Break in a New Baseball Glove

A new baseball glove can feel stiff and clumsy. It can even make it difficult to play the game. You can always wait for your glove to break in naturally, but that can take a very long time. Luckily, there are quicker solutions to breaking in a new baseball glove. The following suggestions can let your glove feel like a second skin and allow you to get back to concentrating on your game.

Steps

Softening with Sunlight and Conditioning Oil

  1. Purchase baseball glove conditioning oil. Most manufacturers offer oils specifically formulated to treat their gloves. Applying a small amount of conditioning oil will soften, enrich, and preserve the leather in the pocket of your glove.
    • You can use some shaving cream with lanolin in it as a cheap alternative to conditioning oil.[1]
    • Do not use too much oil or cream on your glove. Applying too much can cause the leather to deteriorate. Use just enough to apply a light coating all over the pocket. [2]
  2. Use a baseball glove or a softball glove. They're not the same thing. Softball gloves have slightly larger pockets to fit the slightly larger ball.
  3. Put a ball in the glove. Put it in the "sweet spot." The sweet spot is where you would ideally catch the ball, in the lower part of the webbing between the thumb and forefinger.
  4. Wrap several large rubber bands around the glove with the ball inside. The bands should be tight so that the ball rests snugly in the pocket of the glove and not be able to move around. This is to shape the pocket to fit the ball.
    • Don't use string for this. Tightly wound string or twine can leave an odd-looking imprint around the outside of the glove.
  5. Leave the band-wrapped glove out in direct sunlight for a few hours (no more). The sunlight will make the leather warm and flexible. Do not leave the glove on a hot surface. You don't want to cook it.
  6. Take the glove out of the sun, remove the bands, and take the ball out. Shape the glove by punching your fist into the pocket and opening and closing the glove. Throw the ball hard many times into the center of the glove's pocket, and close the glove over the ball as soon as it hits the webbing. The more you do this, the better the ball will fit and the more you'll develop a feel for catching and retaining the ball.
  7. Close the glove around the ball and wrap it with the bands again. Store it for a day or two in a dark, dry spot. Choose an out-of-the-way place away from pets and small children (who might disturb the process).
  8. Retrieve the glove. Remove the bands and ball. Your glove should be ready for action. The more you use it, the more the glove will conform to your hand.

Steaming the Glove

  1. Apply a conditioning oil to the glove. Coat or spray the entire surface of the glove. You may want to apply a little extra to the laces to make sure they are adequately protected. Let the glove sit for several minutes and soak up the conditioner. Then wipe the glove with a towel until dry.
  2. Place the glove on a rack above a pot of water and turn the burner on. Be sure to keep your glove several inches above the water to avoid splashing. Place a curved lid or a large upside-down bowl over the glove to trap the steam. Let the glove sit in the steam for two-to-five minutes, depending on how soft you want the leather. You want the temperature of the glove to reach about 150° F.[3]
    • Many sporting-goods stores offer professional glove-steaming services. [4] Some will even steam a new glove for free when you buy it from them.
  3. Remove the glove from the steam. Turn the stove off and wait until the steam dissipates to retrieve your glove. Dry the glove with a towel. The glove should feel much more flexible now.
  4. Work the glove into shape with a mallet. [5] Fold the glove in half so the thumb is on top and hit the heel close to the thumb side with a mallet to bend the material. Work your way toward the center of the glove.
  5. Hit the glove in the desired spot to form a pocket. Depending on your preference, you might want a deep or shallow pocket.
    • Hit the glove near the webbing for a deeper pocket or more toward the palm of the glove for a shallow pocket.
  6. Flip the glove over and hit the heel of the glove near the pinky side. Your glove should be much easier to open and close now. Play some catch to help finish the process of breaking it in.

Microwaving the Glove

  1. Put the glove in the microwave. The heat will soften it up and accelerate the break-in process.
    • Use this method in moderation and at your own risk. Most glove manufacturers say that you should never put a glove in an oven or microwave. Excessive heat will dry out a glove too much (or even destroy it by making it hard). Too much heat may turn the glove more flexible at first but ultimately render it too hard to use.
  2. Set the time for less than 60 seconds. Anything longer than that is going to cook your glove. [6] You can tell the glove is ready when it smells like a steak cooking.
  3. Play some catch while the material is still flexible. Throw the ball into the glove as hard as possible to help form the pocket to your liking. Your glove should start feeling softer and be much easier to play with.

Using Glove Foam

  1. Buy a baseball-glove foam treatment from a sporting-goods store. This method is equivalent to breaking in a new glove for six months.
  2. Apply the foam and lather it into the glove. Cover the entire surface of the glove. Coat the back of the glove as well. Let the material soak up the lather for several minutes.
  3. Place the glove in a 300ºF oven for four minutes. Put the foamed glove on a cloth-covered baking sheet. Set it on the top rack of the oven. [7]
    • Set a kitchen timer to make sure you don't leave the glove in too long or forget to take it out.
  4. Carefully remove the glove from the oven. Allow it to cool. Wipe away any residue from the treatment.
  5. Work the glove repeatedly every which way for ten minutes or more. Insert a baseball or softball into the glove's sweet spot where you are most likely to catch the ball. Allow the glove to cool around the ball.
    • Note: Most glove manufacturers recommend against using chemicals or heat to break in gloves. In other words, take the above steps in moderation. Too much heat or chemical treatment can ruin the flexibility and comfort inherent in leather.



Tips

  • Consult the glove manufacturer to make sure your chosen method won't void the warranty.
  • Avoid plastic gloves. They don't last long.
  • One of the best ways to break in a new glove is simply to play catch with it -- the longer the better. Professionals will hit their gloves with a wooden mallet to start the process but will typically finish by simply playing catch. Of course they could have someone break in a glove for them, but often they do it themselves in order to mold the gloves to their own hands.
  • Breaking in a new glove takes time and patience.
  • Apply mink oil onto the palm of your glove with a soft cloth as this will soften the leather on your glove, making it easier to break in.

Warnings

  • If your child gets a new glove, do not break it in for him/her. Your hand is probably bigger than theirs, and you'll stretch the inside of the glove out too much.
  • Be cautious when breaking in new, expensive baseball or softball gloves. Using methods such as oven heating, foams, petroleum jelly, and leaving the glove out in the sun can be risking the glove's appearance and longevity. Use these methods sparingly.
  • Wrapping your glove with rubber bands can leave marks on the glove. Use an old belt or a cloth to wrap your glove around instead, as this will not damage it.
  • Don't let others use the glove until you've finished breaking it in. You want the glove to fit your hand "like a glove."

Things You'll Need

  • New glove
  • Baseball or softball
  • Baseball glove conditioning oil (found at sporting-goods stores) or shaving cream, gel or foam
  • Wide rubber bands

Related Articles

Sources and Citations

  1. ↑ http://m.mlb.com/news/article/2097220/
  2. ↑ http://www.baseballgloves.com/breakingin/index.html
  3. ↑ http://www.homerunmonkey.com/how-to-break-in-a-baseball-glove
  4. ↑ http://www.baseballsavings.com/customer/category/showcategory.jsp?CATEGORY=12512
  5. ↑ http://howtoresolveds.com/tube/hxI2_Rxww8k/how-to-break-in-a-glove-by-glove-steaming-w-bigdawg
  6. ↑ http://sports.espn.go.com/mlb/columns/story?columnist=caple_jim&id=5173365
  7. ↑ http://oaklandcountymoms.com/how-to-break-in-a-new-baseball-glove-24782/
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