Yes, you absolutely can wear two golf gloves. While the tradition for most right-handed golfers is to wear a glove only on the left hand (the best hand for golf glove), there are specific situations and player preferences where wearing two golf gloves offers distinct advantages. This choice often comes down to comfort, weather conditions, and personal feel, leading some players to opt for two golf gloves instead of the standard single golf glove placement.
The Standard Golf Glove Practice
For most right-handed golfers, the standard practice involves wearing a glove only on the left hand. This is because the left hand is primarily the top hand on the club. Its main job is to guide the club and maintain a firm grip, especially through impact. The right hand (the bottom hand) needs more feel to control the clubface and deliver power. Covering this hand with a glove often reduces that crucial sensitivity. Similarly, left-handed golfers typically wear a glove only on their right hand.
Why Some Players Explore Wearing Two Golf Gloves
The decision to move from a one glove or two setup to using two golf gloves is usually driven by practical needs or unique physical requirements. It’s not the norm, but it works for some.
Physical Needs and Comfort
Some golfers simply prefer the feeling of fabric or leather covering both hands. This might stem from:
- Hand Sensitivity: Some players have very sensitive skin or find that the constant gripping causes blisters or calluses, even on the trailing hand.
- Grip Consistency: For certain players, having a consistent texture on both palms ensures the grip never slips, regardless of which hand is doing what.
Environmental Factors
The weather plays a huge role in glove selection. When conditions change drastically, the need for extra protection or grip security becomes paramount.
Cold Weather Golf Glove Application
In freezing temperatures, blood flow to the extremities decreases significantly. Wearing cold weather golf glove options on both hands keeps the fingers warm. This warmth allows the player to maintain better swing tempo and prevents stiff hands from negatively affecting grip pressure. When discussing golf glove layering, some players might wear a thin base layer glove under a standard glove on the leading hand, and perhaps a thicker glove on the trailing hand for maximum warmth.
Rain Golf Glove Use
When playing in heavy or persistent rain, the grip can become dangerously slick. While modern gloves are often designed for wet conditions, some golfers find that using a glove on both hands—perhaps even a specialized rain golf glove use on both—provides an unbeatable layer of security against slippage. The logic here is that the extra layer prevents the club from twisting in sweaty or wet palms during the swing.
Benefits of Two Golf Gloves
If you decide to try wearing two golf gloves, there are tangible upsides to consider.
Enhanced Grip Security
This is perhaps the biggest factor. When both hands have maximum traction, the chance of the clubhead twisting upon impact decreases substantially. This is particularly true for players with very fast swing speeds or those who struggle with grip pressure variations due to perspiration.
Maximum Hand Protection
For high-volume players, such as teaching professionals or those playing 36 holes in a day, using two golf gloves drastically reduces wear and tear on both palms. It keeps calluses to a minimum and protects the skin from friction.
Temperature Regulation
As mentioned, in truly cold conditions, golf glove layering or simply doubling up provides superior insulation compared to going gloveless on one hand.
Drawbacks of Wearing Two Golf Gloves
The reasons most golfers stick to one glove are rooted in performance trade-offs. These drawbacks are significant and must be weighed carefully.
Loss of Feel and Feedback
Golf is a game of feel. The trailing hand (usually the right hand for righties) needs to be able to subtly adjust the clubface through impact. A glove dampens this tactile feedback. When wearing two golf gloves, this loss of feel can lead to inconsistent contact and difficulty squaring the face.
Reduced Swing Speed Potential
A glove adds a small amount of bulk and friction. While minor, some high-level players feel that this slight resistance restricts the natural movement of the hands, potentially robbing them of an easy mile per hour in swing speed.
Heat Buildup and Perspiration
In warm weather, using two golf gloves can cause hands to sweat excessively. Excessive sweat negates the grip benefits of the glove, making the hands slippery inside the glove itself. This is why you rarely see professionals use two gloves in the heat, even if they have a left hand glove right hand bare preference normally.
Deciphering When to Use One vs. Two Gloves
The choice boils down to balancing feel against necessity. Here is a quick guide.
| Condition/Preference | Recommended Glove Setup | Primary Reason |
|---|---|---|
| Warm, Dry Conditions (Standard Play) | One Glove (Leading Hand) | Maximizes feel and prevents heat buildup. |
| Light Rain or Heavy Sweat | One Glove, possibly a specialized wet-weather grip | Maintain feel while enhancing leading hand security. |
| Very Cold Weather (Near Freezing) | Two Gloves | Essential for warmth and maintaining dexterity. |
| Very High Swing Speed / Grip Slippage Concerns | Two Gloves (Test thoroughly) | Maximum security against slippage outweighs minor feel loss. |
| New Golfer / Blister Prevention | Two Gloves Initially | Protection while developing calluses and grip habits. |
The Right Hand Glove Debate: Left Hand Glove Right Hand Bare vs. Both
For the majority of right-handed golfers, the setup is the left hand glove right hand bare. This maximizes feel on the bottom hand. When players consider moving to two golf gloves, they are specifically adding a glove to the right hand, usually sacrificing feel for security or warmth.
