GLOVE GUIDE
Here is our glove guide to help you from maintaining your gloves to helping decide which palm cuts are more suit for you.
Use the links below to skip to a section your interested in
Extending the Life of your gloves
Maintaning your gloves
BEFORE PLAY
Giving your gloves a good pre wash before using helps clear any preservatives from the manufacturing process while activating the latex giving you a good grip from the start.
DURING PLAY
Latex works best when damp not dry so making sure you wet your latex palms will provide the best grip.
AFTER PLAY
Once finished using your gloves the best scenerio is to wash your gloves immediately and dry naturally.
Leaving your gloves to dry with dirt on can damage the latex or cause the grip to fade off quicker.
How to wash your gloves
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After a session if your gloves are muddy, make sure they don't go dry before you get home. Wet them or wrap in a damp towel before putting them in your bag.
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Fill your sink with warm water and place your gloves in and begin squeezing them. DO NOT twist them as if wringing a cloth. Just squeeze them with your hands.
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When most of the mud has been washed out, drain the sink and squeeze water out of gloves, remember DO NOT TWIST. When squeezing water out of your gloves make sure the opening of the gloves is pointing down towards the sink for water to escape.
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Fill your sink with fresh warm water again and repeat washing the gloves gently. If using any glove wash this is good time to use.
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DO NOT USE any sharp or corse cleaning tools to wash your latex as this could damage the latex
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Dry your gloves naturally. DO NOT place in direct sunlight, on radiators or near any other heat sources as this may cause the latex to dry out and crack.
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A good option to dry is use the glove straps on a hanger and hang them with the fingers pointing down. Water will collect in the fingers so squeeze all this water out of the glove as they dry.
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Never wash gloves in washing machine or store wet palms together as this will cause latex to stick together and when removing could tear the latex apart.
Extending the life of your gloves
Latex is a soft material and unfortunately will perish over time and use, this is natural and can start from first use.
However its not all doom and gloom as you can help give your gloves a longer lifespan just by doing the following steps.
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Take care when removing the latex film.
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Making sure gloves are washed correctly and stored with palms not together.
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Avoid your latex palms touching the ground, this is common when getting up after a save as use palm to push themselves up instead of using fist shape.
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Avoid grabbing football nets or other hard objects.
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Take care when putting on and removing your gloves.
Tip: The more you use your gloves the more the latex will perish so consider using new gloves for matches and old match gloves for training. This prolongs your gloves and once your training pair are too worn out replace these and use for matches.
Glove cuts
Glove cut is the design of the palm and over the years there has been more available to goalkeepers. Each cut is different and offers options to goalkeepers depending on what you like.
Below is a guide explaining what each glove cut offers to help pick which might be suited for you.
HYBRID
This style can cover numerous styles and offers the keeper a custom style and feel.
Our hybrid gloves offers a roll finger feel glove but with the two middle fingers in a negative cut to give a tighter fit.
If like a more spacious fit but tighter fit for ball contact feel then these may be suited for you.
NEGATIVE
A more common used glove in recent years.
Negative cut gloves are designed to give a tighter feel which is done by the stitching inside the glove.
This gives the keeper a more true feel contact on the ball.
If like a glove then fits tight to your hand and fingers while offering a good feel of the ball then these may be suited to you.
ROLLFINGER
A well known classic glove palm which became the next revolution in design after the flat palm many years ago.
As the name suggests, Roll Finger is a palm that curves around the fingers offering more latex coverage for ball contact.
Is a more spacious fit glove compared to Negative cut gloves.
If looking for a comfortable feel but also spacious glove then this glove may be suited for you.
GECKO
Gecko cut offers the best of both negative and rollfinger.
The fingertips are wrapped like the roll finger but finished off with a negative style with less stitching to give a true fit feel but not as tight compared to negative gloves.
If looking for a glove that fits nicely while allowing the fingers to have a natural feel with the ball then this glove may be suited for you.
Finger protection advice
As the name suggests, finger protection is designed to protect the fingers. This is done by special finger protectors placed into the backhand of the goalkeeper glove. These spines are manufactured to reduce the movement of your fingers bending backwards but allow fingers the freedom to move forward when catching or punching the ball. This is useful when facing more powerful shots as reduces the risk of injury
WHO SHOULD USE FINGER PROTECTION?
This is a common question we get asked, especially by parents of younger goalkeepers.
Everyone has different views when finger protection should be used, our recommendation is finger protection should be monitored and used to cater by each goalkeeper needs.
Young keepers (U7-U9) - Beginner or very younger goalkeepers we advise finger protection is handy for training as goalkeepers may face repeated shots l (many more shots than a game) during a shooting drill. This offers the goalkeeper protection against injury.
In more controlled training sessions when no finger protection is really needed it gives goalkeepers chance to strengthen fingers, improve handling technique and get more feel for the ball. This also goes for matches as shots will be limited and the freedom of movement would be more beneficial for a goalkeeper in a game environment.
Older Goalkeepers (U10+) - With older goalkeepers the hands should be more developed and hopefully handling technique is better. The need for finger protection should be limited to allow hands to strengthen and feel more comfortable with contact on the ball.
Injuries - Regardless of age if a goalkeeper has suffered a finger injury and returning back to play then finger protection could offer support and comfort for the goalkeeper. However we stress this should be monitored and use reduced with time so a goalkeeper doesn't become reliant on finger protection. We also add goalkeepers shouldn't play if not comfortable with an injury or still has pain.
SO ARE FINGER PROTECTION ANY GOOD?
Finger protection gloves can be a good choice if used correctly and not relied on.
However before using these gloves we recommend thinking what it could do to the goalkeeper in terms of development,
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Restricts the feeling for the ball
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Restricts the learning of how to catch the ball safely
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Increases the times saves are made using fists or just palm the ball away rather than catching
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Slows down development
GLOVE GUIDE
If purchased a pair of GKA gloves or want that little extra help before hand then hopefully this guide will help you.
Please take a look or if looking for something particular then use the links below to skip ahead.
Maintaining Your Glove
How to wash your gloves
Storing Your Gloves
Extending the Life of your gloves
Latex wear
Glove Cuts
GLOVE GUIDE
If purchased a pair of GKA gloves or want that little extra help before hand then hopefully this guide will help you.
Please take a look or if looking for something particular then use the links below to skip ahead.
Maintaining Your Glove
How to wash your gloves
Storing Your Gloves
Extending the Life of your gloves
Latex wear
Glove Cuts