How to Break In a Ball Glove

By Marty, Baseballsupplier.com

So you've purchased that ball glove you have always wanted. It is now time to mold that heavy stiff piece of leather into an instrument that moves with your hand and swallows baseballs like a vacuum cleaner. The subject of how to properly break in a ball glove has been debated for years. I have sold and repaired ball gloves for the past 11 years and have tried a variety of different methods. In the next few paragraphs I will attempt to offer some wisdom into some techniques you may want to use to break in your new glove.

Keep in mind that there are a lot of different leathers out there in many different grades. It is always advisable to check with the manufacturer of your glove for advice on how to break it in and what products are best to use on it.

So what are we trying to do when we break in a ball glove? We are doing two things. First we are softening the leather so it will open and close easily and become an extension of the hand. Secondly we are shaping the glove (mostly the pocket) to perform how we want it to.

Step one: Softening the leather.

Until the leather has been softened somewhat, the ball glove will be hard to catch with and difficult to shape. I always begin the break in process by softening the leather.

Use some heat . One thing to remember is that leather has pores. Before you apply a conditioner or oil, try warming your glove in the sun or with a mild heat source such as a hair drier. This will open the pores of the leather and allow it to absorb the product you put on the glove. You will also notice the glove becomes more pliable and less resistant to shaping once it is warmed up.

What to put on your glove. Here is a list of products you can use to soften the leather of your ball glove.

• Neatsfoot oil
• Vaseline
• Nokona Glove conditioner
• Foam shaving cream
• Rawlings Gloveolium or manufacturer's own solution
• Saddle soap
• Mink oil
• Hot Glove Treatment – comes with its own instructions and uses a conventional oven.

Which ever product you decide to use, apply it first to a rag and buff it on. Never pour oil or conditioner directly on your ball glove. It will pool and soak in. This is bad for the leather. I always start with a fairly light coat to see how the ball glove absorbs the product. The leather will darken at first because it is wet but should return to its approximate original color after a few minutes. If it stays a little darker that's fine, it usually means that it doesn't need any more product. If it returns to its complete original color, see if it feels moist. If it feels dry, put another light coat on. A new glove rarely requires more than two coats at the beginning of the break in process.

Step Two: Shaping your ball glove, making it “yours”.

Shaping a ball glove has always been my favorite part of the break in process. Your goal here is to make the ball glove hinge properly across the palm and have the web act like a basket to cradle the ball.

Stretching the web for a round shape. The web of a new ball glove will probably be tight and not too pliable. In order to get it to take a rounded shape and make it softer, you need to stretch it somehow. Playing catch is the best way however a new glove's web might make this hard. Throwing a ball into the pocket is a good substitute as well. A glove mallet is an excellent tool to stretch out a new web. You simply hit the glove in the pocket and palm until the leather stretches out. A bat can be used in a similar fashion to a glove mallet. You can also stand the bat on its handle and place the web over the end of the bat's barrel. Push the web into the end of the bat to stretch out the webbing. Be careful not to put too much weight as to break the laces in the web.

Rolling the fingers to get that nice “clam shell” shape. The fingers of the glove should act like a gate. The ball enters the pocket, the web cushions and stops the ball and the fingers close over the web to keep the ball from popping out. A well broken in glove's fingers should have a slight curve to them. The way I create this shape is similar to rolling bread dough. First find a sturdy table or work bench. Hold the glove's fingers in both hands. The wrist opening should be on the table with the glove's palm facing away from you. Now curl the fingers as you push downward so that the pinkie finger tip nears the base of the thumb. Do this over and over again until it becomes fairly easy to do. This will help encourage the shape of the fingers and create the hinge across the palm.

Always store a ball in the pocket when the ball glove is not in use. The last thing you want to happen is have your ball glove go flat. Always store your ball glove with a ball and if possible, wrap it with a towel or old t-shirt to keep it closed.

Be patient; enjoy the process and good luck with your new glove.

Check out our ball gloves by Rawlings, Wilson, Nokona, SSK, Easton and Akadema.