need the extra gripping power.