We’ve talked a lot on The Hackers Paradise about Bridgestone Golf this season, quite frankly I’m not sure there is another company that has done more good for both the game of golf and their own brand name than Bridgestone Golf has. We are constantly impressed with their golf balls and of course their golf ball fitting system has become an industry break through that is available to every man, woman, and child who picks up a golf club ensuring that everyone is able to play the ball that is best for their game. THP has also reviewed Bridgestone Golf irons and drivers and as expected, came away very impressed. So what is next for the company that just continues to knock it out of the park with every piece of equipment that they produce?
This review is not for everyone, there are some golfers out there that look at golf gloves as nothing more than an unnecessary accessory. Then you’ve got players like myself, I’ve always used a glove when I play golf, I don’t understand how people could play without one actually. You find gloves listed under “accessories” everywhere you shop for them but as those golfers like me will tell you, a good glove is far more than just an accessory. There are a few pieces of equipment that you use for every single shot whether it be trying to carry a drive 275 yards or finessing a little pitch shot to attempt to save a par. One is the ball you use, and yes, the other is the glove you wear. Everyone that uses a glove can tell you how important a good fitting and good performing glove really is.
The Bridgestone Golf Tour Glove is not some miracle piece of technology that will shave countless strokes off your game; in fact it might not shave a single stroke off your score in reality. What the glove did for me though was offer an amazing feel and an outstanding grip on my golf club so that I could focus on my swing and my other fundamentals rather than worrying about my club slipping in my hand. The Tour Glove is made from Premium Select Cabretta leather to help enhance soft feel for a consistent grip and excellent durability. The material used for this glove is much like the other premium gloves on the market so there is nothing promising any kind of break through there but what really set this glove apart for me was the fit. I’m size Large glove wearer most of the time, but you know just like me that doesn’t always mean anything when trying on several different brands of gloves. One company’s Large is another company’s Cadet Extra Large or yet another company’s Medium Large with a twist of lime. It can be ridiculous trying to find the size you need so you can get your glove and get out on the course. Bridgestone Golf has implemented what they’re calling their exclusive Cross Cut tab technology to provide superior fit. I can tell you beyond a shadow of a doubt that the fit that comes with this Tour Glove is simply unlike anything I have found in another glove I’ve ever used. To help provide an added element of comfort the Tour Glove features a soft terry cuff as well, comfort is definitely a great feature here! A perfect fit provides a perfect grip, a perfect grip for me continued to provide me confidence each and every time I hit a shot. That is not something I can say for any other piece of equipment that is in my bag.
OK, so the fit is great, the feel is great, what else is there about a glove that can really set it apart from the crowd? One word, durability. I demand a lot out of my glove, I want a glove that I can put on, strap tight and forget about. There are many times I’ve thought I’ve had a great feeling glove only to notice that after a round or two that my thumb is starting to wear or there is one spot on my palm that always seems to wear thin way too soon. So far I’ve got about 8 rounds of 18 holes in with this glove and I have yet to notice any spots of wear. For a tour caliber glove that is usually something that just does not happen, above anything else this might be the most impressive thing about the Bridgestone glove.
For many readers of THP there is yet another crucial element of a glove that to me falls under performance and that is how it holds up in the extreme temps it seems that everyone is dealing with right now. I’m in the Midwest and I’ll be the first to tell you that I’m not out in near the heat many of the readers of this site are, but just this past weekend I played in a tournament in Omaha, NE, the heat index was 107. I’m no meteorologist but heat index is factoring in the actual temp and the humidity to basically tell you how scorching hot you really are. Yeah, it was hot. You want to hear something that I think is pretty impressive? I used the same Bridgestone Golf Tour Glove the entire round! I do take my glove off after each shot and I don’t putt with a glove on, but to use the same glove in that kind of heat is very impressive, something that I think our readers in regions where the heat is even more intense that what I’m used to can really appreciate. Maybe it will even cut down on the number of gloves you’ll have to drag around with you on the course!
As I said in the beginning of this review, THP has been nothing short of very impressed with everything Bridgestone Golf has been putting out equipment wise lately. Whether you think a good glove is just an accessory or if you’re like me and consider your glove an important piece of your equipment, I think you’d really be doing yourself quite a service by trying the Tour Glove from Bridgestone Golf next time you find yourself with a hole in your thumb and/or palm of your current glove. With an MSRP of $20 the Bridgestone Golf Tour Glove is right in line with other tour premium gloves on the market, but in reality, if it holds up as well as I expect it to I don’t anticipate having to replace it nearly as quick as other top gloves. Available online (depending on where you shop prices can be found well below MSRP) and at on-course golf shops nationwide, I really expect to see a lot more from Bridgestone Golf in the glove market, just like what we’ve come to expect with anything the folks at Bridgestone Golf have been putting out these days. Well done indeed Bridgestone!
