best way to break in a baseball glove

[punit328]

for those with baseball gloves...what is the best way to break one in? I used to put the glove under my matress with a rubberband around it, but i was curious to see what you guys to do break your gloves in.

[Bob Sacamano]

One way is to use it a lot. Obviously.

[CATCH17]

I like to use mink oil on it or roll it up and tie it with a tube sock.

Haven't done it in years though.

I've seen people microwave them and all kinds of different stuff though.

[Bob Sacamano]

I like to use mink oil on it or roll it up and tie it with a tube sock.

Haven't done it in years though.

I've seen people microwave them and all kinds of different stuff though.

Does just pounding the ball into the glove work anymore?

[Ware2010]

Does just pounding the ball into the glove work anymore?


Nope. They've adapted.

[Bob Sacamano]

Nope. They've adapted.

Whaddya mean?

[Ware2010]

Whaddya mean?


I don't know.

[67CowboysFan]

I like to use mink oil on it or roll it up and tie it with a tube sock.

Haven't done it in years though.

I've seen people microwave them and all kinds of different stuff though.
That's how I used to do it except I put a ball in the palm of the glove just below the webbing.

[Hoofbite]

Just get some oil and beat the hell out of it.

I've seen some of those quick break-in schemes where you rub stuff on it and bake it in the oven.

I think that stuff is all junk. It softens it up but it doesn't create a solid pocket.

Last time I broke a glove in, I found a piece of a wood that kind of looked like a rolling pin that you would use for baking. Anyway, I just hammered the hell out of the palm to soften it up and hammered the web to create a solid pocket

See if you can find a small 1-piece rolling pin. It has the weight and size that worked well for me.

[CATCH17]

Some of those Rawlings Heart of the hide gloves take FOREVER to break in but once you do they last a long time.


I used to have to re-string mine all of the time too.


In 5th grade I used to play 1st base and the kid who played 3rd base could throw it so hard that the strings on my glove would break.

[DezBRomo9]

Dead-blow hammer with a tiny bit of the oily stuff for lube. My dad somehow got that idea..:umm: Took me about 5 minutes to get it somewhat usable for practice. That's the way I did it in H.S. when I got a new 1st baseman's glove.

[bbgun]

Just get some oil and beat the hell out of it.

:eek:

[Bob Sacamano]

:eek:
:laugh2:

[big dog cowboy]

Just get some oil and beat the hell out of it.

:bow:

:lmao:

[Bonecrusher#31]

Mink Oil and wrapping it with baseballs...

[DallasCowpoke]

Probably more info than anyone would ever need, but here ya go.

Breaking in A Baseball Glove (http://www.baseballgloves.com/breakingin/index.html)

[Seven]

Does just pounding the ball into the glove work anymore?

Nope. They've adapted.

Whaddya mean?

I don't know.


:laugh2: Classic..........

[laythewood28]

shaving cream, and rubber bands. Add ball to palm and of glove tie with rubber bands.

[bbgun]

I think most people would chip in an extra $20 to buy them already broken in.

[Kangaroo]

for those with baseball gloves...what is the best way to break one in? I used to put the glove under my matress with a rubberband around it, but i was curious to see what you guys to do break your gloves in.

The old school way was to oil it up put a ball inside and tie something around it

[theogt]

Does just pounding the ball into the glove work anymore?

Nope. They've adapted.:bow: :laugh2:

[ninja]

Save money by buying a used glove and it doesn't need to be worked in.

As my dad used to say, "It ain't the glove, it is the hand inside the glove that matters." We'd always get the Kmart All-Pro cheap gloves and all the other kids would laugh and tease us. Me and my cheap glove were still better than most of those rich, spoiled kids and their overpriced gloves.

[Joe Rod]

Use a little saddle soap on it. It's summer, so leave it your car or truck where the sun can hit it to further soften it up. Throw it in the dirt and beat the snot out of it with a bat.

Then, stick it in your pants












-leg at the bottom after placing a ball in the glove. This will help form the pocket.

Or, see Bob's suggestion.

[DallasCowpoke]

Throw it in the dirt and beat the snot out of it with a bat. Then, stick it in your pants-leg at the bottom after placing a ball in the glove. This will help form the pocket.

Seriously, we've seen his pic. He's not that big!

[Sitting Bull]

Just broke in a fielder's glove and catcher's mitt with my boy this spring. I also swallowed my pride and googled "how to break in a baseball glove" - mostly because I remembered how no amount of oil or wrapped balls ever seemed to be better than use and time.

Turns out those fancy leather furniture conditioners they've come out with are good at making the pocket soft- better than oils that tend to add weight to the glove.

using a belt to tightly wrap a the glove around a softball formed a nice baseball-sized pocket for us.

Leaving it in a hot car to marinate seemed to help.

But it turns out, the quickest route to a broken-in glove is still daily games of catch. For the catcher's mitt. I did feed $5 into a pitching machine. We did it to work on form, but the mitt was better for the session.

Good luck!

[Rampage]

take some roids like your favorite baseball player and beat the crap out of it.

[Heisenberg]

The way I always did it was to oil the glove up, put a baseball in it, and stick it under the matress. That seemed to work pretty well for me.

[bbgun]

The way I always did it was to oil the glove up, put a baseball in it, and stick it under the mattress. That seemed to work pretty well for me.

The nudie mags didn't get in the way?

[UnoDallas]

In 5th grade I used to play 1st base and the kid who played 3rd base could throw it so hard that the strings on my glove would break.

in optimist league I was cacther on my team had a guy who throw so hard - I had to use a 1/2 pad and wrap in a handkerchief around my hand

and my hand still came out all bloody blisters an the such

[Hoofbite]

:eek:

It is a very versatile technique.

[silverbear]

The nudie mags didn't get in the way?

Actually, the oil in the glove keeps the pages of your porn from sticking together, thus killing two birds with one stone...

Don't you love it when a plan comes together??

[casmith07]

One way is to use it a lot. Obviously.

Only way. Everything else is a myth.

[rynochop]

I used to use Neatsfoot oil every couple days. You almost couldnt use too much. And yeah, put a baseball in it and tie it up.

[theebs]

My old way was to use glove oil and really lather it up alot.

Then take a ball and put it in the pocket.

Then put a couple of rubber bands around or whatever you have. Really wrap it and close it.

Then put it under the mattress every night.

I used the same glove in high school and american legion for about 4 years. I used to sleep on it the entire winter! lol.

It all depends on how loose you want it to. I would imagine that would depend on what position you play and what size glove. I was a middle infielder and used a small glove so I wanted the thing to basically be falling apart!