I’m sure you are aware that we play year round no matter the temperature but you probably didn’t know that both Chris and I don’t wear a glove on our playing hand.  Zero degrees outside? No glove.  Super high winds? No glove.  A foot of snow or driving rain? No glove.  We have always preferred to use our bare hand.  After all it’s the only thing that comes in contact with the disc we wish to propel and we can deal with cold hands for a while.  If only there were a viable solution…
We recently received a pair of the disc golf gloves from Friction Gloves and I was very skeptical about using a glove to throw.  I know this company produces a solid glove for Ultimate, but I don’t plan on catching my disc.  Before we get into the review, let’s list a few features that are necessary for a disc golf glove:
- A perfect fit – we don’t want the glove impacting or changing our form
- Enough grip to hold the disc but not so much that every drive is a grip-lock
- Durable enough to last many rounds
- Thick enough to provide a little extra warmth on those cold days
Fit
Since a perfect fit is high on my list of features I was concerned about ordering a glove on-line. Â Fortunately the Friction Gloves web site walks you through the sizing process. Â I ended up being an extra large, which concerned me since I generally wear a medium-large golf glove. Â Upon arrival, I was glad to see that the size chart was perfect and the glove fits very well. Â Chris has shorter fingers than I do but the XL still fit him fairly well.
Grip
Grip is important for obvious reasons.  Really the perfect glove would mimic a human hand’s grip properties.  The Friction Glove does far better than I expected in this area.  There were times in my test rounds where I forgot I was wearing a glove.  I missed a few putts which I could blame on the glove, but I could also blame the new putter I’ve been testing or my form which suffered from the winter cold. Â
Durability
I can’t speak to the long-term durability of the glove just yet, but it has held up to several rounds of play and a few rounds of yard practice too. Â I’ll update this review in the future as the glove gets more use.
Warmth
First, we should consider our expectations on warmth.  In order to fit perfectly snug and offer a great grip without sacrificing feel, I wouldn’t expect a glove to warm my hand like some fancy ski gloves.  I played a few rounds at 30-40 degrees with minimal wind and the gloves were almost too warm at times.  Another round we played in 0 degree wind chill was cold enough that our hand warmer packets couldn’t keep up.  I noticed a drastic difference and my hands quickly became cold when I removed the glove mid-round for a few holes.
Added bonuses
I love finding features that I didn’t know I needed but have a hard time living without (heated seats in your car, for instance). Â One of the major facets of cold weather play is the rough ejection of the disc. Â The plastic firms up and the rim tends to scrape my fingers on the way out of my hand. Â This is further exacerbated by a newer disc with the flashing still in full force. Â With the Friction Gloves I quickly noticed that it no longer hurt to throw in the cold weather.
Conclusion
I’m all in on the Friction Gloves. Â I actually enjoy playing in the winter so any extra edge I can get is a plus. Â I see no ill-effect to my game while wearing the glove.
Learn more or order some gloves for yourself at the Friction Gloves website.
9 Comments
BJ Rodriguez
I too was skeptical about throwing with a glove, but with Midwest winters, it couldn’t hurt to try. I have thrown around 10-15 rounds with them and I’m sold…I will use them during the winter months for as long as I disc. They took a few rounds to get used to, but I honestly feel like with these gloves I get the same type of release as I would in the spring/summer time. Having used them since mid December, I have noticed on my index finger the glove barely beginning to wear. This one pair of glove will still easily last me another 30-40 rounds. I recommend these gloves (I only use one for my throwing hand, versus purchasing the pair of them) to anyone who feels as though their grip is weakened/hindered while golfing with freezing temperatures outside.
Rodney Lane
Thanks BJ, good to hear that durability isn’t a concern.
LateNite504FC
I have one of these mostly to wear when playing in the rain. It does not solve the problem completely, but it definitely improves the grip and the throw comes out like a normal throw. It feels a little weird when I putt or throw a finesse shot where I have to let go as opposed to letting the disc just rip out. So I will take it off for those shots. I suppose if it ever got cold in Louisiana, I might just keep it on the whole round.
Definitely worth the price and makes playing in the rain much more fun. I always keep it in the bag now just in case.
Brenden Lee
I play in Colorado elevation. Lots of cold and snow. I use one on each hand. Much better for keeping the wind from freezing my hands. The grip is not much different than without the glove and doesn’t hinder the throw at all. Overall satisfaction.
Rodney Lane
Another satisfied glover 🙂
Treeslayer
I haven’t ponied up for the Friction gloves, but had a successful winter using Mechanix gloves from the hardware store or Walmart.
It usually takes a throw or two to adjust, but I even putt with them. (The index fingertip does wear out fairly quickly, though.) The ones I used were even thin enough that I could put my big ol’ Carhartt’s over them if there was some time between throws, if it was REALLY cold.
TreeSlayer
Update-bought the Friction Glove this year and am a firm believer!
I may wear it during the summer, too!
Joseph Illingworth
I wore through one of these in two tournaments and a couple practice rounds. Was a little disappointed in that given their cost, but overall I liked the gloves. At this point the thumb is completely worn down through the rubber and to the fabric. Still useable, but not AS* trustworthy. I did spend some time at the driving range ripping out max distance shots for about an hour, which might have done them in. If these were 12 for a single instead of 16, I might be more willing to use them. They are really nice for being able to use a looser grip and really rip on the disc. I feel like it also reveals issues in your form because you hold onto it longer (good for putt practice!). Will post a video review sometime in the future.
Rodney Lane
Joseph, thanks for the additional quality review. I’ve noticed a reduction in grip over the past few seasons as well, but I only use them during extreme conditions when my score matters less than just getting out to throw. Come back and comment with a link to your video review, would love to see it.