How To Break-In A Baseball Or Softball Glove

JustBallGloves.com shows you super simple, quick, and easy steps to break in your ball glove.

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Step 1: Conditioning the leather.

You will want to start with a "dime" size amount of glove oil or cream for your glove. We suggest using an applicator sponge to work the oil into every area of the glove, which includes the palm, fingers, laces, and back side. The laces are very important because they handle most of the stress from catching the ball. Once you are finished, use a paper towel to wipe off any excess oil.

Step 2: Shaping the glove.

Shaping the glove is an important step because this is where you form the pocket of the glove. To begin, place the ball inside the mitt where the pocket meets the palm. This is where the ball is caught most of the time so you want to make sure it's formed properly. Now place bands around glove. You want the bands to form an (X) shape around the outside of the glove. This shape will allow the open side to have a band across the top and bottom, which will better secure the ball in the pocket.

Now, let the glove sit out over night in room temperature. This will allow the oil to further condition the leather and let the glove continue to form.

Step 3: Breaking in the glove

Once you remove the ball and bands, you will now have a good foundation for a pocket, you just need to do a little work to break it in. We suggest using a mallet to help the break in process because it simulates catching a ball in the pocket. It also allows you to adjust the glove to fit your taste and speed up the break-in time. Place the glove on your hand and hit the glove with the mallet for about 5-10 minutes. Concentrate on hitting the area of the glove where the ball will be caught. Move the mallet around to soften up some of the more stiff areas of the glove. Once finished, re-wrap the glove with the shaping ball and let it sit over night.

Step 4: Playing catch

The last step is to simply play catch with your glove. Concentrate on catching the ball in the pocket. We recommend using the mallet once a day until you are satisfied with the way your glove feels. Also, reapplying oil periodically throughout the season will help the glove stay in peak condition.

If you have followed these four steps, you should now have a glove that fits you well and is game ready.