Textiles and Design

Home > Textiles and Design > Area of Study: Properties and Performance of Textiles > The CoolMax golf glove

Properties and performance of textiles

The CoolMax golf glove

In the area of study: Properties and performance of textiles you will develop knowledge and understanding of scientific and technological development in textiles meeting specific end-use applications. In particular you will analyse the influence and importance of fabric structure, yarn type and fibre properties in the selection of textiles and justifies their performance in a specific end use. One such textile innovation being specifically used in the sporting and leisure industry is CoolMax. This tutorial allows you to analyse and justify the use of CoolMax for a specific sporting end use application.

Outcomes
This material addresses aspects of the following syllabus outcomes:

H3.1 The student explains the interrelationship between fabric, yarn and fibre properties.

H4.1 The student justifies the selection of fabric, yarn, fibre and fabric finishing techniques for specific end-uses.

H4.2 The student selects and justifies manufacturing techniques, materials and equipment for specific end-use.

Extract from Stage 6 Textiles and Design Syllabus © Board of Studies NSW 2007.

Golf has become a professional sport globally and is enjoying great popularity as a leisure sport. Textile technologists are designing technologically superior textiles and their use in the manufacture of golf gloves is allowing maximum athletic performance.

Pre-test

Click to go to Pre-test activity Flash Version HTML version

"Golf is a hot and sweaty business. It's also the biggest mind game there is, so if your hands are cool and comfortable, you'll be completely focused on the game". Golf Professional. Golf players require a golf glove that will allow them to play the fairways and greens in cool, dry comfort. Golf gloves today are manufactured from a combination of fabrics, yarns and fibres in order to achieve a specific performance level in their sporting end-use. Golfers need to be able to grip their clubs with dry hands. Their golf glove requires the following functional criteria: high frictional grip dry hands and comfort (free from moisture buildup) air permeability, breathability durability shape retention and flexibility neat fit, softness and the feel of a second skin.
Fig 1: The CoolMax golf glove.

"Golf is a hot and sweaty business. It's also the biggest mind game there is, so if your hands are cool and comfortable, you'll be completely focused on the game".
Golf Professional.

Golf players require a golf glove that will allow them to play the fairways and greens in cool, dry comfort. Golf gloves today are manufactured from a combination of fabrics, yarns and fibres in order to achieve a specific performance level in their sporting end-use. Golfers need to be able to grip their clubs with dry hands. Their golf glove requires the following functional criteria:

high frictional grip
dry hands and comfort (free from moisture buildup)
air permeability, breathability
durability
shape retention and flexibility
neat fit, softness and the feel of a second skin.

Fig 1: The CoolMax golf glove.

The CoolMax golf glove analysis

Diagram of glove with explanation of details

Production sketches courtesy Krista Marett, Gosford High School, 2003.

The golf glove is manufactured using a variety of textiles. Each fabric, yarn and fibre has been chosen because of their properties, therefore creating a product that will satisfy its end-use application.

A fine all-leather thumb provides a durable and flexible but secure grip with no slippage.
A synthetic leather palm and glove front, using a digitized Leather Tech coated knit fabric is chosen for its superior grip, durability, lightness, strength and perfect fit conforming to different hand sizes.
The Velcro closure ensures a firm wrist fit needed to promote the second skin feel.
CoolMax weft rib knit polyester fabric inserts, between the fingers, wick the moisture away leaving the hand dry and free of perspiration.
CoolMax mesh knit polyester fabric insert across the knuckles covers the flex points of the hand giving unrestricted freedom of movement and superior comfort while gripping the club. Weft rib knit fabrics are highly elastic in the course direction. This fabric is porous which allows air to permeate the glove evaporating any moisture therefore keeping the hand dry.
The CoolMax multifilament yarn used to manufacture the rib knit and mesh knit fabric is smooth, soft, subtle, lustrous and anti-pilling because of the lack of protruding fibre ends in the yarn formation. This yarn creates a smooth, flexible fabric that has a soft cotton-like feel.

What is CoolMax and how does it work?

CoolMax is a high-tech performance monofilament, made into a multifilament or spun yarn. CoolMax is often referred to as a smart textile and is recognised for improving the way active golfers equip themselves for their round of golf. CoolMax, developed in 1986, is referred to as a moisture management performance fabric. CoolMax is made from a specially engineered polyester with a patented four channel fibre cross-section . This unique shape is responsible for transporting moisture away from the body. CoolMax is the name given to the fabric that has a tetra-channel system which speeds up the drawing of moisture to the fabric's surface process and promotes evaporation. The CoolMax filament has a 20% greater surface area than other regular round filaments. CoolMax filaments are:

lightweight
permeate air
low pill
durable.

CoolMax is appropriate for year-round seasonal use and will keep the golfer's hand, dry and comfortable because of the inherent wicking action. Wicking is the ability of a fibre to transfer moisture along its surface.

What is wicking and why is it desirable in a fabric for the golf glove?

CoolMax moves sweat and moisture away from the body to the outer layer of the fabric. This is where evaporation occurs. The fabric dries faster than any other. Because the fabric has low moisture absorption it keeps the golfer's hand cool and dry. Click here to see the CoolMax skin and a close up of the four-channel fibre used in CoolMax fabric. The channels speed moisture to the outer surface.

In moisture management tests, fabrics made with CoolMax dried almost completely in 30 minutes. Cotton, by comparison, remained wet by nearly 50%. This property is desirable for the golf glove. Because CoolMax dries quickly the glove will be able to stay drier longer allowing the golfer's hand to feel drier and therefore they can perform longer.

Compared to other fibres such as cotton, polypropylene and regular nylon, CoolMax is superior in its moisture management. The fabric breathes easily, washes and dries without shrinkage. These properties make CoolMax a highly suitable fabric for the golf glove end-use.

Activity 1

After reading this tutorial on the CoolMax golf glove complete the following analysis on the fabric, yarn and fibre properties of the textiles used and match the functional criteria of the glove.

Functional criteria for the golf glove
... ...	... ...	... ...
Rib knit fabric properties	Multifilament yarn properties	CoolMax filament properties
... ... ... ...	... ... ... ...	... ... ... ...

Explain why CoolMax is a suitable performance filament to use for the manufacture of the golf glove fabric.
Justify the rib knit CoolMax fabric for the inserts and front knuckles of the golf glove.
Brainstorm the many end-uses for Coolmax fabrics and evaluate CoolMax fabrics for three of these end-uses.

Answers

Technology update/Tutorial extension: Visit the following site to view an update on Coolmax http://www.coolmaxfabric.com/g_en/docs/1234513793-00303272_EcoMade%20Sell%20Sheet.pdf