On What Hand do Left Handed Golfers Wear a Glove?

If you’re looking forward to taking up golf as an active hobby, you’re probably looking for golf equipment and how to use it. But, while we keep talking about golf clubs, there’s one thing that’s frequently overlooked. And it’s the golf glove. When it comes to gloves, there’s a lot of things you should pay attention to. But before you worry about which glove to buy, one important question you should be asking is, on what hand do left handed golfers wear a glove? After all, as a left-hander, there are quite a few annoyances when it comes to using equipment designed for right-handers. The answer here is the right hand because that is your lead hand.

Before you find yourself getting overwhelmed about the hows and whats of golf gloves, we have something to tell you. We’ve cracked the code for you. So sit back and read on. You’ll be an expert on the basics of golf gloves in no time.

Why Wear a Golf Glove?

So first thing’s first. Why do you need a golf glove in the first place? If you’re asking yourself this question as well, then you’ve landed on the right page.

Do you have to wear a golf glove? Well, no. But, should you wear a golf glove? Yes.

It might come as a surprise to you, but golf gloves help you keep a better grip on your club. With a golf glove on, you prevent slippage and get a better grip without having to clench your firsts hard. So you’re basically taking a lot of pressure off your hands and avoiding golf hand blisters and calluses.

Although some golfers prefer going glove-free, most professional golfers swear by a golf glove. So golf gloves are a huge blessing on those hot and sweaty days as well as bitterly cold days. They’ll even allow you to play flawlessly while it rains without losing a grip on your club.

One of the critical skills you need while golfing is a good swing. With a golf glove at hand, you’ll always have an excellent grip and manage the perfect swing. So keep swinging all day, no matter what the weather is. While putting, having a good feel of the putter can make a difference between sinking a shot and missing the hole by an inch. So your glove shouldn’t hinder that even while providing protection from blisters and calluses.

When Should You Wear a Golf Glove?

The second question you need to tackle is, when do you need a golf glove? While you should use golf gloves frequently, there are a few conditions when you can’t play without a golf glove. Especially during the rainy days. Since the club is made of metal, your hands are bound to slip. You’ll end up losing your grip. You might even end up hurting someone if the club accidentally slips. Another time when it’s a great idea to use a golf glove is when you have sweaty hands.

Using a golf glove on cold winter days is also a great idea. You don’t want to end up with cold and numb fingers. But with golf gloves on, you’ll stay warm and able to feel your club no matter how long you play.

If you’re playing for longer times without a glove on, you’ll probably experience some damage to your hands. A padded golf glove is also a great idea if you want to prevent that from happening. A padded golf glove is not just comfortable, but it also prevents any blisters and sores that might form otherwise.

It’s also a great idea to wear golf gloves while playing longer shots. With a better grip, you can shoot your shots with precision without worrying about the club flying from your hands because of a high swing speed.

Should I Wear Golf Gloves on Both Hands? 

On an average day, we recommend you don’t need to wear gloves on both hands. But there are some conditions when both your hands could use a glove.

Particularly cold or rainy days are when both your hands need gloves. Since your hands get wet in the rain and you’re playing outdoor for a long time, you don’t want cold hands. It’s uncomfortable, and your hands will feel it pretty quickly. Besides, the rain will make the club slip in your wet palm. So it’s best you wear gloves on both hands to keep them dry and have a good grip.

Another similar situation is when the winds are strong or when the temperatures drop a bit. Cold fingers and clubs are never a great combination. Good gloves will keep your hands warm and give you a good grip on your club.

So while you don’t need gloves on both hands, in certain situations having gloves on both hands will save you a lot of trouble.

Why do Golfers Wear One Glove?

Whether you wear gloves on one hand or both is more a matter of preference. Some pro golfers don’t wear gloves at all.

The main reason why golfers go uni-glove is that usually, that’s all you need. The primary purpose of the glove is to help you with the grip of the club. And wearing one glove on the correct hand is all you need to achieve that. When a golfer takes long shots, they’re putting strain on their hand. In this case, the golfer needs at least one glove. But for putting and playing in shorter ranges, most people prefer no gloves. This is just to get a better feel of the club.

Another reason is the golfer’s personal preference. While some golfers like to keep gloves on both hands, others don’t. For example, most female golfers prefer wearing gloves on both hands. So when it comes down to it, you’re free to choose whatever you’re comfortable with.

What Hand Do You Wear Your Golf Glove On?

Now comes the important question. Which hand should you be wearing your glove on? The general rule of thumb is to wear your glove on the lead hand. Since the lead hand has the most impact on your swing and club, this rule works for everyone.

For example, you’re a right-handed player; you’ll wear a glove on your left hand. The same applies to the left-handed player.

So, what glove does a left handed golfer use? The answer is simply a right-handed one. This is similar for baseball players where a left-handed thrower wears a baseball glove on the right hand. Here are our picks for best golf gloves for left handers.

Golf Glove Care Tips

Golf gloves are notorious for wearing out too soon. But there are a few things you can do to increase the life span of your favorite golf glove.

The easiest thing to do is to remove and wear your glove correctly. Instead of yanking on your glove, you should carefully put it on and carefully roll them off when you’re done playing.

The second thing is to make sure you store your gloves properly. If you’re stuffing your gloves in your bag, you’re causing cracks and breaks on the surface of your glove. But if you’re careful, that’ll save your glove a lot of damage.

Remove your gloves between rounds so that the oil and sweat from your hand don’t get absorbed by the glove. This also gives the gloves a chance to dry out a bit. In order to keep their shape between rounds, you can use a golf caddie that attaches to your golf cart railing to hold and dry your gloves.

To completely remove oil and dirt and make your glove feel like new, use a gentle detergent and give it a spin in the washing machine. 

Have spare gloves for practice. You probably don’t need an expensive glove all the time. Use an old or cheap glove just for practice and your best one for the course.

Always air-dry your gloves but not in direct sunlight. If you try using a hairdryer or clothes dryer on them, you’ll damage the material. So you’ll ruin the shape of your glove and add unwanted crinkles on it. Direct sunlight can cause cracks, especially in leather. As a result, your glove won’t feel very pleasant to wear.

Once the glove is dry, you can store it flat in a Ziploc bag to keep it clean and dry.

Now that you know how to take care of your gloves, make sure to read our left handed golf tips as well to ensure that you’re prepared for the course.

Conclusion

A golfer’s glove is their most important accessory. It could truly make or break your game. So it’s always a great idea to cover all the basics. Now that you know which glove for a left handed golfer, you can finally look for the best glove for yourself.