You’re watching your playing partner pull on a pristine white leather glove before every tee shot, and you’re standing there bare-handed wondering if you’re the odd one out. Maybe you tried one years ago and it felt weird. Maybe you’ve never even considered it. Either way, you’re not sure whether a golf glove actually does anything useful or if it’s just tradition and habit.
The short answer: yes, most golfers benefit from wearing one. But not always, not everyone, and definitely not just any glove off the shelf. Let me explain when it matters, when it doesn’t, and how to find one that fits properly — because a poorly fitted golf glove is worse than no glove at all.
In This Article
- Do You Actually Need a Golf Glove?
- What a Golf Glove Does
- Which Hand Do You Wear It On?
- Types of Golf Gloves
- How a Golf Glove Should Fit
- Best Golf Gloves by Budget
- When to Take Your Glove Off
- Caring for Your Golf Glove
- Common Golf Glove Mistakes
- Frequently Asked Questions
Do You Actually Need a Golf Glove?
The Case For
Around 95% of professional golfers wear one, and roughly 80% of club golfers in the UK do too. That’s not just tradition — there are practical reasons:
- Grip security — a leather glove grips the rubber handle better than bare skin, especially when hands are sweaty or damp (so, most of the British golfing season)
- Blister prevention — regular play without a glove causes friction blisters at the base of the fingers and palm. The glove takes the punishment instead
- Consistent feel — your grip pressure stays more even because there’s less slipping to compensate for
- Reduced grip pressure — when you trust the grip won’t slip, you hold the club lighter. Lighter grip = more clubhead speed = more distance. Physics, not opinion
The Case Against
Some excellent golfers play without one — Fred Couples being the most famous example. Reasons to go bare-handed:
- Better feel — some players prefer direct contact with the club, especially for short game touch
- Simplicity — one less thing to buy, maintain, and lose
- Dry conditions — if you play mostly in warm, dry weather (less relevant in the UK, admittedly), grip security is less of an issue
My recommendation for new golfers: start with one. It makes learning the proper grip easier and prevents the blisters that come from high-rep range sessions. You can always stop wearing one later once your hands toughen up. I’ve gone through about four different brands before settling on the FootJoy WeatherSof — it lasts longer than most in UK conditions and costs about £12 and you’ve developed a consistent grip.
What a Golf Glove Does
The Grip Interface
A golf grip is made of rubber or synthetic compounds designed to be tacky. Leather (especially cabretta leather) creates more friction against that rubber than bare skin does. More friction means less slipping, which means you don’t need to death-grip the club to keep it secure.
This matters most at impact. The club decelerates from 80+ mph to zero in milliseconds — that’s an enormous force trying to twist the club in your hands. A glove helps your hand maintain its position through that moment.
Moisture Management
British golf means damp hands. Morning dew, light drizzle, nervous sweat on the first tee — all reduce bare-skin grip on rubber. The textured surface of a quality leather glove maintains its grip characteristics even when slightly damp. There’s a reason club fitting experts always ask about your typical playing conditions.
Vibration Dampening
This is subtle but real — thin leather absorbs a fraction of the impact vibration, particularly on mishits. It won’t save you from the sting of a cold-morning thin shot, but over 18 holes of repeated impacts, your lead hand takes less cumulative shock.
Which Hand Do You Wear It On?
The Rule
You wear the glove on your lead hand — the hand at the top of the grip:
- Right-handed golfers — glove on the LEFT hand
- Left-handed golfers — glove on the RIGHT hand
Why the Lead Hand?
Your lead hand does most of the gripping work and is the primary connection between your body and the club. The trail hand (bottom hand) contributes power but maintains a lighter hold. The lead hand’s grip security determines whether the club face stays square through impact.
Two Gloves?
Some golfers wear gloves on both hands — Tommy Gainey on the PGA Tour does this. It’s uncommon and mostly comes down to personal preference. In rain, a pair of purpose-made rain gloves makes more sense than one all-weather glove getting soaked while your other hand struggles bare.
