After last week's victory by Tommy "Two Gloves" Gainey on the PGA TOUR, many people are wondering if wearing two gloves can be an advantage when swinging a golf club. Before Tommy won, I actually had a question submitted regarding this very topic. I thought today would be a good day to get the discussion going. Here's what Robert Vanucci asked:
Recently on your daily tips, you talk about equal, firm grip pressure with both hands. My question: I am a right hander so why do I wear a glove on my left hand only and not both?
This is a really good question and one that I don't think I've ever had before. The best reason I can think of is because traditionally the top hand on the golf club is the hand that does the most work. The forward arm is considered the power arm so having the best grip possible with that hand meant using a glove.
That's not to say that all successful golfers where gloves. Former Clemson Tiger and U.S. Open Champion, Lucas Glover, is known for wearing no glove at all. Also, as Robert mentioned above, the thought of using two gloves is rapidly becoming more popular as well. Perhaps the most famous golfer to don two gloves just won The McGladrey Classic last week. Tommy Gainey has said that the reason he wears two gloves is because he is a former baseball player and as he transitioned into golf, wearing two gloves was just a natural feel for him.
Whatever you decide, the most important thing here is grip pressure. Regardless if you wear one glove, two gloves, or no gloves at all, you must maintain equal grip pressure in both hands. If you feel like you accomplish this by wearing two gloves than by all means, go ahead! I have no problem with whatever you feel most comfortable with and what allows you to have the best control of the club.
Keep it vertical!
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Comments
I don't know about all that
I don't know about all that Surge talked about. But I can speak for most of the ladies at my club, though. And after using one glove all summer, the back of my right hand shows so much more sun exposure than the left. Vanity, thy name is woman. So, it's 2 gloves for me for now on!!
Deb
LOL
I usually get stuck driving the cart and one day I came home and my daughter says to me dad why is your left leg tanner than your right I never noticed before the left is darker than right. It dawned on me that when driving the cart the left leg exposed more than the right.
Gainey took his gloves off Sunday after the final round and his hands are white as white can be.
I generally do not wear a glove but I use multi compound grips.
I also use 2 gloves. It feels
I also use 2 gloves. It feels better that way. Some of the grip textures are a bit rough on
a bare finger and I don't want to buy all new grips. I prefer grips that wrap, as opposed to the grips that Taylor Made puts on new clubs with all the rough texture. You can also try a product called Right Grip Golf Glove .. they come in a set of 2 and are designed with Pads in the palms to help insure the correct grip pressure.
You can get them here:
http://www.intheholegolf.com/Butch-Harmon-Right-Grip-Gloves/Butch-Harmon-Right-Grip-Gloves.html
Glove on non-dominant hand
I thought the glove was worn on the weaker hand to give that hand more control of the club. But there are plenty of natural lefties like myself who play golf right handed and still wear a left handed glove. Maybe I'll try one on my right hand.
Playing right handed with glove on left hand.
I think it's simply a case of the use of the hands beyond swinging a club. Try placing a tee in the ground, or picking up the ball marker on the green with your gloved hand. And ...... if the grass is wet, soon your glove will be wet and slippery in the finger area. I know! I'm left handed and play right handed.
Power hand
Thanks for your wonderful daily hints etc, they are very good.
In your comment on using two gloves, you state that traditionally the top hand on the golf club is the hand that does the most work. The forward arm is considered the power arm so having the best grip possible with that hand meant using a glove.
I have always felt that the right hand is the power hand, I guess because as a younger person, I have played tennis as a one hand player and other hitting sports where the right hand plays the stronger part. I suppose that as the right hand in golf is more likely to cause problems, eg, hooking, slicing, then using the left hand as the power hand would not be so likely to do so, particularly if the back of the hand is kept flat.
Don, please comment on this as I feel that a lot of your students would use the right hand as the power hand. Thanks, Barry, Australia.
Power hand
Surge didn't say that he subscribed to the idea that the front hand should be the power hand. He was only answering the question about why most people always had the glove on that hand, because that's what most people think.
https://swingsurgeon.com/daily-video-tips/passive-right-hand-not-likely
https://swingsurgeon.com/daily-video-tips/reclaim-use-your-lower-hand
These articles should explain it.
power hand ?
Steve:
Not to disagree with you (or anyone else) -- but I was always taught for many years that the right (rear) hand is the power hand; the forward (left) hand is the "guide" hand, similar to a raidus rod in a car suspension/steering system. It job is to contorl the club, and the "unruly" right hand that tends to want to come into play much too soon. Hence a glove on the left only is to give it a better(more efficient) grip relative to the normally stronger right hand.
NOTE: I am well away that SURGE teaches a more balanced right side/left side approach, so the above explanation is probably irrelevant in a true SURGE swing
Keep hitting them STRAIGHT and LONG
Amos
Disagree? LOL
Since I didn't give my opinion it would be hard to agree or disagree with me on that one.
