That new baseball glove looks great, but it'll be hard to use effectively until you break it in. Brand new baseball gloves are stiff. You'll want to soften up the leather and break in the pocket so you can easily catch a ball. The best time to buy a new glove is at least a month or two before you need to start using it for games, because breaking in the glove is not an instant process.
Soften the Leather
You need to soften up the inside of the glove. You can use foam shaving cream containing lanolin, mink oil, petroleum jelly or special glove oils. Put the substance on a rag, as pouring oil directly onto a glove can leave a stain. Use a small amount, rubbing it into the inside of the glove and on the backs of the fingers. More is not better, as oil soaks into the glove and makes it heavier. Too thick of a layer can attract dirt.
Use Heat
Keep your baseball glove in your car on hot days. Heat will help soften it. This is a more gradual and safer process than warming the glove in the oven or microwave.
Play Catch
Find someone to play catch with you or to hit some balls to you that you can catch. Do this for at least a half an hour a few times a week, because catching balls is one of the more effective ways to break in a glove and fit it to your hand.
Don't Be Gentle
Don't be gentle with your new baseball glove. Throw it on the ground. Hit it with your bat.
Wear the Glove
Wear the glove whenever you're sitting around watching tv or reading. Hold a baseball or softball in the glove and bend the glove around the ball, helping to form that pocket.
Another Technique
Put a ball in the pocket and tie the glove shut with string or twine to help form the pocket. Don't tie the glove too tightly, because you don't want to create creases in the leather.
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