Friday, August 14, 2009

What Makes The Best MMA Gloves?

By Ron Jacobs

The best MMA gloves will ultimately enhance your performance. There are different styles, qualities, and price ranges available which can mean that you end up spending a lot of time considering a wide range of gloves. You want to match your skill level and need with your selection. Buying top of the line gloves when you are just beginning your training might be overkill. Buying poor quality gloves will only hurt your training.

Of course, there is a difference when it comes to price, as well. While you want a chance to get the best glove possible for your money, looking beyond just price will often help you find the best glove for your needs while getting the best value for your money. Just because you find a cheap pair of gloves does not mean you have found a good value. Likewise, just because you have found the most expensive pair doesn't automatically mean that you have found the highest quality pair.

The style you choose should be not just cohesive with your MMA goals, but also comfortable. While your hand should most definitely feel resistance and a certain degree of stiffness, you shouldn't feel as though you can't move your hand in the glove. Your ability to control your hits and your ability to target tight and specific microtargets should not be restricted because you feel as though your hands are in casts.

Protection for your hands, knuckles, and wrists is also essential. At the initial point of impact, energy is transferred to your hands and knuckles. From there, the level of dispersement within the glove takes over. You want a glove that will spread the energy up and out, allowing it to leave directly from your shoulders rather than being compounded at the wrist. Repeated absorption at the wrist will eventually lead to injury or damage.

Your glove selection should include an appropriate overall style. Those with palms that are open are good for being able to grip as needed. Those with closed palms can be more comfortable for some. The choice ends up being yours as it applies to your martial arts style.

Many gloves come with the added benefit of a built in legal zone right on the glove. This visual assistance has been shown to help decrease the potential for fouls during competition. You can improve your training with gloves with visual foul zones as well as increase your success with competitive action. Open palmed gloves help allow you to grip well without losing protection or power throughout the glove.

A glove is a tool. These become your tools of the trade, so to speak. The more the tools help you achieve your goals, the more likely you are to reach your goals. While a good glove can not take the place of good training, the combination of the right equipment with the right training can help you succeed.

The best MMA gloves will give you an edge. Your performance will improve and you will find that your risk of injury will go down. Without the right gloves, you end up slowing down your training progress and creating frustration where there should be reward.

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