If you are considering the switch, start by only wearing a glove on your trailing hand during practice drills focused on grip pressure. See how it feels before committing to the full wearing two golf gloves setup for a full round.
Golf Glove Layering Techniques
Golf glove layering is a specific strategy, often related to warmth, that sometimes bridges the gap between using one glove and using two.
Instead of wearing two full, thick gloves, a golfer might:
- Wear a very thin, perhaps synthetic liner glove on the trailing hand.
- Wear their normal, appropriately sized glove on the leading hand.
This offers some insulation for the trailing hand without adding the bulk that a full second glove would impose, thus maintaining slightly more feel than if they were wearing two golf gloves of standard thickness.
Material Matters: Choosing Gloves for Two-Handed Use
If you decide that two golf gloves are right for your game, the material choice becomes critical, especially concerning breathability and moisture management.
Cabretta Leather Gloves
These are soft and offer excellent feel when new. However, they stretch when wet and lose their structure quickly. Using two leather gloves can lead to excessive stretching and a “baggy” feeling very fast.
Synthetic/All-Weather Gloves
These gloves are generally the better choice for wearing two golf gloves. They maintain their shape better, wick moisture effectively, and dry faster. If you are using a rain golf glove use strategy on both hands, these synthetic options will perform more consistently across both hands than leather.
Cold Weather Gloves
These are inherently thicker. If you use two of these, the reduction in feel will be significant. If warmth is the only goal, opt for a thin liner under the leading glove and a medium-weight glove on the trailing hand, rather than two heavy insulated gloves.
Practical Steps for Testing Two Golf Gloves
Before permanently switching from one glove or two, follow these steps to see if two golf gloves improve your game:
- Assess the Need: Pinpoint exactly why you want the second glove (Is it warmth? Slippage? Blisters?). If it’s only for warmth, focus on cold days first.
- Choose the Right Fit: If you wear two gloves, the trailing hand glove should be snug, perhaps even slightly tighter than normal, to minimize bulk. If it’s too loose, you lose all feel.
- Use All-Weather Materials: For the initial tests, use synthetic or all-weather gloves for both hands for better moisture handling.
- Practice Swing Drills: Practice your short chip shots and putts first. These require the most subtle hand input. If you can maintain feel here, you might succeed with wearing two golf gloves for full swings.
- Compare and Contrast: Play nine holes with the standard single golf glove placement and nine holes with two golf gloves under similar conditions. Objectively score your ball striking and consistency.
Fathoming the Impact on Swing Mechanics
A key mechanical consideration when moving to two golf gloves involves the relationship between the hands at impact. A common swing fault involves the right hand (trailing hand) overpowering the left hand, causing hooks or slices.
The glove on the right hand, while potentially reducing feel, can actually stabilize the grip pressure for some players. If a player grips too tightly with the bare hand due to nervousness or trying to compensate for sweat, adding a glove can help regulate that pressure to a more consistent level, ironically improving control for certain swing types.
FAQ: Questions About Golf Glove Use
How tight should a golf glove be?
A golf glove should fit snugly, like a second skin, especially across the palm and fingers. You should be able to wrinkle the material slightly across the back of your hand when you grip the club, but there should be no excess material bunching up in your palm or fingertip areas. If it’s too loose, it will slip; too tight, and it restricts blood flow and causes fatigue.
Is it cheating to wear two golf gloves?
No, absolutely not. Golf rules do not dictate how many gloves a player may wear. It is purely a matter of personal preference, comfort, and performance enhancement based on individual needs and conditions.
What is the traditional rule regarding the best hand for golf glove?
The tradition dictates that the glove should be worn on the hand that grips the club higher up—the lead hand. For right-handed golfers, this is the left hand. For left-handed golfers, this is the right hand. This ensures the guiding hand has maximum grip security.
If I wear one glove, should it be a rain golf glove use style if it’s humid?
Yes, if humidity is causing slippage, even if it isn’t actively raining, switching your single glove to a high-traction, synthetic all-weather model (often the style used for rain golf glove use) is a smart move to improve the grip security of your lead hand.
When should I absolutely avoid wearing two golf gloves?
You should avoid wearing two golf gloves when playing in hot, dry weather where feel is paramount. If you feel you are losing control or feedback on short putts or delicate chips, revert immediately to the standard single golf glove placement.
Does wearing two golf gloves affect my grip size?
Yes, wearing two golf gloves effectively increases the overall diameter of the club grip by the thickness of the second glove. If you plan on using two gloves consistently, you might consider using a slightly smaller standard grip size (e.g., moving from a Standard size to a Midsize) to compensate for the added material thickness on both hands. This keeps the overall feel closer to what you are used to with a left hand glove right hand bare setup.