Racquetball gloves are not mandatory, but there are very few competitive players who do not play with a glove. There are multiple benefits that you will receive by utilizing a racquetball glove.
- Comfort – You swing your racquet hundreds of times a game. One swing won’t hurt your hand, but the repetition of hundreds or even thousands of hits will start to cause discomfort. This discomfort can come in the form of blisters, sore hands, and rawness of the skin.
- Grip – There is not a single person who won’t sweat profusely when playing racquetball. If your hand is wet and slippery there is a greater chance that the racquet will go flying from your hand. If that happens you automatically lose the rally. The more common problem with sweaty hands is that each swing the racquet will slip just enough to mess up your shot. Having a racquetball glove will help you to grip the racquet and execute your shots better.
- Protection – The glove will also provide a thing layer of material over your hand. A lot of gloves had small pads on the fingers designed to protect your hands when you dive.
When choosing a racquetball glove there are two key factors that you should be aware of — the material and the fit.
The majority of all gloves are made from a synthetic leather, sheepskin, or some type of leather. Each material has a slightly different feel to it. You should test out different materials and stick with the one you like best.
You want the glove to snugly fit on your hand. There should be zero wrinkles. One way to test the size is to put the glove on and open your hand like you are giving someone a high-five. The material covering the palm of your hand should be tight and not resting on your skin. You should be able to push it in and see it bounce back out.
Depending on how many games you play, you might need more than 1 glove. After a couple of matches your glove will be soaked and your grip will start to slip. Having a fresh glove will be a great asset at this point.
There are also gloves made to be worn underneath your racquetball glove. These will prolong the life of your racquetball gloves as they absorb most of the moisture from your hands. The undergloves can be thrown in the washer while many racquetball gloves will be ruined from the same cleaning.
