Hirzl Trust Feel: Kangaroo Leather Glove Will Win You Over
    Glove tested: Hirzl Trust Feel (men’s) Retail price: $29 Material(s): Kangaroo and cabretta leather, mesh Colors: White with black Hand: Left, right Sizes: S, M, ML, L, XL

    Available in cadet* fit: Yes (left hand only) Weather: All

    About this glove: Before reading this review, ask yourself a question: Am I OK with wearing a golf glovemade from kangaroo skin? If you’re not, Hirzl’s Trust Feel isn’t for you. If you are, read on.

    It’s true, Hirzl uses genuine ’roo leather in the palm its Trust Feel and Trust Control gloves, as well as its mitts for bicycling. The idea of sacrificing such a critter might give you pause, but you’ll probably get over it quickly once you’ve played in a Hirzl glove.

    The main difference between the Trust Feel and Trust Control gloves is the Control’s palm structure, which features a textured surface for added grip in wet conditions. Even without this treatment, Hirzl claims the Trust Feel provides twice the gripping power in dry weather, four times the grip when wet, compared to a conventional glove.

    Trust Feel is also machine washable (though you should NEVER put a golf glove in the dryer), with pre-curved fingers, a cabretta-and-mesh backhand and terry cloth wrist for sweat absorption. Like its twin, it’s said to be incredibly durable, too.

    If you’ve read our review of the Hirzl Trust Control you know we were mighty impressed. So, how does the Trust Feel stack up?

    Appearance: The white and black backhand flips to an all-black palm, which can take a little getting used to. In all honesty, though, this glove doesn’t hang its hat on aesthetic appeal. Let’s just move on to the performance categories.

    Comfort: The more you wear a Hirzl glove, the more comfortable it gets. While that should be true of any quality glove, it seems even more pronounced in the Trust Feel model. This glove is also very breathable thanks to a backhand that’s approximately 50% mesh.

    Feel: Exquisite. As with the Trust Control glove, we tried Trust Feel on the green to get a better sense of its sensitivity. It easily passed the test. Because of the palm’s superior tackiness (see below), you can grip the club with very little pressure without fear of slippage. A lighter grip transmits that much more feedback into the hands.

    Tackiness: Hirzl makes a big deal of its products’ gripping power, as well it should. We could tell little if any difference between the Trust Control and Trust Feel, even when the gloves became damp. If there’s a glove you can leave on between shots and not worry about sweat interfering with your swing, it’s this one. (Along with its sibling, of course.)

    Durability: Hirzl’s other key selling point is the extended lifespan of its gloves. We haven’t had ours long enough to say just how durable they are, but early results – and remarks from long-time Hirzl wearers – indicate the Trust Feel will hold its shape, softness and tack for dozens of rounds.

    Bottom line: We found no discernible difference between the Hirzl Trust Feel and Trust Control gloves; it should be noted, however, that the Trust Control is specially equipped for rainy weather and may do better in a heavy downpour. Otherwise, the main difference is sale price. While both models retail for $29, we’ve shopped around and gotten Trust Feel gloves for less than $20. If you can get your paws on one for that price, pounce on it. It’s worth every penny.

    *Cadet gloves have shorter fingers than regular gloves of the same size; e.g., a cadet medium glove has the same palm fit with shorter fingers than a standard medium.