Types of Golf Gloves
Cabretta Leather
The premium standard. Cabretta is sheepskin leather — thin, supple, with excellent grip and feel. It moulds to your hand after a few rounds, creating a custom-fit sensation. The downside: it’s not waterproof, wears out faster than synthetics, and stiffens if it gets soaked and dries badly.
Best for: dry conditions, feel-focused players, anyone who values quality of connection over durability.
Synthetic
Made from engineered textiles — lighter, more breathable, faster-drying, and more durable than leather. Modern synthetics have closed the gap on feel considerably. They’re also cheaper, meaning you can replace them more frequently without guilt.
Best for: regular players who get through gloves quickly, hot weather, sweaty hands, budget-conscious golfers.
All-Weather / Rain Gloves
Counter-intuitively, rain gloves actually grip better when wet. They use microfibre materials that become tackier with moisture. Always sold in pairs because you need both hands covered in proper rain. About £15-25 per pair from American Golf or Decathlon. Keep a pair in your bag permanently — UK weather catches everyone out eventually.
Winter Gloves
Thicker, insulated, sold in pairs. They sacrifice feel for warmth. Playing in January or February in the UK without winter gloves is miserable. Accept the reduced touch and enjoy actually being able to feel your fingers. About £20-35 per pair.
How a Golf Glove Should Fit
The Fit Principles
A golf glove should fit like a second skin — snug everywhere with no loose material at the fingertips, no bunching in the palm, and no tightness restricting movement. If you can pinch excess material anywhere, it’s too big. If it feels tight when you make a fist, it’s too small.
Sizing
Sizes run from Small to XXL, with some brands offering Cadet sizing (shorter fingers, wider palm). Measure around your palm knuckles in centimetres:
- Small: 18-19cm
- Medium: 20-21cm
- Medium-Large: 21-22cm
- Large: 22-23cm
- XL: 24-25cm
The Fingertip Test
With the glove on and fingers extended, check the fingertips. There should be no gap between your fingertip and the glove end — not even 2-3mm. Excess material at the tips creates wrinkles that affect your grip feel and can catch on the club. After wearing several brands, I’ve found Titleist Players run slightly longer in the fingers while FootJoy StaSof fits better for shorter, wider hands.
Try Before You Buy
Golf glove sizing varies between brands more than you’d expect. A Large in FootJoy isn’t identical to a Large in Titleist. American Golf and most pro shops let you try gloves on — take advantage of this rather than ordering blind online. Put the glove on, grip a club in the shop, make a practice swing. You’ll know immediately if it’s right.
Best Golf Gloves by Budget
Under £10 — Getting Started
- Decathlon Inesis 100 (£5) — synthetic, basic but functional. Fine for beginners or range sessions. Won’t last more than 10-15 rounds
- Masters Golf Men’s RX Ultimate (£8) — synthetic with leather palm. Reasonable feel and durability for the price. Available at American Golf
£10-20 — The Sweet Spot
- FootJoy WeatherSof (£12) — the best-selling golf glove in the world, and for good reason. Synthetic with Fibersoft material that performs in all conditions. Durable, affordable, consistent. The one I’d recommend to most golfers
- Titleist Players (£16) — full cabretta leather, exceptional feel, premium quality at a mid-range price. Doesn’t last as long as synthetics but the touch is noticeably better
- Callaway Tour Authentic (£18) — premium cabretta, perforated fingers for airflow. Excellent fit and feel
£20+ — Premium
- FootJoy Pure Touch (£22) — the finest cabretta leather FootJoy makes. Incredible feel, like wearing nothing. But delicate — 8-12 rounds maximum
- Titleist Pro V1 Glove (£22) — matched to the Pro V1 branding, premium leather, excellent durability for a leather glove
When to Take Your Glove Off
Putting
Most golfers remove their glove for putting. The R&A rules allow gloves during putting, but bare hands give better sensitivity for the delicate touch needed on greens. There’s no speed advantage to keeping it on, and the extra feel helps judge distance.
Chipping and Short Game
Personal preference. Some players keep the glove on for everything except putting. Others remove it for any shot under 50 yards. If you like maximum feel around the greens, take it off. If consistency matters more, keep it on.
