New golfers often ask me: Why do I need just one golf glove, and why do I wear it on my top hand? What is the purpose of a glove, and how did the golf glove come to be?

The purpose of a golf glove is to put less pressure on the golf grip!

Yes, less pressure.

When a pad is placed between any two surfaces, there is a lessening of pressure, and this is important for the top hand of the golf swing.

In the early golf era, players often released the club with their top hand at the top of the swing. This was due to the restrictive nature of their clothing.

The early gloves were heavy leather, so a player could release and re-grip during the forward swing. This produced a powerful assist to the swing. However, the problem this created was that the gain in power was a trade-off for clubface control.

The next time you are on the practice area, try hitting a few drives with a loosening top-hand grip at the top of your backswing -- you may experience a gain in distance. If this is true, then your previous top-hand grip was likely too tight.

The key is to have a grip which has flexibility in the wrist joint and enough pressure in the fingers to control the club.

Today's gloves are a scientific blend of design and materials, such as micro-fiber, cabretta and synthetic leather. They provide a heel pad, which helps to keep pressure on the grip and also enables the golfer to have a flexible top-hand wrist joint.

The give in the glove's material allows you full range for finger flexion. In addition, its composition is vital for dampness control, as today's gloves work in all types of weather.

The most important result of all of these advancements in technology is that today's players have improved feel and club control.

To learn more about the advantages of using a golf glove to improve your game, I recommend that you contact your local PGA Professional. You can find one near you through the Play Golf America zip code search on www.PlayGolfAmerica.com.

Here's to better golf!

Rick Martino is Director of Instruction for The PGA of America. He teaches at the PGA Learning Center in Port St. Lucie, Fla., and is ranked among the Top 50 instructors by Golf Digest Magazine. The author of the PGA Manual of Golf (Warner Books/$34.95), Martino can be reached at (800) 800-GOLF or by email at pgalearningcenter@pgahq.com.