A junior golf glove isn't just a shrunk-down adult glove — kids' hands have different proportions, and they outgrow gear on a completely different timeline. Here's how to actually get it right.
Why "Just Size Down" Doesn't Work
Kids' hands are proportionally wider at the palm relative to finger length compared to adult hands — closer to a cadet proportion than a scaled-down regular. A junior glove built on adult proportions, just smaller, tends to leave empty space at the fingertips even when the palm fits.
How to Measure a Junior Hand
- Measure around the dominant hand's palm (excluding thumb) at its widest point, hand flat and fingers together.
- Measure from the wrist crease to the tip of the middle finger for a length check.
- Compare both numbers to a junior-specific size chart — not an adult chart scaled down — since the ratio between them differs at this age.
Buy for Now, Not "Room to Grow"
It's tempting to size up so the glove lasts longer, but the same second-skin rule applies to junior gloves: too big means wrinkled leather and lost grip feedback exactly when a young player is building their fundamentals. Budget for replacing sizes as they grow rather than sizing up early.
Signs It's Time to Size Up
Watch for empty space at the fingertips, a closure tab that now overlaps most of the strap, or your junior golfer mentioning the glove feels "loose" during a swing. Growth spurts in kids can mean a size change every one to two seasons.
Leather or Synthetic for a Growing Hand?
Since junior gloves get replaced on a growth timeline rather than a wear timeline, synthetic is a perfectly reasonable budget choice here — you're less likely to keep a junior glove long enough for Cabretta's durability advantage to matter. Save the leather upgrade for once hand size stabilizes in the teen years.
Frequently Asked Questions
What age do kids typically move to adult glove sizes?
It varies widely by growth rate, but most junior golfers transition somewhere in their early-to-mid teens — measure rather than guessing by age.
Should a junior glove fit tighter or looser than an adult glove?
The same standard applies: snug, second-skin fit, no wrinkles. "Room to grow" sizing does more harm to grip than a season of correctly-sized gloves.
Do kids need a glove on both hands?
No — the same lead-hand convention applies as adults. See why golfers wear one glove for the full explanation.
Shop correctly-sized gear in our Junior Golf collection.