Goalie Catch Glove Buying Guide: Select the Right Glove

A goaltender’s glove should fit snug across the back of the hand, with the fingers reaching the end of the finger stalls allowing for the goalie to fully control the glove. There is preference to how tight the goalie should keep their glove across the back of the hand. To ensure proper fit, it is recommended to try the glove on with a chest protector to make sure there is full range of motion in the wrist.

A goaltenders catch glove is arguably the most preferential piece of equipment. Catch gloves heavily determine a goalies stance, rebound control, stickhandling and overall movement. Gloves are usually measured in break angles with the measuring across the base of the cuff running towards the pocket and the degree to the tip of the T when the glove is closed. This angle determines how the glove will close and how the goalie can position their hand to best be able to catch.

Goalie gloves are offered in different levels of protection and are made of certain materials to hold up for different uses. Pro gloves are designed be used 4-7 times per week, senior gloves to be used 2-5 times a week and lower senior gloves are to be used 1-3 times a week. Within these parameters for use, there are also other external factors to be considered for gloves. The hardness of shots that a goalie faces would help determine the correct level of protection. Other factors to consider would be how much a goalie might sweat into their gear as bacteria buildup could potential hinder the durability, how often the gear is dried out after use and ultimately how well the goalie takes care of their glove.

For customizing gloves, there are many different options a goalie can get. The most popular modifications come in the thickness of the palm protection, style of T in the pocket of the glove and color. For Pro custom, there are usually 3 different levels of protection. The levels are considered a game ready palm which Is the thinnest which can be closed the easiest, pro palm which is a little bit thicker and offers slightly more protection but might take some extra work to break in, or a practice palm which is the thickest of them which could be the toughest to break in.

This article was originally published on March 2, 2016, and has been updated with new information.