Gear · The Glove Report
The short version
A golf glove should fit like a second skin: snug across the palm and fingers, with no bunching in the palm when you grip the club. A leather glove can start slightly tight because it stretches; a glove built not to stretch should fit right from day one. If you can pinch loose material, it's too big.
What does a good golf glove fit look like?
Four things to look for, shown on a correctly fitted glove:
Check 1
Snug across the back
Smooth and close-fitting over the back of your hand, like a second skin, even with your fist closed.
Check 2
Fingertips full
Your fingers reach the ends of the glove, with no spare material at the tips.
Check 3
Palm flat
With your hand open, there is no loose material across the palm to pinch.
Check 4
No bunching when you grip
Hold a club: the palm stays tight with little to no bunching, so nothing moves between your hand and the club.
Key facts
- Most gloves are too big: Golf Monthly reports that most golfers wear gloves that are too big for them. (Golf Monthly)
- Leather starts tight: A new leather glove should feel slightly tight and ease after a round or two, but a glove that is too small wears out faster. (MyGolfSpy)
- The size-down rule: FootJoy, Golf Monthly and GolfDiscount.com all say to try the smaller size when you fall between two. That advice assumes the glove will stretch. (FootJoy, Golf Monthly, GolfDiscount.com)
- Two measurements: EXO's men's chart runs seven sizes, XS to XXL, matched on hand length and hand circumference. (EXO glove sizing)
How tight should a golf glove be?
Tight, but not restrictive. Almost every fitting guide uses the same phrase: a glove should fit like a second skin. FootJoy says it should be "tight across the palm and fingers, with no loose material" (FootJoy). Haggin Oaks adds that it should feel snug "without restricting movement" (Haggin Oaks).
The reason is simple. Your glove is the only thing between your hand and the grip. If the glove can move on your hand, the club can move in your hand, and the natural response is to squeeze harder. MyGolfSpy makes the same point: extra space "forces you to over-grip the club" (MyGolfSpy).
Research outside golf points the same way. In a 2019 study of 30 people wearing sports gloves, how well the glove matched finger length was significantly correlated with grip force (Yu et al., Applied Ergonomics). The gloves tested were not golf gloves, but the principle carries over.
In my experience, golfers tend to size down, knowing the glove will stretch over time. That is the right call with a leather glove, because leather keeps stretching the more you use it. The same reasoning doesn't apply to a synthetic glove, because the material is engineered to retain its shape.
The EXO golf glove uses a synthetic material for the back of the hand and the palm. It has some give at first, but then it holds its shape. With a glove like this, too tight is bad: it restricts movement and puts pressure on the seams, which can tear the glove. With synthetic, you want the fit to be perfect from round one, and that is why we offer our Perfect Fit Guarantee.
How do I know if my golf glove is too big?
Too big is the most common miss. GolfDiscount.com calls oversized gloves the most common misfit (GolfDiscount.com), and Golf Monthly reports that most golfers wear gloves that are too big for them (Golf Monthly). Run these five checks, first with your hand open and then holding a club:
- Pinch the palm. If you can pinch loose material with your hand open, the glove is likely too big (Golf Monthly).
- Look for wrinkles. Bunching in the palm or fingers is the clearest sign of a glove that is too large (Haggin Oaks).
- Check the fingertips. There should be no spare material past the ends of your fingers (FootJoy).
- Grip a club. The palm should stay tight with little to no bunching. If the glove folds or slips when you grip, it doesn't fit (MyGolfSpy), and you are compromising the connection between your hand and the club.
- Try to shake it off. One golfer on The Sand Trap put it plainly: "If you can shake it off your hand, it is too loose" (The Sand Trap).
How do I know if my golf glove is too small?
A glove that is too small usually tells you fast:
- It pulls your fingers back when your hand is relaxed. A Sand Trap member flagged that as the sign of a glove that is too tight (The Sand Trap).
- The palm feels tight while the finger length is fine. That points to a cadet size, not a bigger regular glove (Haggin Oaks).
- It wears out quickly. MyGolfSpy notes that a glove that is too small wears out faster (MyGolfSpy). If you are already seeing holes, our guide to why golf gloves wear out in the palm or thumb covers the other causes.
Too tight is hard on the glove itself, too. Our own guidance for EXO warns that a glove that is too tight puts excessive pressure on the seams (Why EXO).
Should you size up or down if you're between sizes?
Most glove brands say size down. FootJoy, Golf Monthly and GolfDiscount.com all recommend the smaller size when you fall between two (FootJoy, Golf Monthly, GolfDiscount.com). Golf Monthly gives the reason: a smaller glove will "stretch to your hand size after a few uses."
That advice is built around leather. A new leather glove is meant to feel slightly tight and ease after a round or two, so starting tight makes sense (MyGolfSpy). The trade-off is wear: MyGolfSpy also notes that a glove that is too small wears out faster. On The Sand Trap, one golfer said a size-down glove felt tight at first but broke in after a single range session (The Sand Trap).
If a glove is not designed to stretch, sizing down for a break-in that never comes leaves you in a glove that stays too tight. So check what your glove is made of before you follow the size-down rule.
With EXO, the fit should be right from day one.
If you're between sizes, size up. If your length and circumference point to different sizes, go with length.
To take the stress out of it, use our glove sizing chart and match it as closely as possible. If the glove we send isn't 100% right, we'll exchange it until it is, as long as it hasn't been played in.
Is my glove size the same in every brand?
