It’s always important to have the right equipment in any sport. Tennis players need rackets they feel comfortable swinging. Rugby players need protective pads to guard their bodies. Footballers need boots that promote free movement of the feet to help them dribble, pass, shoot, and run.
Football goalies, too, need the right gear. Specifically, a good set of goalie gloves to help them catch, punch, hold, and throw the ball correctly.
Unfortunately, some goalies end up with gloves that are ill-suited to their style of play, and actually harm their performance on the pitch. In this guide, we’ll explore some of the risks of picking the wrong gloves, and tips on how to avoid them.
Increased Risk of Injury
Outfield players aren’t the only ones who can get injured on a football pitch. Goalies are also at risk of issues such as fractured fingers or sprained wrists, and their choice of gloves can have a big impact on the likelihood of those kinds of injuries happening.
Some goalie gloves have much stronger levels of protection for the fingers and wrists than others. If you’re wearing a pair that only have weak padding or aren’t the right size, you’ll be much more likely to bend your fingers or wrists the wrong way when making a save or attempting a punch.
To avoid this problem, make sure you consider finger protection when shopping for goalie gloves. If you have a history of injuries or issues with wrists and fingers, focus on a pair that come with finger saves – spines along the fingers that prevent hyper-extension.
Weaker Punches
There are plenty of situations where goalies need to punch the ball. Even if you’re the kind of keeper who likes to catch and hold it more often than not, there are still going to be moments when a good old-fashioned punch is the best way to go.
However, the power you put into those punches – and the distance the ball travels – will be influenced by the gloves you’re wearing. Lower quality gloves or those with weak backhands tend to result in punches that fail to get much distance.
This could lead to you punching the ball right to an opposing player and conceding a goal or at least giving the other team an opportunity to score. For that reason, focus on gloves with plenty of padding in the backhand to help you deliver big, powerful punches that really go the distance.
Less Accuracy with Throws and Rolls
You won’t always want to boot the ball up the pitch. With modern-day possession-oriented tactics, goalies prefer to roll or throw the ball out to a nearby player. This is a good way to keep possession or even launch a quick counter-attack.
But, once again, gloves have an impact. If you wear gloves with the wrong cut that don’t allow you to feel connected and in control of the ball, your throws will suffer. You may find it harder to get enough power or release the ball at the right moment – which can lead to wayward throws that don’t hit the target.
To make sure you get the best levels of accuracy in your throws, you need to find gloves with the right cut. For newbies, the “cut” refers to how the palm and backhand are stitched together. Consider trying on gloves of different cuts to see which ones feel most comfortable, and research the cut types to learn more about them.
Greater Chance of Fumbles
It’s never nice to fumble the ball as a keeper. In fact, there are few feelings worse on a football pitch. If the ball slips through your fingers or you fail to make a straightforward save, you’ll want the ground to swallow you up.
Unfortunately, fumbles are far more likely if you’ve got the wrong gloves on. They won’t provide the kind of control of the ball you need to stand firm and make your saves. That can lead to random bounces, drops, or slips at the worst possible moments.
To reduce the risk of making a mistake, it’s crucial to invest in a pair of gloves that suit you just right. They need to be the appropriate size, with a cut that feels comfortable to you. Avoid any gloves that make you feel uncomfortable or give you the impression that you can’t truly keep hold of the ball.
Find the Right Gloves to Improve Your Performance
The wrong pair of gloves can massively affect your game. They make it harder to save, stop, punch, and throw the ball. Don’t make the mistake of buying gloves that aren’t quite right. Take your time and compare options to discover the ideal pair that improve your performance, rather than impairing it.