Between Shots
Take your glove off between shots or at least undo the velcro. This allows your hand to breathe and the glove to dry slightly. A damp, sweaty glove pressed against skin for four hours degrades faster and becomes uncomfortable. The habit of removing it between shots extends glove life noticeably.
Caring for Your Golf Glove
Storage
After your round, lay the glove flat or clip it to the outside of your bag to air dry. Never ball it up in your pocket or stuff it into a compartment while damp — this creases the leather permanently and creates stiff spots.
Some golfers keep gloves in the original packaging between rounds, which helps maintain shape. A plastic ball marker or coin placed in the palm while drying keeps it flat.
Extending Lifespan
- Rotate between 2-3 gloves — each one dries fully between uses, extending overall lifespan
- Keep clean grips — dirty, worn grips destroy gloves faster because you grip harder. Replace worn equipment regularly
- Avoid using your glove hand for everything — opening water bottles, pulling tees from the ground, adjusting your hat. These all wear the leather unnecessarily
When to Replace
Replace when you see wear-through at the palm or fingertips, when the velcro closure doesn’t hold, or when the leather has hardened and lost its tackiness. A good synthetic lasts 15-25 rounds; premium leather lasts 8-15 rounds depending on conditions and grip pressure. Budget about £12-18 per month if you play twice a week.
Common Golf Glove Mistakes
Wearing a Glove That’s Too Big
The most common error. Golfers buy loose because “it feels more comfortable” but loose material slips and bunches, creating exactly the grip inconsistency the glove is supposed to prevent. A new leather glove should feel tight — it stretches after 2-3 uses and moulds to your hand.
Never Replacing It
That shiny, hardened, sweat-stained glove you’ve been using since last summer? It’s doing nothing for you. The leather has lost its grip properties and the fit has stretched out. Gloves are consumables — budget for them like you budget for balls and tees.
Ignoring Rain Gloves
Standard leather gloves become useless when wet — they’re slippery and the leather deteriorates. Yet most UK club golfers don’t carry rain gloves. Given that rain interrupts the average British round 15-20 times per season, a £20 pair of rain gloves is one of the best value purchases in golf. Keep them in your bag permanently.
Wrong Size for Conditions
Hands swell slightly in heat and contract in cold. If you play year-round in the UK, you might genuinely need two different sizes — or at least accept that your summer glove will feel slightly looser in October.
Frequently Asked Questions
How many rounds should a golf glove last? A quality synthetic glove (FootJoy WeatherSof, Callaway Dawn Patrol) typically lasts 15-25 rounds. Premium leather (Titleist Players, FootJoy Pure Touch) lasts 8-15 rounds. This assumes you remove it between shots and store it flat. Playing through rain or gripping excessively tight shortens lifespan notably.
Why do golfers only wear one glove? You wear a glove on your lead hand because it does the majority of the gripping work and experiences the most friction during the swing. The trail hand maintains lighter contact and benefits from bare-skin sensitivity for feel. Two gloves are used only in rain (rain gloves) or cold (winter gloves) when conditions demand it.
Can I wash a golf glove? Synthetic gloves can be gently hand-washed with mild soap and air dried flat — this extends their usable life by several rounds. Leather gloves should not be washed; water damages cabretta leather, causing it to stiffen and crack. For leather, simply air dry after each round and replace when worn.
What’s the difference between regular and Cadet sizing? Cadet gloves have shorter fingers with a proportionally wider palm. If standard gloves fit well in the palm but the fingers are too long with excess material at the tips, try Cadet. FootJoy, Titleist, and Callaway all offer Cadet sizing in their main ranges. About 20% of golfers fit Cadet better than regular.
Should beginners wear a golf glove? Yes — beginners benefit most from a glove. It prevents blisters during the high-volume practice sessions needed when learning, helps establish consistent grip pressure, and gives security that prevents the club slipping during still-developing swing mechanics. Start with an affordable synthetic (FootJoy WeatherSof at £12 is ideal) and upgrade to leather once your game develops.