How to Stretch a Golf Glove

A golf glove that feels more like a vise than a second skin can ruin your feel and confidence on the course. Instead of immediately tossing that slightly-too-snug or shrunken glove, you can often stretch it back to a perfect fit with a little know-how. This guide will walk you through an expert coach's methods for safely stretching your golf glove, explaining when to do it, and how to prevent it from shrinking in the first place.

Why Is a Proper Glove Fit So Important?

Before we get into the stretching techniques, let's quickly touch on why this matters so much. As a coach, I see players with ill-fitting gear all the time, and the glove is a frequent culprit. Your gloved hand is your primary connection to the golf club. It’s what communicates all the feel and feedback from the club head up through your hands and arms. If the fit is wrong, everything else can get thrown off.

A glove that’s too tight restricts the natural movement of your fingers and wrist. This can lead you to grip the club too tightly, creating tension that kills your swing speed and fluidity. Think about it: when your hand feels squeezed, your brain's first instinct is to tense up. That tension is the enemy of a smooth, powerful golf swing. It turns a relaxed, fluid motion into a stiff, jerky one.

On the other hand, a glove that's too loose is just as bad. It can slip and bunch up during your swing, especially at the top of the backswing or at impact. This forces you to constantly re-grip or unconsciously clamp down to keep the club from twisting in your hands. This lack of security leads to a massive loss of clubface control, which you’ll see in shots that spray left and right of your target. A proper fit is about finding that perfect middle ground: snug enough that there's no excess material at the fingertips or palm, but flexible enough that you can open and close your hand without any resistance. It should feel like it was painted on - part of your hand, not something constricting it.

Understanding Your Golf Glove Material

The type of material your glove is made from will have a huge impact on how you should go about stretching it. Not all gloves are created equal, and using the wrong technique on the wrong material can do more harm than good.

Cabretta Leather Gloves

This is the premium standard. High-quality golf gloves are almost always made from Cabretta leather, which comes from the hide of a specific breed of hair sheep. This leather is prized for its incredibly soft, supple feel, its fine grain, and its exceptional breathability. It molds to your hand beautifully over time, providing unparalleled feel and feedback on your shots.

The good news is that Cabretta leather is also the most stretchable material. Its natural fibers have a good amount of give, which is why it breaks in so well. However, this is also its biggest weakness. If Cabretta leather gets soaked with sweat or rain and then dries too quickly (especially in direct heat or sun), it can shrink significantly, becoming stiff and brittle. Fortunately, because it's a natural hide, it responds well to careful re-moisturizing and stretching, which we'll cover in detail.

Synthetic and Hybrid Gloves

Synthetic gloves are typically made from materials like synthetic leather, microfiber, and lycra. They are known for being more durable, less expensive, and better at handling moisture than full Cabretta leather gloves. You will often see synthetic materials placed across the knuckles or between the fingers on leather gloves (these are often called "hybrid" gloves) to improve flexibility and breathability right out of the package.

While synthetics are fantastic for durability and all-weather performance, they don’t have the same stretching capacity as natural leather. The plastic-based fibers are more rigid and maintain their shape better. You might be able to get a slight amount of give out of a synthetic glove, but you're unlikely to notice a major difference. For synthetic or hybrid gloves that feel a little too snug, your best bet is the "wear-it-in" method. Aggressive stretching techniques, particularly those involving water, are less effective and generally not recommended for fully synthetic gloves.

The Best Methods for Stretching a Golf Glove

Alright, let's get into the step-by-step instructions. Depending on your situation - whether you have a brand-new glove that feels tight, or a trusted leather glove that's shrunk - there’s a technique that will work for you.

Method 1: The 'Wear-It-In' Technique (For New or Slightly Snug Gloves)

This is the safest and most common method, and it’s the best approach for brand-new gloves of any material, both leather and synthetic. Golf gloves, especially premium Cabretta leather ones, are designed to be quite snug when you first buy them. The idea is that the material will stretch and mold perfectly to the unique contours of your hand with use. Think of it like breaking in a new pair of leather shoes.