No. Sizing is not standardized. On The Sand Trap, one golfer found an XL fit well in one brand while XL gloves from other brands felt too small (The Sand Trap). FootJoy suggests that if your measured size differs from the size you usually buy, you try the measured size first, and that you recheck your size at the start of each season (FootJoy).
The same applies to EXO. The size printed on your last glove is not a measurement, so measure your hand length and circumference and match both to our glove sizing page before you order.
Do golf gloves stretch?
Leather does. In a Golf Monthly forum thread that opens with a golfer finding his gloves stretched after one round, another member replied: "With leather gloves there is always going to be a certain amount of give and stretching" (Golf Monthly forum). Haggin Oaks says gloves stretch slightly over time, "especially leather models" (Haggin Oaks). Our guide to how long a golf glove lasts covers what that does over a season.
Here is how fit tends to behave by glove type:
| Glove type | How the fit changes | Fit advice |
|---|---|---|
| Cabretta leather | Stretches with wear; meant to feel slightly tight new and ease after a round or two, though a glove that is too small wears out faster (MyGolfSpy) | Start snug; size down if between sizes |
| Synthetic or hybrid all-weather | Varies by model; some golfers report little stretch (Golf Monthly forum) | Fit snug and check the palm for bunching as it wears |
| One-size stretch gloves (for example Zero Friction) | Made to stretch to the hand; one golfer notes very small hands may find them loose (Golf Monthly forum) | Worth a look if standard sizes never fit |
| EXO | A little give when you first put it on; once it contours to your hand, it is designed not to stretch further (Why EXO) | Fit it right on day one: snug, but not so tight it strains the seams |
For the bigger picture on materials, see our cabretta leather vs synthetic golf gloves comparison.
What does cadet sizing mean?
Cadet gloves have a wider palm and shorter fingers than regular sizes (FootJoy). Consider one if you have spare material at the fingertips but sizing down makes the palm too tight (Haggin Oaks). FootJoy also suggests a cadet for golfers whose fingers swell during a round.
How do I measure my hand for a golf glove?
Take two measurements:
- A. Length: from the tip of your middle finger, in a straight line, to the first crease at the base of your palm.
- B. Circumference: around the widest part of your hand, just below the knuckles, not including your thumb. Keep the tape snug but not tight.
Match both to the chart on our glove sizing page. No tape measure? Wrap a strip of paper or string around your hand, mark where it meets, then measure it against a ruler.
Where EXO fits, and where it doesn't
EXO is a synthetic glove with Zyntech™ nanocell grip pads on the thumb, palm and fingers (the EXO glove). We designed the base not to permanently stretch, bag or lose its shape (Why EXO), so the fit you get on day one is the fit you keep. That makes sizing more important, not less: you cannot buy it small and wait for it to give.
EXO is a good fit if:
- You are tired of a glove that fits on the first tee and feels loose a few rounds later.
- You want to size from two measurements and a chart rather than guesswork, with free exchanges on unworn gloves until the size is right (glove sizing).
Look elsewhere if:
- You need a cadet size. EXO does not make one yet, and at least one customer has asked us to add it (the EXO glove). FootJoy's fitting guide explains cadet sizing.
- You play cord grips. We do not recommend them with EXO, because their woven texture can peel the nanocell surface early (the EXO glove).
- You like a leather glove molding to your hand over time. Cabretta does that, and our cabretta vs synthetic guide covers the trade-offs.
One practical note: the exchange covers gloves that have only been tried on, not played in. Check the fit indoors with the five checks above before you take it to the course.
Until next time, play well!
Paul,
Founder EXO
Frequently asked questions
Should a golf glove be tight?
Snug, but not too tight. A golf glove should be tight across the palm and fingers with no loose material, and the palm should not bunch when you grip the club. A new leather glove can start slightly tight because it stretches with wear. EXO holds its shape, so it should fit right from day one, without being so tight it puts pressure on the seams.
How do I know if my golf glove is too big?
Open your hand and try to pinch the palm. If you can grab loose material, see wrinkles across the palm, or feel spare material past your fingertips, the glove is too big. Then grip a club: the palm should stay tight with little to no bunching. If it bunches or folds, try the next size down.
Do golf gloves stretch?
Leather gloves stretch with wear, which is why many brands tell you to start snug and size down if you are between sizes. Synthetic gloves vary by model. EXO has a little give when you first put it on, but once it contours to your hand it is designed not to stretch further, so it should fit right from day one.
Should I size up or down for a golf glove?
Most brands, including FootJoy, say to try the smaller size when you are between two, because leather loosens with wear. That logic depends on the glove stretching. EXO is designed not to stretch, so for EXO we recommend the opposite: size up, and if your length and circumference disagree, go with length.
Is the EXO golf glove good for golfers who struggle to find the right size?
EXO sizes on two measurements, hand length and circumference, across seven men's and three women's sizes, and exchanges gloves that haven't been played in until the fit is right. If you are between sizes, size up; if your measurements disagree, go with length. It does not offer cadet sizes yet, so golfers with wide palms and short fingers may do better elsewhere.
Get the fit right from day one
Measure your hand in two steps, match it to our chart, and if the fit isn't right, we'll exchange it until it is.
Find Your EXO SizeSources: FootJoy: glove fitting guide · Golf Monthly: how to choose the right golf glove · GolfDiscount.com · Haggin Oaks · MyGolfSpy · Yu et al., Applied Ergonomics, 2019 · Forum threads: Sand Trap, Golf Monthly. The Golf Monthly and MyGolfSpy guides are sponsored content. Individual fit varies; measure before you order.