Known for their travel bags, CaddyDaddy offers more than just a way to transport your clubs when traveling. Their Claw line of gloves features four models that claim to provide superior grip, performance and durability. The use of suede and mesh, combined with a silicone grip, separate Claw gloves from traditional leather options. Not only do they claim to last up to 25 rounds or more but they can also be machine washed to further increase longevity.
Members of the MyGolfSpy Forum put these claims to the test in a review of the Claw Pro and Max golf gloves.
CaddyDaddy testing highlights
- Excellent Dry Weather Grip: The CaddyDaddy Claw Pro and Max gloves both excelled in dry weather for grip. Testers noted that even on older, worn-out grips, the silicone material helped to create a strong and secure grip.
- …Struggles in Wet Weather: Testers noted that during rainy conditions, the silicone grip lost all of its “tack.” This was consistent with both the Pro and Max gloves.
- Ventilation and Breathability: The Claw Pro was great on hot days with testers noting that it kept their hand cool and dry. The Max didn’t fare as well with testers mentioning the difference in materials as the most likely root cause.
- Machine Washing? Testers stated that after wearing the gloves for multiple rounds and washing them, they returned to “out of the box” condition. If you don’t like spending money on new gloves, this could be the one for you.
Initial thoughts and impressions
Our testers were eager to receive the Claw Pro and Max gloves to begin their testing. Some were left a bit uninspired initially, noting that with an attempt to list all of the benefits on the packing, it felt a bit like a product out of an infomercial. Those thoughts were quickly dispersed, though, with tester gavinksi91 noting that once the glove was on his hand, it looked and felt good and high quality.
Rico_de_Gallo also spoke to build quality, saying that “they have a good clean and sleek look to them. Well fabricated and well built. The Velcro on the back is good and strong.”
Another common theme among testers is that the Claw glove seemed to be built more like a “work” glove than a golf glove. However, this was not to be taken as a negative as they believed it would help with the glove’s overall durability.
Aethstetics, fit and feel
How a glove looks, fits and feels will have a major impact on whether you deem it to be able to perform on the course. If a glove is too tight or too loose, it will impact comfort and performance.
Cmra1 put the Claw Pro to the test on an early, humid Atlanta morning. He said he got some looks from his playing partners, but none had anything bad to say. They were more or less curious about how the glove felt on his grips. On fit and feel, he said, “I liked the feel of the mesh on the back of the fingers. It seemed more flexible than usual leather gloves.”
One downside to fit for tester gavinski91 was that the seams on the inside of the glove felt noticeably larger than what he’s used to with a traditional glove. He stated, however, that the stretch and flexibility on the back of the hand and sides of the fingers make up for that.
Warm weather performance
The Claw Pro and Max were put to the test in warm conditions from the get-go in this test. The glove design leans towards better ventilation than a traditional leather glove. Would our testers see those benefits or be left wanting more?
EnderinAZ, a tester in the Mesa, Ariz., area, plays in some serious heat. He said, “I have never played a better glove for hot, dry conditions.” Willie T, a tester in hot and humid eastern North Carolina, left no stone unturned in his warm weather testing. He came away thoroughly impressed, stating, “Due to the masterful wicking nature of the gloves, even the hottest sweatiest days became a forced reminder to change gloves at the turn (a major plus), not something I would see in traditional leather.”
Wet weather performance
No golfer will be able to avoid wet weather. When those conditions hit, the grip on our clubs during a swing is more important than ever. With a silicone-based grip, how would the Claw gloves perform when wet?
Somewhat expectedly, as the nature of silicone is quite slick when wet, our testers found the gloves did struggle in wet conditions. EnderinAZ, who tested a wet glove and grip combination, as well as a dry glove and wet grip, said, “the glove is so slick that I could not really swing a club without feeling like I was going to toss the club down the fairway.”
Rico_de_Gallo found somewhat better performance during a rainy round with the Pro model over the Max model. After playing the Max for eight holes and feeling uncomfortable taking a full swing with how slick the glove was, he switched to the Pro and “was shocked that even with a wet hand and damp club grips, the glove retained the traction.”
The bottom line with these gloves according to multiple testers? Keep the silicone palm as dry as possible at all costs, whether it be a Ziploc bag or extra dry towels to wipe grips and the glove itself.
Glove durability
Least, but certainly not last, the durability of a glove is an important piece to the puzzle when trying to find the right one for you. Some gloves are designed to last for only a handful of rounds while others will go for a full season without significant wear. With the unique design of the Claw line of gloves, how well would they hold up?
Rico_de_Gallo logged more than 350 shots per glove and over 1,100 total swings between practice and play. “The wear marks are more evident on the white Pro and the Max model compared to the gray Pro glove. But the silicone has held up just fine. The edges of each silicone rib are still intact and show no signs of fraying or overuse.”
EnderinAZ saw some slight wear in the palm section of his Claw Pro after about 10 rounds with the silicone coming off in a small area. He did note that this may be due to how he grips the club, though, and not a direct fault of the glove itself.
Testers were quite impressed with the durability of the Claw gloves. An added bonus is that these gloves are machine washable and no testers noticed any damage to the structure of the glove upon washing.
Final thoughts
Overall, our testers came away impressed with the Claw Pro and Max gloves, with three of them keeping this glove firmly in play for the foreseeable future. Durability, comfort and breathability were the key highlights that sold our testers. If you play in consistently wet weather, this may not be the glove for you.
However, if you’ve been looking for a glove to hold up for the long run, give these gloves a try. Click the link here for a full review and breakdown!
The post Forum Member Review: CaddyDaddy Claw Gloves appeared first on MyGolfSpy.
Article Link: https://mygolfspy.com/news-opinion/forum-member-review-caddydaddy-claw-gloves/