Wearing a golf glove is not required for you to enjoy the game of golf, but there are many benefits to wearing one. Finding a glove that fits properly is the first step. Should it be tight or loose? Why are there so many different sizes of gloves? What the heck does “cadet” sizing mean?

Let’s take a closer look at how a golf glove should fit.

A golf glove should feel snug, but not too tight

As with most athletic gloves for sports, a golf glove should fit snugly around your hand and fingers. It should not fit so tightly, however, that the Velcro strap becomes undone when you close your hand into a fist. Having a glove that fits too tightly is not only uncomfortable, but could rip the glove’s materials through normal use.

A good rule of thumb is to try on a glove with the strap unfastened first. How do the fingers in the glove feel? Can you freely open and close your hand without the glove feeling too tight or loose? Is there excessive material bunching up in the fingers or palm? These are all signs that the golf glove might be too big (or small) for your hand.

Next, close the glove’s strap and see if the fit becomes too tight or if it is still too loose. This is the final determining factor whether your glove is the right size for your hand.

A golf glove should feel like a second skin (so to speak), but not a replacement for your original skin. You are looking for a snug fit without excessive loose material in the fingers or palm.

Golf gloves come in many different sizes

Luckily, finding the right golf glove size for your hand isn’t too difficult. Golf gloves are available in a wide range of sizes, ranging from “extra small” to “extra large” or bigger. Many brands will even feature additional sizing options for players who want to wear two gloves: one on each hand.

I recommend starting your golf glove fitting process by choosing a glove that looks like it might be the proper size and then try it on. Follow the recommendations discussed in the previous section to determine if the glove fits snugly or if you should try another size. It’s always better to wear a size smaller than you would normally think if you are between sizes.

What are cadet golf glove sizes?

While all golf gloves follow a general sizing standard for their fit, some players have unique fit needs that general sizes won’t allow. This is where “cadet” sizing comes into play.

Cadet golf glove sizes feature fits for people who have shorter-than-standard finger lengths and/or wider palms. Think of these as “in-between” sizing for hands that might not fit the standard glove size chart (which includes me). For example, I usually wear a size large cadet in some brands while a size medium in others might fit me well.

The best thing to do is try on gloves of different sizes (including cadet sizes) to see which glove fits best for your hand. No two golf swings are the same, and neither are golfers’ hand sizes.