Football is one of America’s favorite past times, meaning that football grip gloves, football towels, and grip spray, among many other items, are crucially important to a lot of people: whether they play professionally, in school, at an amateur level, or just for fun. If you’re wondering how to get some awesome football gloves that will give you an advantage as you play, read on for a few tips on how to choose the best football gloves.
The Three Major Types
There are a lot of gloves available, but they can be largely broken down into two major types: lineman gloves and receiver gloves. Both types of gloves are designed to improve performance by protecting the hands and giving the player extra grip. Football gloves for receivers feature light protection and padding, high flexibility, and a very tacky experience (because holding on to the ball is crucial!) Football gloves for linemen are designed knowing that these players are taking the hardest hits out there. There will be little tackiness or stickiness in the palm of these gloves, but there will be a strong emphasis on rigid frames and padding to protect from impacts, hyperextension, and abrasions.
Finally, there are football gloves for coaches.
These are designed to provide protection from impact and a bit of grip so coaches can wade in during practice, while still emphasizing cold weather protection for those hours spent standing along the sideline during games.
Your Skill Level
Your personal skill level needs to be taken into consideration as you choose football gloves. Gloves for coaches are typically designed to sacrifice dexterity while providing extreme cold weather protection. Youth football gloves are important for younger players because they are not just shorter versions of adult gloves: they are well designed to fit a smaller hand but still offer the same features as adult gloves. Adult skill position and lineman gloves are designed for the largest hands.
Getting Your Grip
Different types of gloves offered different grips and tackiness. This will affect your ability to control the ball, but these tackiness levels apply primarily to receiver gloves. Some gloves provide a long-lasting grip style that will restore whenever the glove is washed. Other types have a sticky grip that extends beyond the palm and over the thumb to improve ball control. Some are made from leather that has been tackified to give a natural feel and grip, and some are available with extra stitching for a longer life.
What Features Are Important Besides Grip?
If grip were the only issue for football gloves, the ones with the restorable tackiness would be the only kind anyone ever bought. There are other issues when it comes to choosing the right football glove, however. First up is ventilation. This is especially the case for players who sweat a lot or for a player who will be playing a lot of games during warmer weather. Ventilated backhands help to dump hot air and keep your hands cooler. Padding is another consideration. Linemen obviously want lots of padding, but some receivers will want a bit of that, too. Additionally, some linemen will want padded gloves that offer a bit of grip. Materials are the third thing to consider, especially for anyone who will be playing football in a variety of weather conditions. It’s important to have gloves that can stretch and have reinforced seams or no seams at all. The last thing you want to do is replace your football gloves next season because they’ve already pulled or worn out.
Having the right football gloves makes a lot of difference in practice and on the field on game day. Consider your position, your skill level, and exactly what you want out of your gloves and you’ll be able to make the right decision about the best gloves for you.