Breaking in a new baseball glove is a tradition that many young children partake in, with many different homemade techniques doing the trick for synthetic material youth gloves. Older, more experienced players with quality leather gloves take the time to work in the leather and make it soft and flexible using tried and true techniques. While there are many different techniques for breaking in your glove, many of the techniques feature the same basic steps, with variations on what materials are used.
Step 1
Use your new glove frequently, playing catch as often as possible. This will allow the leather to break in naturally, with the added benefit of the leather breaking in with your hand in the glove. To break it in completely using this method, it will take quite some time, so it is suggested to play catch to simply aid in the process. While you are playing catch, punch the inside and outside of the glove with your opposite hand or smack it against an object you are standing close to, to help break in the entire glove.
Step 2
Rub the leather with a special glove oil that you can purchase at most sporting goods stores. Use small amounts of the oil, allowing the oil to be absorbed and worked into the leather so that no excess oil has to be wiped away. If you cannot find glove oil, try mink oil, baby oil, petroleum jelly or foaming shaving cream.
Step 3
Place a baseball in the pocket of the glove and then tie it shut with a belt or string. This helps to form the pocket of the glove, the place where the ball is supposed to land when making a catch. Leave it like this overnight; some players even keep it like this whenever they are not using the glove.
Step 4
Place your glove in direct heat to help soften the leather. This is a controversial method, with some players swearing by it while others would never dream of doing it. Put the glove in the microwave for 5 minutes or in a 350-degree oven for 10 minutes. Or leave it in your car in direct sunlight for the day to help soften the leather. Some players believe that the direct heat deteriorates the glove much faster than normal use.
Tips and Warnings
- Apply oil and cream as often as you would like. The more time you spend breaking in the glove, the faster the leather will soften.
Things You'll Need
- Baseball
- Glove oil
- Belt
- Oven/microwave
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