WOULDN’T IT BE GLOVELY        
September - 2009

I WANT TO KNOW WHAT GLOVE IS

Lacrosse gloves and protective equipment in general are personal choices that should take many things into account.   We want to try, and without showing too much bias towards any one company, to put forth a few recommendations as well as things to consider when you are looking for your new gloves.

THAT’S WHAT GLOVE IS FOR 

Fit and feel are important when choosing and buying gloves, but in reality all gloves want to achieve the same thing, and that is to have a soft feel, allowing for as little restriction of movement as possible, while also giving adequate protection for the hand and wrist areas.

WORDS OF GLOVE

They (companies) all have their different little ways of saying and doing much-the-same kinds of design things. The materials used are what usually make the real differences in style and performance.

PEOPLE CAN YOU FEEL IT? GLOVE IS EVERYWHERE

Gloves for boys and men all have thick foam padding that covers the entire top part of the hand.  Stick checks from defenders can be hard on the hands, particularly on the back of the hand, so special attention usually goes into that part of any protective glove design. 

The fingers are each ‘sectioned’ on the glove to allow for maximum finger motion under a fat but small pad, one that protects each individual link of the finger. 

From kangaroo skin to synthetic mesh, several different types of material are used on the palm part of the glove and will make both the feel and the cost of the glove vary quite a bit.

THE WAY YOU GLOVE ME

Glove models have individual cuff features to ensure that all-important freedom of wrist movement while still providing maximum protection and a snug fit for the lower arm region.  Many cuffs are equipped with a quick way to tighten and or loosen them with either Velcro on the cuff strap or some kind of a drawstring type of set-up. 

SHOWER THE PEOPLE YOU LOVE WITH GLOVE

Many gloves out there offer some type of sweat control material in place next to the skin as well.  No one wants ‘stinky’ gloves anymore.

GLOVE MAKES THE WORLD GO ROUND

Most of the glove makers include in their line a specialized edition of gloves made for the goalie position, where the thumb piece in particular is redesigned or reinforced with something to keep it protected on the tip and or unbent by the force from a shot.  Sometimes a piece of plastic is sort of added on the end of the thumb, and sometimes a larger or different kind of pad is stitched right into the glove itself.

WHEN I FALL IN GLOVE WITH YOU

Fit is important but it is hardly an exact science with gloves, as the human man-hand dimensions vary much more than the relatively small number of different commercial sizes available.  Not to worry.  Most gloves will tend to break-in to a players actual hand fairly quickly until they really do ‘fit like a glove’.  So, as long as you get the right size in the first place you should be good to go.  Adult size delineations are pretty much only the 12” or 13” options, and most adult men wear the 13-inchers.  The youth gloves tend to have more variations in size, as kids’ hands grow quickly, and ‘they’ also start them playing younger than ever these days.

GLOVE IS A MANY SPLENDORED THING

Glove makers offer lots of glove color and customization options nowadays, too.

You can spend as little as $30 or over $200 on a brand new pair of gloves.  This can factor heavily into your thinking unless of course your team has a sponsor supplying you with custom gloves regularly.

I GLOVE (ALMOST) EVERYTHING ABOUT YOU

Gloves that give a player the softest feel and the greatest ease of movement can also tend to give somewhat less protection, so that can be something to keep in mind when trying them on.

I JUST WANT TO MAKE GLOVE TO YOU

If you want that top-of-the-line feel and design features, there are several options. One could, for example, spend the serious coin on the limited edition Imperial Mac Daddy from Warrior, and this glove does feel pretty dreamy the first time you put it on, and if saving $ is not the object…….

ALL ABOUT GLOVING YOU

The glove question they ask most often at Warrior is, in fact, “Who’s your Daddy?”  The Mac Daddy II’s are a great pair of gloves.  The palm is a little thicker and that makes for durability. The cuff adjusts two ways, both with a drawstring and with Velcro on the wrist strap as well. The cuff itself flares out nicely below the thumb to allow for great wrist mobility. 

Harrow is an up and coming lax company, and they make some nice high-end gloves, and as one might imagine, Reebok is doing a pretty decent job with their relatively new glove line by putting all of their hockey equipment design and production background to good use.

THE POWER OF GLOVE

When money and cost considerations are high on the priority list, we like the STX Agents. At $70-$80 they are in the quite reasonable price range. They use metal mesh and some plastic reinforcement on top to really protect the back of the hand, and the palm sports a synthetic mesh material that is stitched in with some very soft and smooth leather, making for a great hand-is-touching-the-handle feel.

The Agents have been very popular because they are an excellent combination of good protection and minimally restricted hand motion in a mid-price glove.  They have proven to be quite durable as well.

We like the Warrior Hypno 2’s as an entry-level model. They are much less expensive than the Warrior Macs at around $80, but they compare pretty well to others in the same price range.  The Hypnos is a decent, moderately priced glove choice. The Hypnos are made in Viet Nam while the Warrior Mac Daddys are made in the Philippines, so even though they are both Warrior products, they are quite different in overall look and design.  Also, it is easy to see why the Mac Daddys cost quite a bit more. It’s a lot more glove.

WILL YOU STILL GLOVE ME TOMORROW?

In general if you want to spend the least amount on gloves you might also ‘get what you pay for’ as often too many corners are cut when making the least expensive gloves.  We recommend going up one or two links on the chain of glove with most manufacturers. 

It’s almost surprising how many companies are making gloves anymore with giants like Reebok and Nike out there and now making lacrosse equipment.

A SUMMER GLOVE

Gloves, like sticks, do tend to wear out fairly frequently.  The rubbing of the palms on the shaft and the normal stitch stressing motions of a player just using the stick will take their toll during the course of a season.  When I began playing it seemed like it took a year just to get a pair of gloves soft enough to be really be ready to use in a game. It took breaking-them-in-time back in the day, because the leather had to soften and ‘age’, sort of like a fine wine, in your hands. Now that amount of time (1 season) is pretty much how long a pair of gloves will last before you want to get new ones to replace the worn-out ones you are wearing.

P.S. I GLOVE YOU

Individual players look for many different kinds of specific things in their lax gear. Many know exactly how they want to look and feel anytime they step onto the field.  Then there are some who aren’t sure what they are looking for in a stick, glove, or any other playing equipment component.  At Rock-it Pocket and Colorado Lacrosse and Co. we want to be able to be helpful to players on either side of that spectrum.  Give us a call at 800-374-7468.