Nothing brings a great round or a productive range session to a grinding halt faster than the fiery sting of a blister forming on your hand. It's a frustratingly common problem, but fortunately, it’s also a highly preventable one. This guide will walk you through the real causes behind golf blisters and give you practical, easy-to-follow steps to keep your hands healthy and your focus on the game.
At its core, a blister is the body's defense mechanism against friction and pressure. When you swing a golf club, especially repeatedly, the skin on your hands gets caught between a rock and a hard place - your bones on the inside and the club grip on the outside. This repetition creates friction, which separates the outer layer of skin from the inner layers, and the body fills that gap with fluid to protect the damaged tissue underneath. The result? A painful, fluid-filled bubble.
Several factors can accelerate this process:
Before you rush out to buy a hundred different types of tape and bandages, let's address the root of the problem: how you hold the golf club. Getting your grip right will not only save your skin but will also dramatically improve your ball striking. A proper grip is more relaxed, more stable, and puts less strain on your hands.
Think of grip pressure on a scale of 1 to 10, where 1 is barely holding on and 10 is squeezing with all your might. Most amateurs gripping a club hover around an 8 or 9. Slicing it? Squeeze harder. Fat shot? Squeeze harder. It’s a natural but counterproductive reflex that creates immense friction and introduces performance-killing tension into your swing.
Your ideal grip pressure should be closer to a 3 or 4 out of 10. You want to hold the club with enough firmness that it won't fly out of your hands, but with enough softness to feel the weight of the clubhead. The classic maxim is to hold it like you would a small bird - firmly enough that it can’t escape, but gently enough that you don’t harm it. A relaxed grip allows the club to move freely and powerfully through the swing, transferring energy efficiently into the ball instead of using it to grind away your skin.
How you place your hands on the club is just as important as how hard you squeeze. A fundamentally sound grip distributes pressure evenly across your fingers and palms, creating a stable connection that doesn't need constant mid-swing correction. Most friction happens when a golfer has to subtly re-grip the club at the top of the backswing or during the downswing because their initial hold felt insecure.
Here are the fundamentals of a blister-proof grip for a right-handed golfer (lefties, just reverse the hands):
Your hands interact with two pieces of equipment on every swing: your glove and your club's grip. If either one is a poor fit for you, you're setting yourself up for failure.
Think of your golf glove as a second skin. Its job is to provide tackiness and a thin layer of protection. If the glove is too big, it will bunch up in your palm and slide around during the swing - the perfect storm for creating blisters. If it's too tight, it can create intense pressure points.The perfect glove should fit snugly across the palm and back of your hand with no excess material. The fingers should be taut against the tips of your own fingers, with just a tiny bit of room to move. When you fasten the Velcro tab, it should only cover about 75% of the landing pad, giving you room to tighten it as the leather stretches over time.
Premium cabretta leather gloves offer the best feel and breathability but wear out faster. Synthetic gloves are more durable and perform better in wet weather. Regardless of the material, a glove's lifespan is finite. Once a glove becomes stiff, crusty, or has visible holes in high-wear areas (like the palm or thumb), it's lost its protective qualities. A worn-out glove forces you to grip harder and can cause more friction than not wearing one at all. Don’t be afraid to retire it and start fresh.
This is one of the most overlooked aspects of blister prevention. Club grips that are old, hard, and slick from dirt and oil have zero tackiness. To keep the club from twisting in your hands, you’re forced to apply a tremendous amount of pressure. This constant squeezing is exhausting and a direct cause of blisters. Simply getting your clubs re-gripped can solve the problem overnight.
Furthermore, make sure your grips are the right size. If you have larger hands but are using standard-sized grips, your fingers might dig into your palm. If your hands are smaller and the grips are too large, you can't hold the club properly in your fingers. A club fitter or your local pro shop can help you determine the right size (standard, midsize, or jumbo) for your hands, which will allow for a lighter, more secure hold.
Being proactive is always better than being reactive. Taking a few simple steps before and during your round can make all the difference.
If you're prone to blisters in specific spots, don't wait for the tell-tale hot spot to appear. Apply athletic tape or specialized golf blister tape to these areas before you even hit your first ball. Common areas include:
Make sure the tape is applied smoothly, with no creases or wrinkles that could cause their own rubbing.
Moisture is the enemy of a secure grip. Always keep a clean, dry towel clipped to your bag. Thoroughly dry your hands and your club grip before every single shot, especially on hot, humid days or when it's raining. For players with extra sweaty hands, a Tour-style rosin bag can be a game-changer.
Sometimes, despite your best efforts, a blister forms. Don't just ignore it. Left untreated, it can tear open, become infected, and take you out of the game for weeks.
If the blister is small and intact, leave it alone. The best protection is your own skin. Clean the area with mild soap and water and cover it with a specialized blister bandage (like a hydrocolloid dressing). These bandages cushion the area and create a moist environment that promotes faster healing.
If the blister is large, painful, and likely to pop on its own, you may consider draining it carefully. Sterilize a needle with alcohol, make a small puncture at the edge of the blister, and gently press the fluid out. Do not remove the overlying skin. Apply an antiseptic ointment and cover it firmly with a blister bandage.
If you have to play with a blister, protection is paramount. Cover it with a blister pad or hydrocolloid bandage first, then wrap the area securely with athletic tape to keep the bandage in place. This creates a durable shield that can hopefully get you through the round.
Preventing blisters really comes down to managing friction. By focusing on a lighter, more fundamentally sound grip, using equipment that fits you properly, and keeping your hands dry and protected, you can say goodbye to hand pain. Paying attention to these areas won't just keep your skin intact, it will also lead to less tension in your swing and better shots for a more enjoyable time on the course.
Often, a recurring blister is a symptom of an underlying swing issue - like gripping in the palm or tensing up in transition. Understanding why you're creating that friction is the ultimate fix. With our app, Caddie AI, you can get to the root of these problems. You can ask for quick feedback on your hold or even snap a photo of a tricky lie that’s making you anxious and causing you to tense up and squeeze the club too hard. We help you fix the bigger issue, turning blisters into a problem you no longer need to solve.
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