Buying a new baseball glove can be exciting--but when used for the first time, it generally refuses to hold on to the ball. A new baseball glove is stiff and mostly unyielding, making it quite unusable come game time. Every new glove must be broken in. Luckily, breaking in a glove isn't all that challenging--it just takes a little patience.
Step 1
Lay the new glove in an open, sunny spot. The heat from the sun will soften the leather of the glove. Heat is one of the best ways to break in a new baseball glove.
Step 2
Press the web of the new glove down firmly against the top of a baseball bat, the latter standing up on one end. This will help stretch the glove's webbing. Don't press too hard--you want some firm pressure to help increase the web's ability to cushion an incoming baseball.
Step 3
Place a baseball in the web whenever the glove is not in use, wrapped tight using a T-shirt or something else that can hold the glove together. This will mold the glove's web around the shape of a baseball.
Step 4
Ask a partner to play catch with you. Use the new baseball glove during these catch sessions. This is the best way to break in a glove. If you do nothing else, do this. The more catch you play, the faster you will break in your new baseball glove.
Step 5
Use a rag to rub glove conditioner into your new glove. These solutions serve to soften the leather, thereby making them less stiff. The trick is to not pour too much conditioner onto the glove; pour just enough to easily absorb into the surface of the glove, using a rag to rub it in completely. Examples of viable glove conditioner include Tanners Glove Oil and Rawlings Gloveolium.
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