Are Golf Shoes and Gloves Really Not Very Important?
Some beginning golfers, in an effort to save themselves some time, and some money, decide that it isn’t very important to have things like golf shoes and gloves as part of their equipment. They decide that they can just play in their regular tennis shoes, and that they don’t need a glove to help them keep a grip on the club.
It is true that it is possible to play golf in tennis shoes and without a glove. However, most golfers will find that they are much more able to play good golf when they have golf-specific shoes and a glove to wear on their top hand.While the choice is ultimately up to you, the following reasons might encourage you to pick up both of these items before you next round.
- Golf shoes offer traction. The golf swing is an aggressive, athletic motion – and your feet can easily slip out from under you without good traction. A pair of golf shoes will help you keep your feet in place, and might actually permit you to swing harder than you could in plain tennis shoes.
- Golf gloves offer traction, too. You want to have confidence in your grip when you start the swing, and a golf glove can help give you a layer of grip between your bare hand and the club. Especially for people with sweaty hands, a glove might be the key to keep a solid hold on the club even on aggressive swings down into the ball. If you do wear a glove, try taking it off between shots so the glove doesn’t soak up the sweat from your hand during the round and get slippery later in the day.
- Waterproof golf shoes provide comfort. Even if you don’t play golf in the rain very often, you probably play plenty of rounds while the ground and grass is damp. Early in the morning, whether from the dew or from sprinklers, the grass will often be wet out on the course. If you aren’t wearing waterproof shoes, you will likely find that your socks and feet and quickly very wet. Buy acquiring a good pair of waterproof golf shoes, you can largely solve this problem and should be much more comfortable throughout your round. Of course, on those days where you are on the course and the rain does come down, they will come in handy then as well.