What To Wear For Golf, 4 Steps To Improving Your Handicap
Golfers tend to think the only way to take strokes off their handicap is to buy new gear, take lessons or practice, practice, practice - is there another way? The clothes you wear can have a significant impact on your energy levels, your concentration and your play. If your body is working away to either keep itself warm or cool then it could be starving your muscles of the valuable energy needed to make good golf shots. The body perspires up to 1.5 litres of moisture in a single round. This moisture needs moving quickly away from the body to the outside world. Wearing clothing that do not breathe or put another way impedes the movement of perspiration away from the body to the outside world can result in overheating and clamminess. It’s coming up to that time of the year when golfers are thinking about wrapping up to keep out the chill. In the past snow and ice probably meant putting on a thicker pullover or a heavy waterproof. But those days are way gone! Golf clothing today is lighter, more stylish and needs to be considered as an integrated system. In the past we tended to think in terms of shirt, pullovers and waterproofs as separates. Now we should think of them as layers each of which has a different role to play. What to wear for golf in the autumnConditions can usually be summarised as cold and wet, cold and windy or cold and dry. So what are the steps we should be taking to help the body operate at peak efficiency? Step 1 the correct base layerOur bodies perspire, releasing moisture through the skin in order to keep it cool. The Comfort or Base layer needs to wick this away from the body as quickly as possible to avoid it becoming clammy, creating discomfort. Cotton was traditionally used for these garments but it retains moisture making the body work harder to keep itself warm. These garments are often produced from a 100% polyester denier gradient fabric, a material that unlike cotton will not absorb moisture. In contrast to cotton it moves perspiration quickly away from the skin keeping the body dry and warm. Great examples are Galvin Greens Skintight. They not only have excellent wicking properties but use compression technology to help the body perform better. Step 2 the correct Warm layerOur bodies are designed to work at a temperature of 98.4 degree Fahrenheit - a level that cold weather seeks to reduce. So it’s vital to have a warm layer manufactured from a fabric that holds air, which is an excellent insulator against chilly blasts. In addition this layer must also work with the Base Layer passing perspiration freely to the outside world. Many of these garments are produced from polar fleece, a material that retains the all important warmth but does not retain moisture. Full lengths zips are an important component too, as they allow much greater temperature control ensuring the body does not overheat. Consider Lyle and Scott sweaters or Galvin Green pullovers and body warmers manufactured using Insula, another great insulator. Step 3 two layers are better than oneOne extra tip. Thick layers are warmer than thin layers. But two thin layers are better than one thick one as they trap more air, which is such a good insulator. So it’s good to have a number of thin pullovers in your collection of golf clothing. Step 4 the correct Protection LayerThe Comfort and Warm Layer help the golfer to avoid clamminess and keeps them warm, so all that is left to do is to keep out the wind, rain, snow and sleet. In windy conditions this is achieved by a wind proof, a garment that is quiet, very light and can be shower-proof too. The outer shell and body linings are often manufactured from polyester, enabling any perspiration that has traveled through the other two layers to be finally vented into the atmosphere. A full zip once again aids temperature control. |
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