The HIRZL "TRUST Control" glove
Golf ball companies love to talk about feel. Feel is important because feedback is important. The more of both, the better. But between the ball and the player’s hands there are a few other factors that come into play. The clubhead – both its design and the material it’s made from. The shaft. The grip. And, if the player wears one, the glove.
For the most part, golf gloves haven’t evolved as much as products in other golf equipment categories. The standard glove is still some variation on cabretta leather with or without some number of venting or stretching sections on the back of the glove.
A Swiss company, HIRZL, is looking to change that. HIRZL’s sole focus is on gloves for golf and other sports, notably cycling – gloves whose aim is to “make the human hand perform more efficiently.”
HIRZL golf gloves come in three styles:
TRUST Control – for maximum grip under all conditions
TRUST Feel – combining grip and touch
TRUST Flex – a “new generation” cabretta glove
I’ve only tried the TRUST Control glove. It features kangaroo leather on the palm with cabretta leather and mesh on the back of the hand. HIRZL claims that this glove offers 3 times more grip in dry conditions and 5 times more grip in wet conditions than its closest competitor, and that its palm stays 100% sweat-free. In my experience with this glove, I thought that the palm of the glove felt a bit thicker and stiffer than the leather glove you’re probably using now. But it does provide enhanced grip in both dry and wet weather conditions as advertised.
HIRZL claims that its “GRIPPP™ Technology” provides the ultimate in breathability, tear strength, abrasion resistance, water repellency, form consistency, and sweat absorption – all due to a special tanning procedure. In truth, the TRUST Control does feel like a rugged glove, but not overly so. You don’t give up much in feel to get this additional gripping power.
All HIRZL gloves are available in both men’s and ladies models, sized from small to extra large, with cadet sizes, as well. But be sure to try yours on for size before purchasing. The “large” glove that I tried out felt a bit smaller and tighter than the “large” gloves from other manufacturers that I’ve worn in the past.
HIRZL are the official gloves of the RE-MAX Long Drive Championship (the ultimate grip-it-and-rip-it contest) and are also endorsed by Dave Pelz, who says that he considers HIRZL’s glove technology to be the most exciting on the market today. HIRZL also claims that eight out of ten people who tried their glove in a recent North American test preferred the HIRZL glove. That’s a pretty good stat.
HIRZL gloves retail for around $25 at Golfsmith and other online retailers, which is a bit more than you’ll pay for most gloves. But HIRZL points out that its gloves can be washed in cold water, which allows perspiration salts to be removed from the leather, thus increasing the glove’s lifespan. I haven’t needed to do that yet, and am not sure if I would bother. But it’s worth a try. HIRZL makes gloves worth holding on to – and someday I’m going to try the TRUST Flex and see how the company’s dry-weather, all-cabretta glove measures up.
For more, visit www.hirzl.com
