What's new? How much does it cost? And how does it perform? Steve Carroll puts the FootJoy StaSof glove to the test
FootJoy promise the “ultimate in tour-proven performance” with the latest iteration of their successful StaSof golf glove. So how does it perform?
FootJoy StaSof Golf Glove review: NCG Summary
NCG SUMMARY
No-one does golf gloves quite like FootJoy and the StaSof is the perfect expression of why. Incredible feel, great grip, and excellent durability promotes real confidence when you are swinging a club.
PROS
- Cabretta leather provides excellent feel.
- Great grip and very true to size.
- Looks like it will be in the bag for the long-haul.
CONS
- Premium quality comes at a premium price.
FootJoy StaSof Golf Glove
RRP: £22.99
First Impressions
There are few feelings in golf like putting on a new glove. Now before you all brand me as some kind of deviant, let me explain. It’s the sense of expectation, the opportunity preceding another assault on your club’s top prizes, and just the aura of a new beginning.
I’ve worn FootJoy’s gloves as standard for years. Outside of Titleist’s Players’ model (also manufactured in the same Acushnet stable as FJ), I’ve found little to match them for feel, quality, and durability.
They’ve been making the StaSof model for the best part of 40 years and it’s a premium product that sits just below their ultra-luxury Pure Touch glove. When you put on an FJ glove, there are certain things you expect. A soft feel for a start, and the StaSof is like dousing your hand in silk thanks to the Cabretta leather.
A tight fit is next. There is no point donning a new glove and feeling it moving around your hand. It’s no good for your grip and it’s no good for durability either. Once the leather starts moving as you keep swinging, it’ll find itself in the nearest bin.
But the StaSof is snug to say the least. I want a tiny bit of the velcro closure to still be on show the first time it appears on my hand and that’s definitely the case here.
That’s assisted by the angled velcro tab, which makes you feel like the glove is fitting with the contours of your hand rather than battling against it.
I also want my glove to be breathable. When the temperatures get up there is little point in wearing a glove at all if your hand is sopping in sweat. I’ve yet to get out in the summer heat, but FootJoy say a “strategically positioned PowerNet mesh and perforations enhance breathability, flexibility and comfort”.
When you put the StaSof glove on for the first time, everything about it screams quality.
On Course Testing
I’ve tested this in a number of rounds now at York, my home club. The immediate thing that stands out straight away – and sets this glove apart in my opinion – is its durability.
I have a tendency to be a little firm when gripping my clubs. That usually has disastrous effects for the lifespan of my gloves. I’ve normally got pronounced wear on the right side of the palm after the first round and this quickly spreads into the thumb and fingers.
After three or four rounds, this wear is such that I’m usually grasping into the bag for a new glove. I wouldn’t say that I cut the circulation off to my limb either, but I do like a glove to be a tight fit. Again, after three or four rounds, I’m expecting a noticeable loosening and a product that is then consigned to practice efforts – if it’s ever seen in the bag again.
With such limited durability, it can be an expensive business if I’ve got a busy run of competitions. But the wear and tear of the new StaSof, combined with the way it has kept its shape, really is exceptional.
This is something of a surprise as you’d expect to see quicker wear from a leather glove than a synthetic equivalent. It’s just the nature of the material.
But I’m half a dozen rounds in now, and have seen limited wear and loosening of fit. This has given me a great deal of confidence that I could see some considerable playing time with this glove.
That’s important when you consider the price tag. At a manufacturer’s recommended price of just under £23 it is not cheap – and some of you may be questioning why you’d shell out so much.
But what do you want? Should you pay £15 and be replacing your glove a month after you’ve handed over your cash, or fork out a bit more with the belief that you’re going to get some serious wear out of it? I know what my answer is.
I talked a little bit earlier about feel, but that is crucial ingredient into what makes this glove such a success. The cabretta leather is just gorgeous. It feels like it’s adapting to your hand rather than forcing it to fit into the construction. You feel like the glove and the grip are extensions of each other rather than fighting for superiority.
It’s versatile too. When I got caught in a shower, I immediately feared I’d soon have in my hands the crumpled, mis-shapen, never to be worn again mess I’ve experienced through the years wearing so many other gloves when the rain starts falling.
Precipitation, though, bounces off the StaSof and it still retained its grip. You’ll need to give it some love afterwards – don’t leave it festering in your bag – but you can expect it to shrug off the challenges of all but the most extreme elements.
The FootJoy StaSof golf glove really is an exceptional product. It’s fabulous to wear, great fitting, complements your club grip which promotes a confident swing, and you can expect to wear it for the long haul. The breathable fabric will only come into its own as the days get warmer. Yes, it will hit your pocket a little harder than some of its competitors but you shouldn’t scrimp when it comes to such a key component of the game. You won’t regret the outlay.
Fit: True to Size/Small/Large
Comfort: 10/10
Value for Money: 9/10
Sizes: S, M, ML, L, XL
Colours: Pearl/Black
FootJoy StaSof Golf Glove
RRP: £22.99
FootJoy StaSof Golf Glove review: The Details
Available: Now
RRP: £22.99
More info: FootJoy website.
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