When you buy a new baseball glove you cannot just put it on and immediately use it in a game. New leather gloves are stiff and often hard or even impossible to flex open and closed. The flexibility problems are even more magnified with catchers mitts because catchers mitts are the least flexible gloves due to their extreme padding. Fortunately there are a few tips and tricks you can use to speed up breaking in your new mitt.
Step 1
Apply glove manufacture oil or another lotion or oil to condition the leather and speed up the breaking in process. Readers Digest.com notes that in addition to glove oil, you can also use bath oil, olive oil, petroleum jelly and even WD-40 to condition the glove. (See References 1) You should apply oil all over the glove but just enough to moisten it a bit. Ball Glove Warehouse notes that you should not apply too much oil or you can damage your glove.
Step 2
Place a baseball or softball in the pocket of the glove and tie a shoe string or rope around the glove to form the pocket. This will help form the pocket properly and make the glove more flexible.
Step 3
Play catch using the mitt to warm up and practice as often as possible. Ball Glove Warehouse notes that this is the best way to break a glove in. Playing catch gets the glove molded to your hand and you can shape and bend it the way you want.
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