A few months ago we had the chance to check out a new style of batting gloves. If you haven’t heard of Jax batting gloves then you should definitely check out this review.
All sports go through phases where there is a lack of innovation. For whatever reason, things seem to stay the same for a significant period of time. Baseball, like any other sport, has been subject to this at times.
It’s not that there aren’t any great ideas being shared, it’s just getting those ideas to market can be a huge roadblock. There is a lot that goes in to designing, producing and marketing a new product.
I’d say that the batting glove industry has been relatively stagnant for quite a long time. Other than colors there hasn’t been much innovation over the last 15-20 years.
Thankfully the guys over at Jax batting gloves have put in the time to release what is not only a great looking pair of gloves, but also a really good product.
Let’s check them out
Table of Contents
What Is Different About Jax Batting Gloves?
The main thing that separates Jax from other batting gloves is what they call “top hand web technology.”
As you can see in the image above, there is a webbing between the thumb and forefinger of your top hand glove. This web ensures that players will maintain a proper grip on the handle throughout the swing.
There are a couple of benefits from this but I’ll let them break it down…
Here is an excerpt from their website about the technology:
Jax top hand web technology guides the bat handle to the ideal position within the fingers. An ideal grip allows hitters to increase bat speed while maintaining a consistent path through the zone. The Jax web provides all hitters the ability to grip the bat handle with the least amount of muscle tension, this allows for explosive movements to occur throughout the swing.
www.jaxbattinggloves.com
More bat speed = more bat flips… so I’m cool with that!
More on this in a minute…..
How They Look
These are some of the best looking batting gloves in my opinion. While crazy team colors and bright yellows can be cool, the Jax gloves have such a clean and professional look.
I love the all white design with name and logo in a very sharp silver.
They do offer some additional colors at times but the all white seems to be their primary design. Which is fine because it looks great with every type of uniforms and team colors.
How They Feel
When you put these on your hand you know they are high quality. Constructed from 100% sheep skin leather they have a very soft and comfortable feel.
I’ll have to admit, when you first grip a bat with these gloves it feels a little odd. The top hand glove definitely places the handle more towards your fingertips, which is exactly what it’s supposed to do.
The feel is similar to a product that some hitters use that they place over their thumb. The advantage to using Jax is you don’t have to keep up with a piece of rubber and it is much more contoured to your hand.
After taking some swings, however, it started to feel really good. With the handle placed in the fingers and not deep in the palms it really reduces the tension in your arms and hands.
One of the great features of the web technology is the reduced impact on the hand. On off center hits you can really feel how the gloves protect you from the force and vibrations you typically suffer through.
Anyone who has ever been jammed in cold weather knows what I’m taking about. You’d do anything not to feel that pain again!
Conclusion
Overall I was really impressed with Jax batting gloves. To start they have a great looking site that is easy to navigate and simple to order from.
The gloves were designed by former players so they understand the needs and challenges of hitters standing in the box. This is a piece that is often missed by a lot of other companies.
We didn’t have the opportunity to collect any data on the swings we took but it’s something that we are going to consider doing in the future.
It will be really interesting to see how/if the metrics are affected when using a Blast Motion sensor.
The best thing about these gloves is that you aren’t paying a premium for the technology. For the same or lower price as most batting gloves on the market you are getting an outstanding product that has the potential to improve your performance at the plate.
Seems like a win-win to me!
You can go grab a pair at JaxBattingGloves.com
Have you used Jax batting gloves? If so let us know what you think in the comments!