At best, having sweaty hands on the golf course is annoying – at worst, you’re throwing a club into oblivion.
Knowing how to stop sweat from soaking your palms and ruining your game can give you the edge you need to start “sweating” shots off your scorecard.
The methods below are just simple tips that you can use in the moment or before you hit the links, not major lifestyle changes like daily meditation or a new diet. Although these big moves can help if you you often find yourself stressed or feel unhealthy, they take time and won’t help when the source of your sweat is the blazing sun. And if you think you might have a medical condition like hyperhidrosissee a doctor who can recommend something to dry your wet gloves. We can’t do that. We are simply a golf website.
1. Remove the handle
Covering his hands with golf gloves it can make them sweat. And if you’re not wearing one, maybe you should. Our kick testing with gloves vs. no gloves shows faster ball speeds and longer carry distances when golfers wear them.
When wearing a glove, you must remove it after each shot. This may sound obvious, but it’s the sweaty hands equivalent of “turning it off, then turning it back on.” Maybe it just didn’t occur to you and that’s okay. Ideally, you should have at least two gloves so that you can swing with one, take it off, hang it in your bag or cart to dry, let your hand cool down before the next stroke, and then put the glove on another and repeat the process. . With any luck, this will save your hands and gloves from getting wet.
2. Use baby powder or cornstarch
Baby powder, or talcum powderit’s super absorbent and known for keeping babies’ skin dry and rash-free. You’re not a kid (we’re pretty sure), but shaking a few things in your hands should keep them from getting too sweaty. It also works quickly, so you can apply it as needed. That said, don’t use this if you’re a hands-off golfer. The powder doesn’t absorb into your skin, so it will transfer to your club grips, making them dusty and slick.
A second similar option is corn starch. It works almost the same as baby powder, but it’s much more noticeable on your hands. It will also dust your gloves if you’re bare-handed, so keep it inside a glove.
3. Drink cold water and keep ice
When you are active, especially when it is hot, you should drink water or any other liquid to stay hydrated. What matters most is that you are inhaling something cold. According to a study by the Gatorade Sports Science Institute, Drinking cold liquids seems to reduce sweating regardless of your core and skin temperature. One caveat is that this works best in wet or calm weather and may not do much in dry or windy weather.
If you have a cooler with you, consider putting a towel in there or packing it with a few hand-sized ice packs. Between shots, keep any cool items you have and need to cool off.
4. Carry plenty of towels
Speaking of towels, you should have more than one with you on the course. Make sure they’re made from an absorbent material like cotton or you’ll just end up smearing your sweat instead of absorbing it.
5. Apply antiperspirant
You probably have antiperspirants lying around somewhere—if you’re really sweaty, you might have a shelf dedicated to them. However, depending on what you use, you may have to wait until it sinks in. We used stick antiperspirant and while it eventually did the job, the brand we used took about 20 minutes to dry completely. This isn’t something you should rely on for a quick fix – get it in place before you hit the course.
Two mistakes to avoid
1. Excessive use of hand sanitizer
Alcohol-based hand sanitizers are astringents which can reduce the size of the pores in your skin. Smaller pores, in theory, mean less sweat. The hand sanitizer also dries quickly, and actually leaves your hands feeling pretty sticky for a few minutes. Although this may sound good, excessive use of hand sanitizer it can really ruin your skin. It’s fine to use this material occasionally, but you shouldn’t throw it out before every shot. Trying to grip a club with dry, cracked skin will make you want to sweat.
2. Slathering in coconut oil
This was one of those tips that came up a few times on forums and online while we were researching this story, so we gave it a try. It’s not worth it. It could be good for your skinbut it is not good for the golf course. Rub even a dime-sized dollop into your palms and you’ll be greased for over 10 minutes (the time when we couldn’t touch anything before giving up and washing it off).
Other ways to stop your hands from sweating and improve your grip
Beyond the methods listed above, you should clean your golf club grips every six weeks or 10 rounds. This will keep them from getting too slick and help you stay put even on the sweatiest of days.
If you are really struggling with the grip slide, you can try replacing club handles with cordas this type of material provides added traction. Maybe even be prepared with some sweatbands on your wrists or arms. If your hands aren’t sweaty, your arms might be, and gravity will pull all that moisture up to your fingertips as you hold a club. A sweatband will stop this – if you think it suits your style.
We also know we’re only scratching the surface of the products and home remedies people have been using to stop their hands from sweating, so let us know if there’s anything we’ve missed that you think we should check out.
Main photo caption: Keeping your hands dry is a critical part of being confident on the course. (GETTY IMAGES/Octavio Passos)
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