Protective glove

In a protective glove of the type having a back portion, a palmar portion and a plurality of digital sheaths distally projecting from between said portions for use on the hand of a wearer, said hand having a proximal transverse palmar crease, a distal transverse palmar crease, a proximal digital crease, and a longitudinal thenar crease all positioned on the palmar surface of said hand, the improvement comprising:

• a plurality of first flexible means for absorbing shock said plurality of first flexible means being comprised of:
• a substantially tapered, shock absorbing, resilient pad positioned on the palmar portion distal to and adjacent to the distal transverse palmar crease of the hand of a wearer;
• a substantially elongate, shock absorbing, resilient pad having two curved ends and a narrowed region between said two curved ends, said elongate pad being positioned on the palmar portion adjacent to and between the distal transverse palmar crease and the proximal transverse palmar crease of the hand of a wearer;
• a substantially tear-drop shaped, shock absorbing, resilient pad positioned on the palmar portion proximal to and adjacent to the proximal transverse palmar crease, and ulnar to and adjacent the longitudinal thenar crease of the hand of a wearer;
• and,
• a substantially rectangular shock absorbing resilient pad positioned on the palmar portion proximal to and adjacent to the longitudinal thenar crease of the hand of a wearer;
• such that said plurality of means abut one-another in edge-contacting relation upon flexion of the hand to form a substantially continuous, non-creased shock absorbing layer covering the metacarpal region of said hand.