How often should you change your glove?

How often should you change your golf golf glove? As often is the case with this sort of question, the answer is a resounding “it depends”.

There are a wide variety of factors affecting how long each glove will last.

However I would suggest you don’t get too attached to that shiny new leather glove as it probably won’t last anywhere near as long as you think it will…

How often do the pros change their gloves?

We’re not touring professionals but usually it’s best to learn from those at the top of their game.

Of course, those players have access to new gloves on the tour trucks every week but it may still surprise you to know pros can change their gloves as often as every three holes.

Tiger Woods has said in the past he carries as many as 16 gloves in his bag for each round and starts each round with a new glove on the 1st tee. (No wonder the pros hand them out to fans so readily!)

There are other pros however who refuse to use a new glove in tournament play and like to wear them in first. It’s all about personal feel.

How do you know its time to change your glove?

This is a personal choice but there a three red flags that indicate its time for you and your beloved glove to part ways:

There is a hole in it. Come on. Now is not the time to get sentimental. Just throw it out. If you’re feeling really

It’s no longer fits properly. Your hand is the only contact point you get with the club so you want to make sure this is secure. Having a glove that is overstretched or the wrong size really is a no go when you’re trying to achieve a consistent grip pressure.

It’s crispy. We all know what’s happened here. It rained solid for the last six holes of your medal on Sunday and as soon as you got in the car park the glove went straight in the bottom of your bag destined for a crusty grave. If it’s lost its texture, it’s time to go in the bin.

Any other deciding factors?

Yes, plenty. They say on average golf gloves last anywhere between five and 10 rounds. So how will you know how often you should change your golf glove?

How many golf balls you hit. Pretty self explanatory. If you like to practice, and play often, your gloves just simple aren’t going to last that long. The more wear and tear they get, the more often you’ll have to splash out on a new one. The best piece of advice I can give you here is to keep your old gloves and use them when you are practising to reduce the wear on your new ones.

• You could try: FootJoy Pro FLX glove

Glove quality. Cheap gloves often get a bad rep as they don’t have the same superior feel qualities as some of the higher price offerings. However it’s not all doom and gloom as the material is often a lot thicker, more durable and lasts longer. So if you want more bang for your buck, you may actually be best going for a lower priced option.

• You could try: Srixon All-Weather glove

Glove material. If you’re looking for superior feel then you should be looking at premium ultra-thin leather. We’re talking new levels of comfort here designed for the tour.

Now although the feel will leave you feeling a million bucks, you’ll also be diving into your pocket more often as the materials just aren’t as durable so won’t last as many rounds but they’ll make that slice on the 1st tee feel a little better.

• You could try: Titleist Players glove

What conditions you play in. Bad news for those of you who have the luxury of living in a warm climate, you’re going to be shelling out for a glove more often than most as sweat reduces a glove’s lifespan. However it’s also bad news if you play in a wet climate as moisture and gloves just don’t mix well. In fact if a spot of rain never stops you hitting the fairways you would be best investing in a proper pair of wet gloves.

• You could try: FootJoy RainGrip gloves

How well you look after your glove. You knew this was coming. You can’t just keep chucking your wet glove to the bottom of your golf bag at the end of each round and actually expect it to last all season. Try having a dedicated pocket or a small bag to keep your gloves in so they’re not getting mixed with that banana peel you swore you wouldn’t forget about. And if it gets wet make sure you actually leave it out to dry. I would also recommend buying your gloves in batches and alternating between them which will help them last longer. I try to keep five in my bag that I switch in between, this can be especially helpful in hot weather.

• You could try: Rife RX5 Cabretta glove

How often you take your glove off. A glove will actually last longer if you take it off between shots and give it some time to air out. If you think that’s too much faff at least try taking it off when you’re putting. Having somewhere to store your glove on your bag or trolley can really help with this. I love the glove attachment point on my Ping Hoofer carry bag for this.

• You could try: Ping Hoofer Lite stand bag
• You could try: Big Max Quick Lok glove holder

How you grip your club. This is a big one that people often don’t really take into account. If have has strong pressure points in certain parts of your grip it is likely that the glove will start wearing away here due to the added friction between the glove and the club. If you find you really struggle with this I would recommend booking a golf lesson to try iron this out or trying a grip trainer. So you see it really is about tailoring how much golf you play, with your conditions and feel preference to find the right glove for you and figure out how often it needs changing.

If you have any questions feel free to get in touch in the comments below or you can tweet me.

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