I use way more right hand than left on the forward swing (no doubt about it).
I WISH I used way more right hand than left on the back swing but unless I really concentrate just on that I use way more left hand on the back swing (not a good thing because it always makes the club lay off when I do).
That does bring up a point of interest though. When I make the effort to use my right hand for the back swing the club gets in a good position at the top BUT my left elbow always wants to bend more than I would like. When I use mostly left arm for the back swing the left elbow stays very straight.
Those contradictions create a dilemma for me that I have never been able to comfortably solve.
Played Today
Played today with one of my suppliers . Played fairly decent shot - 4 101.
Had excellent weather today low 80's. Going to have mid to low 50's this weekend and then the cold stuff moves in next week low 40's all week.
To add
The course we played today has 3 9's we played the 2 hardest nines as 18 hole round shot even 70 the third nine is the easiest nine and they had the tees way up 1 eagle and 2 birds.
Champions Tour
Sounds like YOU are the one heading for the Champions Tour. ;-)
Hadn't thought about it until your post but I haven't had an eagle in 2 months. Made an eagle on the same hole 3 times in a row 2 months ago and must have used up my quota because I haven't had one since. Ha ha!
Champions Tour
LOL
Yeah right they had the tees way up and the greens were receptive to shots yesterday. The greens were a little slow compared to normal. The eagle was on a par 5 dog leg right. I cut the dog leg off had 140 in for a second shot if it was summer hear and the leaves were on the trees I would not hit the shot that I did it would have hung in the trees.
two gloves
two gloves are and advantage in COOL or COLD weather for sure. Note Tommy Gianey at Phoenix this year.
Even though this area is not subject ot really cold weather, I have noticed that in the winter time, my bare right hand does "feel a chill" and a loss of sensitivity, vs the left gloved hand still feels normal. Hence a seldom used right hand glove in my bag.
Keep hitting them STRAIGHT and LONG
Amos
Two gloves is genius
I started wearing two gloves about 5 years ago because a couple of fingers on my right hand were getting shredded. It makes so much difference--in a good way. I don't worry about losing or twisting my club, so I can maintain a firm but gentle grip. My right hand isn't getting excess sun so there is less damage. I have never been one to remove my glove to putt so that's not an issue. It is more difficult to grab a ball marker from my pocket but I just use one that attaches to my cap.
Susan
Two Gloves?
Before leaving China, I bought a packet of cotton gloves.I bought them after hearing that cotton gloves give a better grip in the wet.They were cheap and when I opened them, found they had 'rubber pimples' on the palm side. Must get them out again and give them a try out. A couple of pairs I had cut the finger ends off.They worked fine as a pair. Food for thought indeed.Looking at my wrinkled hands, my right hand is much darker than the back of my left hand, and summer hasn't really started here yet.
If it works use it. If it doesn't don't, simple. Good Luck to those who try it. DH
Grips make a difference
In terms of using gloves and potential roughing-up of the hands, the choice of grip you use on the club makes a big difference. I never wear a glove when I'm playing with my own clubs, because I have Avon Chamois grips on them (actually switched to the Jumbo recently). They don't tear up my hands like so many other grips do, and I don't have to think about taking my glove off or putting it on when I get to the green. When I am forced to play with clubs without them, though, I do wear a glove to protect my hands. If anyone in my family kept right-hand golf gloves around, I'd probably wear one on each hand.
Call me Confused!
Went onto the deck golf mat after lunch. After swing session with my normal kangaroo leather golf glove,I tried one of the fingerless gloves on my right hand [am a right handed player]. I noticed a distinct difference in my hold on the clubgrip.Nipped back into the house and resurrected a left handed cotton glove. Well noticed a much more even grip on the club immediately during the swings??? Can't wait to get out and try it on the course. As a golfer with small hands, I appreciate any assistance in helping me to have a firm grip on the club.
So call me El Confundido! DH scratching his head in NZ
ONE GLOVE ,TWO GLOVES or NO GLOVE AT ALL
In summer ,if you perspire a lot , wearing two gloves prevents the grip slipping in your hands .I have a very light grip in each hand (3 on a scale from 1 to 10 )to allow my wrists to come in play fully (I know ,DON TRAHAN doesn't advise doing so ,but in SPAIN all top players use their wrists :SEVE, OLAZABAL ,GARCIA etc ..)I whip better the ball this way .
One big inconvenience is putting and short game where feel is better without any glove .So you have to take the gloves off! A nuisance and a loss of time .In winter and mild weather ,I mostly take the gloves off .No difference in scoring !!! (I play to 7 handicap at age 78 )
And...
...Seve, Olazabal, and Garcia have all struggled with accuracy. Great playing to a 7, though. You Spaniards tend to have amazing short games to make up for the flash off the tee. :)
I actually use no glove any time of year, as long as I have my own clubs. I use Chamois grips, so my hands never slip whether they're sweaty, or it's raining, or whatever.