Why Does Tiger Woods Lick His Hands and Gloves Before Hitting a Shot?

Published 02/21/2023, 11:30 AM EST

Many golfers aspire to win and imitate Tiger Woods, but barely anyone has ever come close to equalling the golfer’s accolades in the sport. While he may be regarded as one of the greatest golfers, avid fans of the sport are aware of Woods’ habit of licking his hand before putting on a glove. Is this one of his world-class techniques or a superstition like his love for the red shirts on Sunday?

While Woods may not be as competitive as he once was, he did display his evergreen attributes of being a golf perfectionist this past week. The 15-time Major winner, who was the host of Genesis Invitational, also competed in the PGA Tour event.

However, an old habit of Woods was recaptured at the Riviera Golf Club, where he was seen licking his hand before wearing a glove. Let’s take a look at the reason behind the Hall of Famers’ act.

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Revealing the reason behind Tiger Woods and his admiration for licking his hand

Though Tiger’s short game at Genesis Invitational could have been much better, his fairway shots took back many golf fans to a nostalgic road. However, to master the tee shot and the follow-up shots with irons, Woods like any other golfer uses a glove on his weaker gripped hand.

But what makes the 15-time Major winner stand out from the rest is his tradition before putting on a glove. Tiger Woods follows a unique procedure in order to sustain more grip within the gloves. While the sole duty of gloves is to provide a better grip, at times the golfers may feel uncomfortable with the amount of grip grasped on their palms.

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However, Woods has come up with a loophole to capture more grip, by licking and making the hand more sticky, which will eventually create more clutch. Moreover, Tiger’s grip on his irons isn’t much thicker compared to the other golfers. While he uses his index finger to enhance the grasp further, the 47-year-old might as well use some of his salivae to help create more grip.

Though many may question the hygiene of one’s hand, in order to master the sport of golf, a player must take whatever it takes, perhaps, which is why Tiger Woods has achieved way more than most golfers around the world.

Will you use the same technique during your next visit to the golf course? Let us know in the comment section below.

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Written by:

Abdul Bari is a Golf writer at EssentiallySports. Having completed his Bachelor’s in Business Administration, Abdul is currently pursuing his Master’s in the same. With great affection for the world of sports, this avid golf lover turned to the course at a young age.

Edited by:

Manaal Siddiqui

Why Does Tiger Woods Lick His Hands and Gloves Before Hitting a Shot?

Revealing the reason behind Tiger Woods and his admiration for licking his hand

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