How do I combat sweaty hands on the course? | Fully Equipped Mailbag

Welcome to another edition of the Fully Equipped mailbag, an interactive GOLF.com series in which our resident dimplehead (a.k.a., GOLF’s managing editor of equipment, Jonathan Wall) fields your hard-hitting gear questions. 

I spent most of the summer struggling to get a good grip on my golf grips, but I lost count of the number of times the club would twist in my hands. I wear a glove but still struggle with sweaty hands when it’s hot. Am I better off wearing two gloves? Or do you have a better suggestion? — Trent, Atlanta

In my opinion, feeling the club move in your hands during the downswing is right up there with shanking one into the woods. You feel absolutely helpless in the moment, and that awful sensation continues to linger for the rest of the round. Speaking from experience, I’ll apply even more pressure to the grip to ensure it doesn’t happen again, but that usually makes things worse.

I don’t think there’s anything wrong with going the two-gloves route to reduce the amount of moisture on the grip. Just make sure you’re changing them out regularly if sweaty hands are an issue. Rain gloves could be an option, too, if you prefer a set versus trying to buy one for each hand — not to mention they’re designed for precipitation.

Talcum powder is another option to combat sweaty palms, and I’d for sure have a fresh towel at the ready. Those should be bag staples if they aren’t already.

Another suggestion is to take a closer look at your grips. You didn’t mention the grip model, so I’ll just assume you’re playing the standard rubber variety. Excess sweat is going to add a layer of oils and dirt to the surface that, over time, will increase the chances of grip slippage.

A grip with some sort of cotton cord infused in the rubber — think Golf Pride’s Tour Velvet Cord — is designed to wick away moisture and keep the surface tacky, so you might want to do some more research and consider a change.

If anything, I’d suggest trying out a cord grip first to see if it helps solve the slippage issue. If it doesn’t make a noticeable difference, add a second glove (and/or talc) and go from there.

I can promise you other golfers are struggling with the same issue. It’s all about finding the correct combination that keeps the grip tacky so you can shift the focus back to your play on the course.

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