Fingersave: Go or no go?

17.03.2017

Written by Katrine

Finger protection for goalkeeper gloves is a feature that a lot of young goalkeepers benefit from. Are you unsure if you need fingersave? Keep reading and I'll give you some tips as to figure out whether you should use finger protection or not.

I get a lot of questions regarding fingersave for goalkeeper gloves. What is fingersave? Do I need fingersave? Which finger protection is better? Do professional goalkeepers use fingersave? Keep reading and get the answer to your questions.

What is fingersave?
Fingersave is another name for finger protection for goalkeeper gloves. It is a feature that protects your fingers against finger injuries. The finger protection often consists of an individual insert in each finger except for the thumb. In most top goalkeeper gloves they can be removed completely or in some fingers which gives you the exact protection you need.

Do I need fingersave?
Whether you need fingersave or not depends on a lot of different things. Obviously you should use finger protection if you like wearing it or have fragile fingers that are often injured. However, a lot of people experience that the older they get, the less they need finger protection. Thus fingersave for goalkeeper gloves is perfect for young goalkeepers who need extra protection, but a lot of older goalkeepers choose the flexibility and ball control you get in a glove without fingersave rather than the protection you get in a glove with fingersave.

Read this guide and learn how to choose the right glove cut

Which finger protection is better?
There are a large number of goalkeeper gloves with finger protection and it is difficult to pinpoint the best one. Basically all kinds of fingersave do the same though they look differently.
Most types consist of individual inserts that prevent your fingers from bending backwards but allow the fingers to move in natural directions.
However there are other types. For instance the Bionik+ form Uhlsport is different as is consists of a plastic net, that gives more flexibility to your fingers than many other types of finger protection. The net cannot be removed, and you cannot remove the protection from specific fingers.

Do professional goalkeepers use fingersave?
I won’t say that there is not a single professional goalkeeper who uses fingersave, but it does seem like most pro keepers use gloves without finger protection, as they prefer flexibility and ball control, and you lose some of that when wearing fingersave gloves.