Here’s the simple process:

• Step 1: Put the Glove On Carefully. Don't just stuff your hand in. Work the glove on slowly, one finger at a time. Once your fingers are seated properly, gently pull the rest of the glove over your palm and wrist, securing the Velcro tab.
• Step 2: Make a Fist... Repeatedly. Once the glove is on, spend a few minutes just making a fist and then stretching your fingers out straight. Open and close your hand about 20-30 times. This starts to work the material, especially flexing the leather or Lycra inserts across your knuckles. You may even hear some faint stretching sounds, which is perfectly normal.
• Step 3: Grip a Golf Club. Grab an iron or a wood and just hold it. Wrap your hands around the grip and give it a few waggles. Go through your pre-shot routine. This helps the glove mold to your specific hand shape in the exact way it needs to for the golf swing.
• Step 4: Wear It Around. If you're at home, wear the glove for about 15-20 minutes. The warmth from your hand will help the leather become more pliable and naturally expand.
• Step 5: Hit Some Balls (The Gold Standard). The absolute best way to break in a new glove is to take it to the driving range. The combination of your hand’s warmth, repeated gripping, and the minor vibrations from impact will perfectly custom-fit the glove to your hand in about half a bucket of balls.

Method 2: Stretching a Shrunken Leather Glove (The Water Method)

Did you get caught in a rain shower and leave your favorite Cabretta leather glove in the bag to dry into a crispy, shrunken version of its former self? Don't panic. This is usually fixable, but it requires a careful touch.

Warning: This method is for 100% Cabretta leather gloves only. Do not attempt this with synthetic gloves, as it won't be effective. The key here is gentle rehydration, not soaking.

• Step 1: Lightly Dampen the Glove. The goal is to make the leather pliable, not waterlogged. Take a bowl of lukewarm - never hot - water. Lightly dip your fingers into the water and run them over the *entire surface* of the glove. You want to make it feel slightly damp and cool to the touch, not dripping wet. Alternatively, you can spritz it very lightly with a spray bottle.
• Step 2: Patiently Put the Glove On. The shrunken glove will be very tight. Go slowly. Work each finger in, wiggling it gently to the tip. BE PATIENT. Don't yank or pull hard, as damp leather can tear. Once your fingers are in, carefully work it over your palm and fasten the strap. It should feel extremely snug.
• Step 3: Flex and Work the Leather. Now, just like in Method 1, start opening and closing your hand. Make a fist. Splay your fingers wide. Grip a club. Spend a solid 5-10 minutes continuously working your hand and fingers, focusing on the areas that feel tightest. You are physically stretching the rehydrated fibers. You will feel the glove start to give and loosen up.
• Step 4: Let It Dry (The Right Way). Wear the glove for about 20-30 minutes as it begins to air dry. Your hand acts as the a perfect mold, ensuring the glove dries in a stretched, pre-formed state. After 30 minutes, carefully take it off. Smooth it out on a flat surface, like a countertop, out of direct sunlight or heat. Let it finish air-drying completely. Never put a wet leather glove on a heater, in a clothes dryer, or on your car dashboard - this will cook the leather, making it brittle and permanently ruined.

How to Prevent Your Golf Glove from Shrinking and Hardening

As with anything in golf, a bit of prevention is worth a pound of cure. Taking proper care of your glove will extend its life dramatically and prevent that dreaded shrinkage from happening in the first place.

• Take it Off Correctly: After your round, don’t just yank the glove off from the wrist. Un-do the Velcro tab, then gently pull each finger from the tip until it’s free. Finally, slide it off your hand. This prevents you from over-stretching the wrist area.
• Smooth and Flat: Once the glove is off, don’t crumple it into a ball and throw it in a pocket in your bag. This is the #1 cause of stiff, shriveled gloves. Instead, smooth it and lay it flat. If your glove came with a cardboard insert or sleeve, use it! Slide the glove back into its original packaging. This helps it maintain its shape as it dries.
• Let It Air Dry: Your glove gets full of sweat during a round. It needs to breathe. When you get home, take it out of your bag and lay it on a flat surface away from direct sun or heat to air dry. Alternating between two gloves during a round is another pro tip, as it gives each a chance to dry out slightly between shots.
• Consider a Glove Keeper: For a few extra dollars, you can buy a plastic accessory called a golf glove keeper or shaper. These are shaped like a hand and clip onto the side of your bag, holding your glove in a perfectly flat, hand-like shape as it dries. They work wonders for maintaining the size and softness of your glove.

Final Thoughts

Stretching a golf glove is a simple skill that can save you money and, more importantly, restore the essential feel you need to play with confidence. By understanding your glove’s material and using the correct technique for your situation, you can get a custom-like fit from a new glove or bring a shrunken old favorite back into play.

Perfecting the fit of your gear is just one piece of the puzzle. Just as important is feeling confident in the shots you choose to hit. For those moments on the course when you're stuck between clubs or facing a tricky lie, our goal with Caddie AI is to give you that same sense of a perfect fit - for your strategy. Having an expert opinion in your pocket means you can get clear, simple advice anytime, so you can stop guessing and start committing to every swing with more confidence.