Golf Glove Size Guide: Which Hand and What Size
Every CHG box includes a glove, so at checkout we ask you two questions that a lot of people have to go and look up. This page answers both.
If you are in a hurry: most adult men take a Medium, and the glove goes on the opposite hand to the one they play with. That covers the majority of people buying a gift.
Which hand does a golf glove go on?
The glove goes on your lead hand — the hand at the top of the grip. For a right-handed golfer that is the left hand. For a left-handed golfer it is the right.
This catches people out constantly, because gloves are sold as "left hand" and "right hand" and it is never obvious whether that means the hand you play with or the hand the glove fits. It means the hand the glove fits. So a right-handed golfer buys a left-hand glove.
The lead hand is the one holding the club steady through impact, which is where the grip wears and where the blisters turn up. Most golfers wear one glove, on that hand, and take it off to putt.
How to measure for a golf glove
Two measurements matter, and the first matters more.
- Hand circumference. Run a tape measure around the widest part of the palm, just below the knuckles, with the thumb excluded. Keep the hand relaxed and flat.
- Middle finger length. From the base of the palm crease to the tip of the middle finger. This is the tie-breaker if the circumference falls between two sizes.
| Size | Hand circumference (approx.) | Typically suits |
|---|---|---|
| S | Around 7–7.5 in / 18–19 cm | Smaller adult hands, many women golfers, older juniors |
| S/M | Around 7.5–8 in / 19–20.5 cm | Slighter adult male hands, larger women’s hands |
| M | Around 8–8.5 in / 20.5–21.5 cm | The most common adult men’s size by a wide margin |
| M/L | Around 8.5–9 in / 21.5–23 cm | Broader hands, or longer fingers on a medium palm |
| L | Around 9 in / 23 cm and above | Large hands, and anyone who works with their hands for a living |
Treat those figures as a guide rather than gospel. Golf glove sizing is not standardised, and the same hand can be a Medium in one brand and an M/L in another. If you are between two sizes, go down rather than up — leather relaxes with use, and a glove that starts slightly snug ends up right.
How a golf glove should actually fit
- It should feel like a second skin across the palm, with a little stretch, not a lot.
- No loose material at the fingertips. If you can pinch spare leather above the nails, it is too big.
- The closure should fasten comfortably in the middle of its range. If it is straining at the last notch, or flapping loose at the first, the size is wrong.
- You should be able to close your hand into a grip without the glove bunching in the palm.
A glove that is too big is worse than one slightly too small. Loose leather moves against the grip, which is exactly what a glove is there to prevent.
Buying as a gift when you cannot ask
This is most of our customers, so here is the honest shortcut.
- An adult man, right-handed, average build: Medium, left hand. This is the single most likely correct answer.
- Tall, broad, or works with his hands: M/L or L, left hand.
- Slighter build: S/M.
- A woman golfer: usually S or S/M.
- A junior: worth asking. Juniors change size quickly and a guess is more likely to miss.
Left-handed golfers are roughly one in ten, so if you have genuinely no idea, right-handed is the safer assumption — but it is the one detail worth a discreet question if you can manage it, because the hand cannot be worked around the way a size can.
And if it turns out wrong, get in touch and we will replace it. Sizing is the thing we would rather sort out than argue about, and it is the most common message we get.
Looking after it
Take it off between holes and let it dry rather than stuffing it into a pocket. Do not leave it scrunched in the bottom of the bag in the wet, and do not put it on a radiator — leather that dries too fast goes hard and splits. Most golfers get through several a season regardless, which is why a glove is in every one of our boxes.
Common questions
Do I need a glove on both hands?
Almost nobody does. One glove on the lead hand is standard. Two gloves are mainly a cold-weather or heavy-practice thing.
Should I wear a glove to putt?
Most golfers take it off. It is about feel rather than rules — there is nothing stopping you keeping it on.
What size glove comes in a CHG box?
The one you choose. Every golf mystery box includes a glove, and you pick the size and hand at checkout rather than taking pot luck.
Can I buy a glove on its own?
Yes — see golf gloves.
Still deciding what to buy? Our golf gift guide breaks things down by budget and recipient, and the golf gift boxes all include a glove in the size you select.