Playing with finger spines? Or playing without them? could possibly be the biggest issue dividing goalkeepers in choice of goalkeeper gloves, especially at a young age. We are going to go through some pros and cons and share our opinion.
Let us start by saying that finger spines can help you reduce the risk of injury when playing, they will not always stop you from getting injured however they may decrease the chance of injury. The spines purpose is to prevent injuries in the fingers by restricting their movement backward. So basically, they are very impotent for starting goalies at all ages and especially for young goalkeepers that their palm and hand are still developing.
But finger save gloves is found extremely uncomfortable by many goalies due to the sturdiness and lack of freedom of movement and the majority of pro goalies choose not to play and practice with them. Simple movements such as clenching a fist are suddenly tough due to the lack of flexibility in the plastic spines. Goalkeepers that are demanding for the best movement of a tight fit second skin feeling goalkeeper gloves like the Elite Sport Neo series, will tend to stay away from finger save gloves.
A big con using finger spines for the long term is becoming dependent on them. When playing any sport your body encounters micro fractures and injuries that you don't notice but over time increase the strength of your bones and joints. When wearing the spines, it doesn't allow for these minor injuries and therefore doesn't allow the fingers to strengthen in a natural way.
So, in conclusion: we recommend you will do what is right for you or your kid's protection therefor your first few gloves should be embedded with finger spines. But don't worry, if you decided you are through with those plastic spines, Elite Sport Gloves give so you the decision as you can always take them out and put them back in.
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