ORLANDO, Fla. -- The new Bionic Performance Series glove is taking golf-glove design to a new level. Introduced at the PGA Merchandise Show in Orlando, the Bionic Performance is the most feature-rich glove ever made. And it conforms with USGA rules.
"This glove feels great from the moment you put it on," says Azinger. "I love the way it makes the club fit in my hand. It's so flexible and breathable that you don't even think about it. And that's just one of the things that makes this a great glove"
Azinger signed with Bionic last year and is the only PGA Tour professional with a glove-only endorsement contract. "Gloves are usually a part of your shoe and ball deal. But Bionic is unique and is bringing technology to glove design that we've never seen before," he says.
It took nearly three years of design and testing to get the Bionic Performance glove ready for market. "This glove is a mirror image of the natural three-dimensional shape of the hand," says Jim Kleinert, M.D., an orthopedic hand surgeon who heads R&D for Bionic. Dr. Kleinert points out that each Performance glove has 44 unique anatomical features.
Here are just some of the highlights:
The first is called the triple-row finger grip system. Each finger has three multi-layered zones on the palm side made of Terrycloth and leather. These raised areas serve two purposes. First, they absorb moisture, so they're like having 15 mini-towels constantly soaking up sweat. Secondly, they help the glove conform to the natural shape of the hand for a more comfortable and relaxed grip, which is beneficial for all golfers.
Another primary feature is the elongated surround flexion zones. The flexion (FLECK-shun) zones are where the natural creases occur in the finger and palm. The Bionic Performance Series removes leather in the flexion zone and replaces it with Lycra, which stretches, retracts and breathes. The flexion zone wraps 180 degrees around the finger to minimize bunching of leather, which occurs when the hand is flexed inward to hold a golf club. What's the benefit? Enhanced comfort and feel, greater flexibility and a cool-dry hand - all of which promote a lighter grip, which is one of the keys to great round of golf.
The mid-axis longitudinal seam placement is another feature never seen before on a golf glove. By strategically using Lycra on the sides of the fingers, the normal stitching - or seam - that runs up the finger is eliminated. That seam creates resistance when closing the hand, according to Dr. Kleinert, who points out that eliminating the seam and replacing it with a flexible material helps fight fatigue by requiring less energy to close the hand. And when playing 18 holes of golf, the hands experience more fatigue than most golfers realize. Lycra is also used strategically throughout the glove to create ventilation. It's like having 23 windows to keep the hand cool and comfortable.
Bionic worked with numerous PGA of America teaching professionals while testing the glove and here's what some of them said about the Performance's performance.
"This glove gave me better feel and connection with the club with zero restriction." - Barry Bonifield, Crescent Hill GC
"The Performance has that broken-in feel the minute it goes on your hand. It's the only glove that is tournament-ready straight out of the package." - Keith Ohr, Wildwood CC
"It conforms so well to the shape of your hand that it feels like you dipped your hand in latex." - Ron Snider, Polo Fields GC
Dr. Kleinert calls the Performance glove the most mainstream glove he's designed yet by making it so that it will appeal to the vast majority of golfers. "We're changing the way gloves are constructed," he says. "Now the glove is a piece of equipment, not an accessory."
The Performance Series gloves will be available in the spring of 2010 with a retail price of $29.95.
For more than a decade, Bionic has been at the forefront of glove technology in many sports - baseball, hockey, fitness (weight lifting), tennis, racquetball, equestrian events and others. The first Bionic golf glove - the Classic - was introduced in 2005 and is the glove Azinger used on tour this past year. Other models are the Bionic Pro (an ultra-thin, tight-fitting glove designed for low-handicappers) and the Bionic Silver Series (designed for arthritic relief).
Bionic is a division of the family-owned Hillerich & Bradsby, Co., based in Louisville, Ky. Other H&B divisions include PowerBilt, makers of golf clubs since 1916, and Louisville Slugger, the most famous brand of baseball and softball bats and equipment in the world.
