This is such a frustrating issue. Frozen hands, have the most detrimental impact to your golf game compared to any other frozen body part. Nothing compares to the damaged feel and control from frozen hands.
Luckily the solution is actually very straightforward and can completely eliminate this problem.
Keep reading to never suffer from this again. Trust me, I know how frustrating this can be, but you have come to the right place.
In this post you will learn the following:
- Different solutions for different temperature ranges
- The actual solutions with actionable examples
- The effects of rain
- Recommended equipment
**If you are looking for a more general guide on winter golf survival check out this post
Different temperatures require different solutions
Depending on the temperatures you play in, this will affect the required solution.
First, I believe everyone has a “frozen hand threshold”. This is the temperature where your hands will freeze versus just feeling cold. Keep in mind, this is for a dry day (no rain). My personal “frozen hand threshold” is 40 degrees Fahrenheit. Based on your own experience, you should determine this number for yourself.
This will vary depending on your sensitivity to cold, as well as the climate you live in. I play in Oregon so have some tolerance to cold. However this might not be the case in warmer states/areas like California or Florida.
Here is what you do with that number:
For days above this threshold with no rain, you probably don’t need any gloves or hand warmers. For example, if the temperature is 42, I don’t bring any gloves/hand warmers and just rely on my jacket pockets.
For days below this threshold with no rain, a more robust plan is required. Read on for actual solutions
Solutions
For days below your temperature threshold (see above for more)
Big mitts with hand warmers inside (preferably electric ones) is THE BEST SOLUTION
On the course: this means in between shots you should put on gloves (with hand warmers inside) and then take them off when it’s your turn.
This has solved my frozen hand problem. While I am walking (or in a cart), I put on my gloves and then remove them at my ball.
Using this method, I am able to comfortably play in temperatures as low as 20 degrees fahrenheit. For more specifics on equipment, etc, scroll down to the Recommend Equipment section.
How does rain affect this?
Rain has a large effect on hand temperature. Anything more than a slight drizzle will rapidly lower your hand temperature.
As a result, you should take your threshold number and add 10 degrees.
For example, my threshold now becomes 50 (40+10=50) in the rain. This means if the forecasted temperature will be below 50 and rain, then I will utilize my above solution. If it’s above 50 and rain your hands will not freeze, so no extra precautions are required.
Thats it. Just make this slight adjustment and your all set.
Recommended Equipment
There is so many different variations of gloves out there from fingertip to large mitts. Here I’ll tell you what I have found to be the best.
Titleist Mitts (see here Titleist Mitts on Amazon)
These are the best gloves I have found. In between shots, I put them on, and remove them once at my ball. Very easy to slide on and off and keep your hands very warm. I have had mine for over 5 years and don’t see any major signs of wear. Although the initial cost may be high, understand they will last you for years and years.
Electric Hand Warmers (see here Ocoopa Rechargeable Hand Warmers on Amazon)
This seriously changed everything for me. These last up to 4 hours and get very hot. I almost never put it on the highest setting as it almost burns my hands!!
And they are rechargeable so you can keep using them over and over again. I have had mine for over 2 years and they still feel brand new, plus you won’t have to worry about boxes and boxes of one-time use warmers.
I would also recommend you get multiple (I have two). This way you can put one in each glove and don’t have to keep switching the warmer from hand to hand.
With this combination, I can play in temperatures as cold as 20 degrees Fahrenheit!!
Conclusion
Here’s a quick summary of what you have learned:
- Determining your threshold number
- The key formula to never have frozen hands again
- The effects of rain
- Recommended equipment that I personally use
- Suggested uses while playing
Having frozen hands is one of the worst parts of winter golf. With so many products out there, it can be confusing deciding the best so hopefully this guide has given you some answers.
I wish you the best of luck for your winter golfing aspirations!
