Review – Clinch Golf Tactile Glove

“Finally, a golf glove that doesn’t transform into beef jerky after getting wet”

The Address

When we think about overlooked aspects of golf and the equipment that we choose it’s the glove that’s often overlooked. Perhaps the glove could even be classified as an afterthought. How much thought really goes into our gloves when we buy them?

Heck, that’s even if you’re a golfer that wears a glove in the first place. Perhaps you could be sans glove a la Fred Couples.

Typically, golfers enter a pro shop or retail store – likely knowing what they already want – open up the package of one brand or another, try on said glove, and then purchase it. However, buyer beware. Not all golf gloves are created equally. That statement couldn’t be more true when talking about the Clinch Golf Tactile Glove.

Clinch Golf is the brainchild of Matt Mahoney and Jason Desoldato, two golfers from the Pacific Northwest (United States). They believed that there had to be better materials to fabricate golf gloves. Materials that could provide golfers better “bang for the buck” in terms of quality, durability. and performance.

At some point in our golfer lives we’ve suffered with issues stemming from leather gloves. Leather gloves become slick when wet whether from rain or sweat on hot humid days. Often, leather gloves don’t age well… Especially after they’ve become wet. They shrink and wrinkle and if all goes well when you try to wear the glove again it won’t tear. But, it usually does. Not to mention that leather gloves typically don’t breathe.

On the other hand, the Clinch Golf Tactile Glove claims to offer many features aimed to provide golfers superb performance from their golf gloves. First, there’s Clinch Golf’s proprietary fabric which the brand dubs it… “CrushGroove”. The CrushGroove fabric offers many advantages over traditional leather gloves including better durability, a glove that breathes better, and a glove that performs in all weather conditions.

Before I continue with the review, I have to apologize to everyone that made this testing and review possible. The reality is that I received my “testers” prior to the 2023 PGA Show. As a matter of fact, I actually did the unboxing in Denver, Colorado waiting for my connection. Fast forward to the spring. I could never have predicted that my season would come to a crashing halt the first week of June due to amputations caused by ongoing diabetic foot ulcers. I also went gangrenous, septic and contracted MRSA, It was a nightmare.

The Transition

Upon opening my package from Clinch Golf I noticed that from a sustainability standpoint the packaging was eco-friendly. The packaging is multi-purpose and reusable. The packaging is void of any single use plastics. My immediate impression of the Tactile Glove was very positive. The quality of the stitching and the enclosure was clean and overall well-constructed.

I liked the feel of the CrushGroove fabric which sort of reminds me of something in between suede and velour. The fabric is soft and feels cool on the hand. Just putting on the glove you can tell that the Clinch Golf Tactile Glove is a product that is breathable as advertised. But how did it perform in the “real world”?

Even though my last two seasons have been mired by bad health luck I did get opportunities to conduct testing of many products in between. Between the rounds of golf and the heavy range sessions that I’ve managed to get in, I felt confident that I could safely pass full judgement on this product.

From a performance point-of-view the Clinch Golf Tactile Glove does everything that their website claims. Whether the weather is foul or fair, the Clinch Golf Tactile Glove performs great, providing golfers with a certain “peace of mind”. Golfers are almost guaranteed to not have their gripping power compromised. Moreover, as good as the Clinch Golf Tactile Glove is when the conditions are dry they absolutely shine when it’s wet. I wore this glove during a competitive adaptive golf tournament and the day was a total “soaker”. Not once did my lead hand (gloved hand) lose it’s grip. My bare hand on the other hand was a different story. I wish I would’ve had a Clinch Golf Tactile Glove on my bottom hand too.

I nearly forgot to elaborate on using these gloves in hot and humid conditions. I sweat cascades when it gets hot and humid. The sweat runs down my arms and to my hands. When this happens with leather gloves they get “slimy” inside. If you’ve ever played hockey and wore hockey gloves, you likely know what I mean. Because of their breathability, gloves from Clinch Golf don’t have that flaw.

“The wetter… the better”.

The CrushGroove fabric also passed with ease when it came to drying out. Not only did the Clinch Golf Tactile Glove dry quickly, the glove was never worse for wear. Unlike leather gloves, these gloves from Clinch Golf didn’t turn into something akin to “beef jerky”. This alone is a big win for Clinch Golf versus leather gloves.

The durability is what I consider to be superior. I’ve worn gloves in the past that tore after one round. On one occasion I had a glove tear on me before I struck a golf ball on the driving range and that glove was fresh right out of the package. Poor quality control from the bigger brands in the space. One question remains for me that needs to be answered with testing being wrapped up, “when will this glove breakdown”.

In case you weren’t aware, when you make a hole in the glove towards the heel of the hand you have yourself a mechanics flaw. The grip. The Clinch Golf Tactile Glove has stood the test of time. There are no tears in the palm. Also, there’s no wear showing in areas like the top of the thumb. These gloves are durable.

Another bonus of the Clinch Golf Tactile Glove is its functionality. The vast majority of us carry cell phones on the golf course. Whether it’s a phone call from your spouse interrupting your round to tell you to “pick up milk” or you use your phone for its GPS on whichever golf app you use to give you distances, you can swipe and have full control of your phone without taking off your glove. Granted, if you want to take off the Clinch Golf Tactile Glove, it’s no problem. These gloves slide on and off very easily unlike leather gloves where you have to occasionally fight with them to place them on your hand.

When it comes to sizing, I would say that gloves from Clinch might fit a shade larger than what you typically wear. That said, every brand is different. Typically, I wear a medium-large thanks to fingers that are eerily similar to “cocktail weiners”. I chose to test large and there’s a part of me that thinks medium was the correct size. The large isn’t sloppy on my hand by any means but it does cause a crease in the glove towards the heel of my hand.

The Finish

I won’t mince words. The Clinch Golf Tactile Glove is superior in every way compared to traditional leather gloves. Durable, practical, terrific in all weather conditions including heavy rainstorms. The Clinch Golf Tactile Glove is a winner.

These gloves are offered in several colours and come in sizes ranging from X-Small to XXL. retail for $25 USD/glove. For more information please check them out here.

Until The Next Tee!!

#fightandgrind #seeuonthenexttee