We have spoken about the reasons why tennis players wear wristbands in a piece here, but the question then arises, why do tennis players not wear gloves? Most tennis players counting all competitive levels avoid the use of gloves during matches and we dig deep into the reasons behind that.
Tennis is a widely-known sport all over the planet and has been played in scores of countries for over three centuries now. It’s played across two formats, singles and doubles.
While the basic equipment required by tennis players are racquets, tennis balls and maybe a water bottle for later, some players also choose to wear tennis gloves; something that isn’t regularly seen at the highest, professional level.
So Why Do Tennis Players Not Wear Gloves While Playing?
The short answer; some tennis players choose to leave the gloves behind because of the impact on their game as you can’t get the feel of the racket and makes you sweat more. Moreover, some tennis leagues also consider them illegal.
Lesser Feel of the Racket
Tennis gloves make it tougher to get the perfect grip on the racket even though when you play with bare hands it causes blisters and calluses. But still tennis players are happy with them as they believe they can hold the tennis racket more firmly due to these.
Fear of Slippage
When you wear tennis gloves you’re always at risk of the grip slipping away. They’re particularly used when the players need a particular grip during serves or volleys and any other shift during the game can cause for that grip to loosen. A player can lose the racket totally and it could be very harmful during the game.
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Gloves Make it Too Warm
Even though they provide comfort and support tennis gloves could make your hands warmer than normal. This is fine for some players or while playing in places where it’s cold but could get irritation in the summers or when playing in closed areas. You would probably never see someone where gloves at the Australian Open for instance.
They’re Illegal?
In many leagues, tennis gloves are actually illegal and can be seen as an advantage which isn’t fair. They are also greatly frowned upon by tradionalists.
So What are the Pros and Cons of Wearing Tennis Gloves?
Pros
Tennis gloves are mostly worn by players who have recently had an injury and then the gloves can further protect the area where the injury was, to avoid any further mishaps.
They can also avoid bruises if they wear gloves. This extra layer of insulation can also help you focus on your hand by eliminating all the elements around you and absorb the sweat when playing in hot and humid seasons.
Cons
As discussed above, for all the players that are used to one grip for different hits tennis gloves can be very irritating. It can also make it hard to switch hands while alternating between different kinds of hits and may take a while for you to get accustomed to it.
While some gloves make you warm or absorb sweat, some can also make you sweat more which is again more bad than good. While this moisture has nowhere to go, it gets stuck there making you miserable.
This is why players choose to wear wristbands and not gloves as wristbands tend to absorb sweat and avoid it from running down to your palms.
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What are the Alternatives for Tennis Gloves?
Most of the tennis players tend to give more attention to their grips and since there are many grips which you can slip onto your rackets and then it just makes the gloves obsolete.
Overgrips have become quit popular as the plastic and leather wear out pretty quickly.
The newly-designed rackets have grips that are very comfortable to hold onto and leather and synthetic grips are used nowadays for easier gameplay.
Some also prefer to use wristbands while others decide to tape their fingers which leads to more protection for their hands. Antiperspirant lotion can also be a boon for when you’re playing outdoors in the hot.
Should Gloves be Worn or Not While Playing Tennis?
The decision should be a personal choice obviously. They are good protection gear from the weather conditions or for some blisters that might occur when playing. While, many pros choose not to wear them as they can hinder their performance or be distracting and make them loose their grip. It varies from person to person and how they feel about the idea.
People have a lot of different opinions. While some say that they would never wear gloves the other have absolutely no problem.
The use of gloves is becoming more and more common as some professionals have started wearing them but they do customize it according to how they want it. Some choose ones with finger holes while some wear the regular traditional ones.
If gloves make you feel more confident in any manner, then you should obviously go ahead and wear them. Whatever chances you have to win you should always take them even though most players don’t choose to wear them.