What’s the Purpose of Billiard Gloves?

The point of any game is to win – and this is no different with billiards.

However, there are tools players can use to help them excel and give a little edge. For billiards, a billiard glove can be that edge.

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There are several designs of billiard gloves, and each type has its purpose.

Below are several types of billiard gloves and their purpose for every pool player; and why players should invest in a good glove.

Table of Contents

How Do They Work, and Why Are They Necessary?

Pool players wear a billiard glove on the bridge hand.

The bridge hand is the left hand for right-handed players and the right hand for left-handed players.

While they may seem extraneous, these gloves can help even beginner billiards players improve their techniques and possibly win the game.

Using a billiards glove can rid the player of sweaty palms, protect against humidity, and allow for smoother gameplay.

Gloves come in various designs; each one has its benefits and disadvantages.

Since each player has their unique way of playing, billiard gloves cater to those differences.

The most popular types of billiard gloves are listed below.

Three-Fingered Glove

The three-fingered glove is the most common type of billiards glove.

These gloves leave both the ring and pinky finger exposed and cover up the remaining fingers (although some reveal the tip of the middle finger as well).

A three-fingered glove works for all players and gives hands more freedom than a traditional full-hand glove. Other benefits of this kind of glove are:

The design reduces friction
The remaining fingers stabilize the hand’s position on the felt
Increases stroke smoothness
The player has more control over where their shot lands

Since three-fingered gloves are the most popular, there are a lot of options regarding style and size. A few top-rated ones are:

The KAMUI Billiard glove has an anti-slip pad for extra sweat protection; however, it is one of the most expensive gloves on the market.
Predator Second-Skin glove, a glove with the tip of the middle finger missing for more control.
The Longoni Sultan fingerless glove is a standout because women’s sizes are available.

Two-Fingered Glove

Even more minimal than the three-fingered glove is the two-fingered glove.

The two-fingered billiards glove is, however, slightly misleading in nomenclature.

The middle finger in these gloves is still partially covered, along with the forefinger and thumb. There is just less coverage.

Two-fingered gloves are sleeker and less bulky than three-fingered gloves, making them more comfortable for the player because there is no fabric on the palm.

These gloves are challenging to find, as most people prefer the middle finger to be covered. However, there are a couple of options:

A finger wrap, a glove that only covers the mid-part of the thumb, forefinger, and middle finger
The UnGlove, a similar design to the finger wrap but has more coverage over each finger.

Full-Handed Glove

The full-handed billiards glove is pretty much a standard glove with a stretchy fabric.

Most of the time, these are not made intentionally for playing billiards but are used in other sports.

These gloves are readily available and provide the buyer with more choices, but the coverage does have some downsides:

Using a full-handed glove can make the player less sensitive to the table and not as apt to feel the cue position.
They can also be too slick and make the shot weaker or stronger than intended.

That said, full-handed gloves can be helpful if a player has chronically sweaty palms or does not like the feeling of the table.

The fabric is still moisture-wicking, so the purpose is the same – to keep the stick from slipping.

Some options for a full-handed glove are:

MaxiFlex, a lycra work glove that’s thin and reduces moisture – perfect for billiards.
UA Armour Liner 2.0, a spandex glove that will allow the stick to slip through fingers easily.

Benefits of Using Billiard Gloves

Billiards gloves, no matter what the design, have undeniable benefits that range from physical to fiscal.

If players want to level up their billiards skills, gloves are a simple tool for getting rid of pesky environmental and physical elements.

Physical

The main reason pool players use billiard gloves is to maximize their chances of winning the game.

Gloves improve performance by wicking away sweat, allowing the cue to glide comfortably through hands.

Not using a billiard glove increases a player’s chance of:

Sweat interfering with each shot, getting worse throughout the game
Cue getting stuck
Unsteady hand

Billiard gloves also help if the cue the player is using is not of the highest quality. Gloves provide a smoother play and can minimize cue drag.

Additionally, if a player happens to have carpal tunnel or risks developing it, gloves can help with that as well.

The flexible fabrics help the hand breathe while keeping it steady.

Another physical benefit of a billiard glove is that they are less of a hassle than traditional chalk or powder.

Instead of getting chalk all over clothing or dirtying up the table, billiard gloves leave surfaces pristine.

There are also physical aspects of the glove itself to consider, such as:

Size: The glove should not be too loose or constrictive.
Fabric: Lycra gloves are the most flexible, while spandex gloves help the most with moisture reduction.

Environmental

Humidity is another factor gloves can help with – wearing gloves takes away the risk of the hands getting too damp or the cue becoming rough.

Damp air is a pool table’s worst enemy, as it makes the table warp and the felt become sparse over time.

If a player happens to be playing on a table that has been affected by humidity, a glove can:

Allow the player to play well regardless of the quality of table/felt
Provide a stable anchor if the felt is slick
Deliver enough force that the ball moves smoothly over the warped felt

In this situation, a billiard glove’s purpose is to keep the moisture in the air from ruining a player’s game.

A billiards glove eliminates the issue of players breathing in powder, which could lead to a health issue later on.

Saves Money in the Long Run

Billiards gloves are also cost-effective. They are typically purchased once and are less expensive in the long run than other “dehydrating” products.

The average billiards glove costs less than twenty dollars and is a one-time purchase (unless a player decides to buy more than one option).

Chalk, while inexpensive, has to be purchased more often – which is even more true if players use it on their hands in addition to chalking their cue.

As the most wallet-friendly choice for preventing cue drag, billiards gloves keep players on a budget.

Overall Purpose and Conclusion

Simply put, the billiards glove helps players win. Its purpose is to get rid of moisture, make gameplay more streamlined, and keep players comfortable.

A billiards glove is a small investment with long-term benefits and several purposes, depending on the glove.

The purpose of billiards gloves as a whole is to work in conjunction with the player to create a cohesive, well-oiled machine, resulting in a winning stroke.

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