Why Do Golfers Only Wear One Glove And Not Two – Everything You Need To Know

Why Do Golfers Only Wear One Glove And Not Two – Everything You Need To Know

Golf is a game that is steeped in tradition and it is rare that the game will put this aside to embrace new customs. The golf glove, however, has not been around that long in golf. Ben Hogan and the pros of old never wore gloves and that leads to the question about why golfers only wear one glove? Surely if there was a benefit to wearing a glove for better performance, that two gloves would do an even better job?

Wearing one glove is a matter of personal preference and it comes down to the role of both hands during the golf swing. The non dominant hand, usually the left hand is the one that generates the power and speed in the swing while the right hand guides the club face to make a smooth connection with the ball. Having a more comfort and a beet grip with the left hand is more important for golfers and that is the main reason why they only wear one glove.

The Pressure Each Hand Puts On The Grip

Because the left or non dominant hand is responsible for the speed ad power of the club, it grips the club with a lot more pressure and anyone who has played golf for a while will know that gripping a club too tightly can cause wear and tear on the skin and even blisters.

If you play the game often, you will carry these blisters into a new round and the pain can be uncomfortable at best and disturbingly painful at worst.

Because only the left hand grips the club so tightly, it is the one that usually suffers from irritation and blisters so most golfers will cover the left hand.

For left handed golfers, their right hand will be gripping the club with more pressure and the glove will be worn on this hand.

Do All Golfers Wear The Glove On The Left/Non Dominant Hand

The vast majority of pros will wear the glove on their left hand or the one that is less dominant but that is not always the case for average golfers, high handicappers and even mid handicappers.

A good few golfers I know will suffer blisters and discomfort on their right hand only and their left hand will be completely fine.

Because of this they wear the glove on the non dominant hand and there is nothing wrong with doing so don’t be afraid to break from tradition when you play the game.

Can You Wear Two Golf Gloves?

Still even with the reasoning behind wearing a golf glove on the power hand, wouldn’t you still be better off using a glove on both hands?

There is a case for and against wearing the glove on both hands and it is certainly not unheard of to see a golfer wearing two gloves.

Some golfers suffer from grip issues such as callouses and blisters on both hands and for this reason they chose to wear gloves on both hands. I would say that this is not the optimal set up and it can feel weird going from one golf glove to two but if your hands are suffering, it may be a necessity to play golf without pain in your hands.

Sweaty Hands

Having sweaty hands can lead to your grips getting wet and your hands sliding as you strike the ball, this is going to cause a deterioration in your performance and some golfers will choose to wear a glove on both hands to ensure a secure and steady grip each time they address and strike the ball.

Wet And Rainy Weather Conditions

Plenty of golfers keep an extra glove around in case there is rain and their grips get wet. Much in the same way as with sweaty hands, a wet grip will lead to your hands sliding along it and upset your performance and this is where two golf gloves can come in handy.

It is very common to see Pros wearing two gloves on wet and rainy days so they can keep a firmer grip on their club.

At The Driving Range

We’ve all been there on days at the range where we are letting drives rip over and over again at the range and we develop such a good rhythm that we fail to realize our hands begin to cry out for help or just one hand if we are wearing a glove.

Now the skin is gone from your thumb and there is blisters forming on the inside of your index finger. The round at the weekend you were practicing for is now going to be a lot more painful than you first envisioned.

The worst is if you wearing one glove and you have one hand that’s perfect and the other one is ripped up.

The best way you could have gotten out of this is by wearing two gloves at the range so you don’t have to on the course.

If your hand is in pain going into a golf round, you might be best off to wear two glove but make sure to get some practice in so it doesn’t feel funny when you grip the club.

Why Most Don’t Wear Two Golf Gloves

One word, Laziness. Golfers usually take off their glove when they are not using it to make it last longer and putting on two golf gloves for every shot is going to become time consuming.

These gloves should be tight so the task putting them on and taking them off can be frustrating and even distract you from your game.

Golfers also want to keep a free hand so they can take out their phone, gps device, balls and tees without having to fumble around awkwardly with a gloved hand.

Taking out and placing a tee in the ground can even become a difficult task with a glove on each hand which is one of the main reasons golfers will only chose to wear one glove.

Can Interfere With Your Grip

As a beginner, you are probably going to start off with the 10 finger/Baseball grip to hold the club but as you progress you are likely to experiment with other grips such as the Overlapping or interlocking golf grips to optimise your performance.

While the baseball grip should be fine with two gloves, trying to get your fingers into position on an overlap or interlocking grip may be slightly more difficult with the extra material from two gloves.

Lessens your feel of the golf club

The connection you get with the club is important. Remember that your right/dominant hand is going to be used to guide the club head onto the ball at the right angle so you connect with the sweet spot and having a good feel on the club with your bare hand is an important element of this.

Having this hand covered by a glove may take away some of the feeling you get on the club and add some strokes to your round overall.

Get The Right Grip

Getting the right grip on your club can eliminate the problem of blisters, raw hands and skinned fingers that make holding the club painful.

Golf grips come in cord, rubber and wrap form to name a few and good soft grips may reduce the friction between your hand and the club.

We recommend the Champkey golf grips as they come in a variety of the different sizes, they are soft and they come with a regripping kit.

Check Out More Reviews Of Champkey Here:

Thinking Of Buying Golf Gloves?

Golf gloves come in synthetic, leather and hybrid versions but the most important thing is to get the right size so that it fits your hand perfectly.

Best Premium Leather Glove: Callaway Dawn Patrol

It is no surprise to see Callaway as our recommended premium golf glove. Your get premium feel and comfort with perforated holes throughout the glove to let your hands breath.

You also get a choice between right and left hand and you get to pick the perfect size, remembering that we need a tight fit for maximum performance.

Check out more reviews here:

Best Synthetic Gloves: Footjoy WeatheSof Golf Gloves

Synthetic golf gloves have the added advantage of lasting longer and coming in at a cheaper price. Footjoy are known to produce some of the best golf gloves on the market today and there is no exception with Weathersof gloves

Check Out More Reviews Here:

Conclusion

Most people wear only one glove to protect the hand that grips the club the tightest from blistering and ripped skin. They usually avoid wearing two gloves and it may interfere with their grip and they lose feel of the club unless it is raining when pros will commonly use two gloves.

Wearing a glove is optional and there is no problem with wearing 0,1 or 2 gloves on either hand but most people wear it on the non dominant hand as it controls power and speed in the swing while the dominant hand guide to sweet spot on the club to make a perfect connection with the golf ball.