Play Test: HO Ghotta Gecko GK Gloves
We've been back on the training pitch this week taking a look at the HO Ghotta Gecko roll. HO is one of the top selling gloves in Europe, taking Spain and Portugal by storm with its superb quality of gloves. Worn by plenty of keepers in Europe's top competitions, HO have recently began to establish themselves in the UK as well, so we thought it was time to see what all the fuss was about.
Putting on the glove we were instantly impressed with the design of the backhand; a simple black and white design keeps the glove looking really smart and we have to admit we're big fans of classic white palms. One feature that stood out straight away was the wristband, as well as a 9cm elasticated strap designed to support the wrist and add comfort. The glove has a micro adjustable wrist strap, which fastens to help lock the glove in place above the wrist strap itself, which is a simple mechanism that aids the comfort of the glove.
The palm itself features a 4mm Aqua Control latex palm which is designed to offer excellent grip in both wet and dry conditions. The day of our play test was particularly dry and the gloves handling ability was fantastic. Our resident keeper wore them for his next three games in wet conditions and again they stood up to the test. We were really impressed with the way they responded in the wet, which was always going be a testing issue for this glove which has made its name in hotter climates.
The cut of this glove is what makes it a little different and really makes the glove stand out for us, it's what HO are calling the gecko cut; it's almost a hybrid of a roll finger and a flat palm all in the same cut. Designed to mimic the shape of the fingers of the lizard which are obviously renowned for climbing. The design actually gives you an expanded finger tip which increases the contact area of the fingertip on the ball and it was a fit we actually found surprisingly comfortable. It gives the kind of comfort you would expect from that of a rollfinger glove. So again, top marks.
The Gecko design was especially helpful as the weather on the day was particularly hot and where the fingers start as a flatpalm (nearer the base of the fingers) the extended gussets are designed with a breathable fabric which really helps seperate your hand and make it breathable again - an asset that adds to the comfort without taking anything away from the key contact areas of the glove.
No points of concern to report back on during our handling drills. If you drop one in your own net you won't be able to blame your tools, you'll have to palm it onto your defence, should have stopped the cross...
The backhand features the highly breathable DS skin which is designed to make the glove lighter as well as increasing flexibility. On the cross taking drills we felt completely confident and the abrasion given by the backhand was spot on for punching the ball clear too, which is impressive seeing as though it doesn t have a specific punch zone.
The design of the index and little finger being rolled is to add cushioning on impact and to aid distribution by adding grip during the release of the ball. We did quite a few drills on distribution volleys as well as the throwing drills, which are a really important aspect when choosing a glove and again they passed with flying colours.
To sum up, HO s most technically advanced glove to date gives a slight new twist to the way that glove cuts are designed and doesn t fall flat on its face, which many can do when trying to re invent the wheel. They ve kept most of it simple whilst throwing in some nice new technologies on the palm cut and the M.A.S. Overall a great glove, well worth the money and easy to see why HO has already taken Spain and Portugal.
The HO Ghotta Gecko gloves are available to order now at online stockists including Pro-Direct Soccer.
