When choosing a brand new piece of equipment for your favorite sport, the process can feel overwhelming and even stressful. This is because you now need to find the most ideal replacement for your current piece of equipment while simultaneously sifting through the almost innumerous brands, materials, sizes, shapes, governing entities, and much more.
Here at HbSports, we are here to make that selection process much less painful. We have a wide range of softball and baseball gear that cater to any player’s needs and preferences. All are of the highest quality and from top-of-the-line brands so that anything you purchase with us will undoubtedly provide you with what you need to perform your best on the diamond.
Not only do we provide you with some of the most reliable gear, but we also are experienced in both softball and baseball, so our advice is some of the best in the game! That is why we have compiled this detailed guide to breaking in a new glove successfully, as this can be one of the most highly-debated processes in both softball and baseball.
So, let’s get to it: the dos and don’ts of breaking in a new glove.
“Dos” of Breaking in a New Glove
Let’s first tackle the correct measures to take to break in a new glove. As an aside, these gloves can be from any brand, whether they be Rawlings gloves, Wilson gloves, or others.
Do: Steam Your Glove
One of the newest and most effective ways of breaking in a softball or baseball glove is by steaming it. This method speeds up the breaking-in process by a whopping 70%! Here is how you conduct this method appropriately:
●Soak a towel in hot water
●Wipe your glove thoroughly with it
●While the glove is still damp from being wiped down, play catch with a friend in order to properly form the pocket
●Repeat this process for five straight days
●On the final day, oil the glove entirely and marvel at your new, broken-in glove!
Do: Moisten Hard Parts and Work Them
There are rougher and more resilient parts of your glove. If they are stubborn on “letting loose,” work them diligently and moisten them with either warm water or oil. Some ideas for this include squeezing the pinky and thumb together, pulling and stretching the webtop (if you have one), and pushing back the fingers.
Do: Play Catch
Nothing beats simply having a catch with a new glove, as it is the best way to simulate actual gameplay. Indulging in playing catch can efficiently get the job of breaking in done (but especially so with the steaming method).
“Don’ts” of Breaking in a New Glove
While all of the above are great methods for breaking in Rawlings gloves and other fielding gloves, you should know what not to do as well. There are several popular methods of breaking in a glove, which can actually drastically hurt your glove than help it!
Don’t: Moisten with Detergents
Be sure to not moisten your glove with detergents. This is because, if you do use detergents to moisten your glove, then you could potentially irreparably damage the leather.
Don’t: Dunk It
Numerous professionals stand by the method of dunking their new gloves in hot water to break them in. However, we advise you to not do this. Dunking can quickly speed up the deterioration of your glove. Plus, the inside never dries correctly.
This may be a decent enough method for professionals who constantly get new gloves for free, but it is not enough for rec players who want to keep their gloves for multiple seasons.
Don’t: Microwave Your Glove
Many people make the mistake of microwaving their glove in order to break it in. However, this is a big no-no for us because, if you do microwave it, you can ruin the leather. Microwaving can cause the leather to deteriorate at a significantly faster rate, as high heat can break down the leather fibers. Plus, it will soften too much and lead to far more dropped balls on the field!
Some gloves also have metal grommets, so if you microwave your glove and it has these grommets, you could even ruin your microwave!
Don’t: “Cook” Your Glove in Any Way
Just like you shouldn’t microwave your glove, you shouldn’t bake it or use any other method to “cook” your glove. This is because high heat exposure, as mentioned above, can break down the fibers. This is certainly not exclusive to microwaves. Just keep it far away from any form of high-temperature appliances!
Don’t: Apply Oil Directly to the Glove or Over-Oil It
Oil can serve a grand purpose in breaking in your glove during the moistening phase, but you should only apply it with a rag or a cloth. Never directly apply it to your glove because it can be detrimental to the health of your leather.
You also shouldn’t over-oil your glove, no matter how you apply it. This is because this can shorten the lifespan of your glove and even increase its weight!
Breaking in a new glove isn’t easy, but can be done efficiently while simultaneously not hindering its lifespan when you follow the above pointers. When looking for the best gloves, we have them right here are HbSports. We have Rawlings gloves, Wilson gloves, Easton gloves, and many more! Browse all of our high-quality fielding gloves to find the right one for you!
