What size golf glove should I wear?

Have found yourself asking, “What size golf glove should I wear?” Fear not. You’re not alone. Before teeing up for your next round of golf, make sure your glove fits like a, well, glove.

It sounds simple, picking the correct glove size. Particularly as the vast majority of golfers wear one. But very few golfers have ever undertaken a proper glove fitting to determine their optimal sizing, with most of us simply getting to a place of comfort through trial and error over the years. Let us give you a ‘hand’ with our quick guide to picking out the correct size of golf glove

Why wear a glove?

Golf gloves have been around for over a century, initially designed to help players hang on to the slippery leather wraps which adorned the early clubs. Rubber grips were still some years off, and so a leather grip helped fix the hand to the wrap, enabling players to swing away freely without fear of their club flying out of their hands!

Golf grips have long since developed since then, to the point they can now easily be swung comfortably without a glove. However, a well-fitted golf glove will still provide more grip than going bare-handed in almost all conditions. Wearing a grip your non-dominant hand will also help balance up the strength in grip pressure between the hands when swinging the club.

Does size matter?

There are a myriad of glove sizes available to the modern golfer. Brands such as FootJoy and Srixon will offer everything from junior sizing (with added stretch for growing hands), to ladies gloves (with a more tailored cut), to cadet sizing (gloves with slightly shorter finger-length and a wider palm), to standard men’s offerings, typically ranging from XS to XXL.

With so many options on the market, it’s crucial to find the correct fit for you. The glove needs to transfer the maximum amount of feel from the club to the player, and there shouldn’t be excess material around the ends of the fingers, or around the wrist.

Something much-discussed when it comes to golf fitting is the feeling of a ‘second skin’. It’s why the soft-feeling and supple leathers in products such as FootJoy’s PureTouch and StaSof are so sought after.

A good rule of thumb (so to speak), is to stretch your hand out within the glove with your palm facing upwards. The glove should come away from the centre of your palm very slightly as you extend your fingers. If you’re unable to fully extend your fingers without discomfort, the glove will likely be too small. Conversely, if you can extend your fingers with the leather sagging into your palm, it’s likely to be too large.

The closure of the glove should fit correctly, with the badge falling flush across the velcro. If you’re unable to close the glove with the badge fully across the velco, it’s too small. If you can’t get the glove feeling tight enough without pulling all the way across the velcro, it’s likely to be too large.

Which brand?

There are a myriad of golf gloves on the market from a range of manufactures in dozens of sizes, so the best thing to do is to head down to your local golf shop and try them out. Don’t be afraid to try a product which might not initially stand out to you.

Cadet sizes have grown in popularity over recent years, perfect for those with slightly wider hands who may otherwise have excess material in the fingers of their glove. Many male tour players have also been known to opt for a female or even junior fit to get that perfect ‘second skin’ feel.

Look after your gloves!

Because of the soft leather used in many golf gloves, the products can often lose their shape over time, or start to ‘crisp up’ when they used in wet conditions, particularly if left scrunched up at the bottom of a wet golf bag! It’s therefore important to stretch your gloves out at the end of every round, and if you’ve been playing in the wet, try to dry the glove out before you put it away.

Our top tip would be to keep hold of the packaging. These pouches are obviously ideally sized for the glove, and will allow you to keep them in the bag in good condition, free from your opened sharpie, pitch mark repairer, or potentially rotten banana…

LOOKING FOR A NEW GLOVE? Our buyer’s guide will help!

You’ve probably spent a small fortune to get the set up that’s right for your game, so don’t forget to get specialist insurance from Golf Care to protect your clubs from theft, loss, and accidental damage. Plus, they even cover GPS watches, trolleys, and other golf equipment. With 30% off annual insurance starting from just £26.59, and a free golf gift bundle worth up to £365 including 12 free Srixon balls, it’s a no brainer. CLICK HERE TO SIGN UP.