LucaSports Glove Testing
How we know the Black Spider®
is the Best on the Planet:
We've been testing
the Black Spider at the edges of performance against top-of-the-line models from
all the major manufacturers. With the help of an
excellent device called
the
SideKick® developed by the Seattle Sport Sciences company,
we have been able to set the ball velocity, trajectory
and spin, and scientifically test the glove while controlling these variables
This
means hard shots and shots at the edge of a goalkeepers range or ability. Lots and lots of
shots. We record our testing and analyze the data to come up with the most accurate
information possible.
The results of our testing have been very exciting. We are consistently seeing the Black Spider
glove
significantly outperform every other glove design we test against - consistently
better performance in catching, parrying and deflection,
and we test against the top designs on the market today. During the testing, the keepers are able to stop and control harder shots
with the Black Spider than with
any other glove design.
The deflection power is greater, able to cleanly deflect the ball over the crossbar and
past the outside of the posts more often than gloves lacking the
finger
tip support provided by the Black Spider design. More detailed information
about how the gloves work is available on our
Black Spider Advantages page.
You can reproduce these test findings yourself. If you don’t have a SideKick machine,
simply kicking the ball against a wall at very close range will do for you personally.
It helps to have a video camera to record the action, so that later you can review, verify and quantify the results.
Test your gloves at various speeds, spins and placement, and analyze how well they do for different glove functions
(e.g., catch, parry and deflection).
See the designer of these gloves demonstrate how to test and get comfortable with
the Black Spider gloves.
Steps and Questions to Answer:
- Take hard shots at increasing velocity, until you find your velocity limit (i.e., where you start to have
some failures) , then compare different glove models at that limit, 20 shots each.
Note: Measure how many times you catch the ball cleanly, bobble slightly, bobble significantly
or just lose control. Remember, even a slight bobble is dangerous – both from a
safety and from a goal-scoring standpoint.
- At your velocity limit, which glove still provides the ability to catch the ball furthest up on the fingers with confidence?
Note: The Black Spider has a larger "Sweet Spot" (area where the ball can be cleanly caught or controlled)
due to the ability to catch the ball higher up on the fingers. This also moves the point at which the ball is optimally caught away from the heel of the palm
(many bobbled or lost balls result from the ball impacting the heel of the palm and and bouncing). Remember: Millimeters Count!
- Which glove allows the most relaxation in your hands when stopping shots?
Note: More relaxation allows quicker reflexes, a better “feel” for the ball, and a more secure grip at impact.
- Which glove do you feel is most comfortable handling the hardest shots?
Note: There should be no discomfort or pain in your hands and fingers during or
after the shot.
- Which glove has the most powerful and accurate deflections?
Are your deflections clearing the posts and crossbar? Or hitting them? Or worse?
After you’ve finished testing, go watch the video and tabulate the results. Look for which glove allowed the most clean catches and the strongest deflections.
Now you’ve done your homework,
No more second guessing in The Game
You know which glove is the best, the rest is up to you!