A new glove is a treat for any baseball player, but this fresh leather isn't always easy to play with. Most new gloves have stiff leather that make it difficult to catch a baseball. The leather can be loosened up a number of ways, and not just by using the old mitt under the bed mattress method. Even though your mitt will get broken in over time, you shouldn't play games with a new, stiff mitt if you can avoid it.
Soften It with Foam or Lotion
Several products will soften up a baseball glove's leather. The products will penetrate the leather in your glove so that by the time its effect wears off, your glove will be well-conditioned and broken in. Products you can apply to the leather include foam shaving cream, Vaseline and saddle soap designed to treat cowhide leathers. Several glove makers also sell their own oils intended to limber up your glove. Make sure to use a small amount of product and let it soak in rather than wiping it off.
Use Heat
You have a few options when heating your glove as a means of breaking it in. The fastest and easiest method is microwaving it for about 20 seconds. This will result in a well-broken glove. You can also try setting it near a fire or heater, or placing your glove on cement--preferably blacktop--on a hot, sunny day and letting it cook like that. The downside to heating your leather is that it might take several treatments to really soften the leather because the leather will harden when it cools.
Beat It Up
This is the most fun for most kids: Deliver a beating to the glove. Stomp on it. Hit it with a baseball bat. Throw it. Focus on wearing out the crease in the middle of the glove to make catching and closing on a baseball easier. This will take more work than the other options, but it will break in your glove just as effectively. And most baseball gloves are resilient enough that they can take this abuse without suffering any damage beyond regular wear.
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