We have just had Ciara and Dennis is at the door again. When we think about it we spontaneously get a bit colder, but for goalkeepers it also gets a lot wetter.
In dry conditions we will often try to clench a high ball, but in wet conditions you have already noticed that this is not so obvious.
We can go back to the oldest and often the most efficient way to optimise the grip of our gloves over and over again during the match.
Using the towel, you may have seen it on TV before that a goalkeeper has a towel in his goal net. The goalkeeper will then dry / clean the foam off his gloves on a regular basis. By using this you can remove most of the dirt from your gloves when you have to play on muddy football fields in order to keep a better grip. We do recommend using a new towel for the 2nd half of the game in extreme weather conditions.
Furthermore, there are some lesser known tricks you can use for a better grip in wet weather.
Perhaps less obvious, but what is also regularly used by professional goalkeepers is the use of “VASELINE”. I can already hear you thinking, Vaseline what are you trying to tell us? Contrary to what many think it would make the foam extra slippery, it has an extra sticky effect. If you use this technique you can also put a little extra above your eye to update your gloves throughout the race when you feel that the sticky effect is diminishing.
Don’t want to go back to this technique immediately, but would you rather have a product that has been specially developed to improve the grip of goalkeeper gloves? A product designed to optimise the grip of your gloves when they are in decline due to the lifetime of the goalkeeper’s glove. We recommend that you only use this product to have that little extra grip when evening dew falls and the playing field starts to get a bit damp, but not extreme wet weather conditions.
Time to take a look at the Aqua Goalkeeper gloves that have been developed to play in wet conditions.
When you browse our website you will regularly come across an aqua goalkeeper’s glove model, but what’s so special about this model?
In rainy conditions you need a foam that can absorb more water in order to maintain a better grip. This also makes the foam of the aqua goalkeeper gloves more porous and will wear faster on dry surfaces.
So you can also play perfectly with an aqua version in dry conditions without sacrificing grip.
How much water an aqua goalkeeper’s glove can absorb only becomes clear when you clean your gloves as explained in our previous article. You will see that, compared to a normal goalkeeper’s glove, you will need much more time to remove all the dirt from your gloves.
Due to the greater water absorbability, there will be a better grip in wet conditions for a longer time. However, don’t expect, like so many videos circulating on the internet, that you will suddenly have a goalkeeper’s glove that won’t release a ball in extreme wet conditions.
What tips can we give you?
- Take care of your gloves and always make sure you have prepared them in the correct way to start your match.
- Find the way you feel most comfortable and give it a try at training first.
- A towel
- Vaseline
- Products specially designed to extend the service life
- Be sure to consider trying an aqua version.
