Leading apparel brand Abacus Sportswear has drawn on its years of experience of creating ground-breaking and pioneering rain and wind garments to unveil a handy step-by-step guide to help golfers buy the perfect waterproof.
Abacus has been designing and developing golf clothing for over three decades, in that time they have become recognised for their functional outerwear and pioneering new materials and stylish look that allows golfers to enjoy their sport, look great and stay focused on their golf no matter what weather they encounter on the golf course.
Over the years Abacus has collected a huge amount of knowledge and expertise which has now been brought together into The Abacus School of Rain.
Chris Mattsson, Design Manager at Abacus Sportswear, said: “There is a lot of talk about waterproofness in rain garments and although rain wear must of course be able to keep the rain out, there is a lot more that the golfer needs to consider when buying a waterproof if they are to enjoy their game whilst playing in bad weather.
“The most important thing is that rain wear doesn’t adversely impact the golf swing resulting in a lack of, or restricted movement. A high amount of stretch in a lightweight material is vital to preventing this from occurring.”
“Feeling comfortable and being able to maintain the optimum body temperature inside a rain garment is also incredibly important. Key to this is using a fabric with high wicking properties that quickly moves the moisture generated by the body away from the surface of the skin to the outside of the garment keeping the golfer dry from the inside as well as on the outside.
Tips when choosing waterproofs:
- Focus on playability – make sure you can move freely by choosing lightweight garments with a high amount of stretch.
- Choose garments with high breathability and excellent wicking properties to prevent getting wet from the inside.
- Make sure garments are highly waterproof – fabrics with a waterpillar of over 10 000 WP are best and will be able to withstand long periods of rain.
- Avoid garments that feel uncomfortable or fit badly, use heavy fabrics, rustle when you move or do not have a high level of stretch.
- Garments that offer good options to adjust the fit, for example draw cords in the waist and velcro in the arms, legs and neck can feel like they have been made just for you.