Fielders Choice Articles
After you have chosen your new glove the next step is to break it in. Now days there are many ways different methods to break in that nice new glove. Over the years there have been many methods, but we are here to lend a helping hand. This topic has been discussed for many years between different professional players at Fielders Choice.
The Best Method
We at Fielders Choice believe to break in your new gloves is to play catch. It sounds simple it is simple. It takes time, but you should give tender love and care to your new glove. This method allows you to get the pocket just right. Most gloves actually form to your hand as you use them so it gives you the most comfortable fit. This method takes a little longer but over time will make you very happy. If you don’t have a throwing partner then the next best thing to do is play catch by yourself. Take a ball and throw it into the glove pocket and try squeezing the glove. The other method is to take a bat and hit it into your open glove pocket this will loosen the leather and allow you to form the glove just the way you like. Use a mixture of all 3 to gain best results.
The Next Best Thing
The next best thing if you don’t want to play catch is to get a belt or rope and place a ball in the glove pocket and tie the glove shut. You can place it under you bed mattress and sleep on it. Or you can just leave it as is for 8 hours and it should loosen the glove up. This method is used if you like your glove floppy and don’t want to form your pocket to exact specifications.
Myths of Breaking in a new glove
Many people believe that softening the leather is the way to go. But the Fielders Choice staff believes that softening the leather actually hurts the glove and makes the leather to soft over the long run. This is great at the beginning but once the glove is broken in it remains too soft. These methods sometimes stain the colour of the glove. These methods were great years ago, but now with the advancement of glove technology, they already come pre oiled so there is no need for extra oil. When these methods were first done they were used to protect the glove from cracking and drying out the leather as well as breaking them in. If you do choose to go these avenues please proceed with caution as they could damage the glove. Here are a number of different methods people have used over the years to break in a new glove.
All of these methods we would not recommend but have been used before.
• Shaving Cream (use sparingly)
• Vaseline (would not use)
• Saddle Soap (only use to clean leather)
• Manufactures glove oil (most all gloves come pre oiled)
• Mink Oil (alternative to manufacture oil)
• "Hot Glove" Treatment -Put the special foam on your glove and then place in your oven for a couple of minutes. (Fielders & manufactures believes this method is very harmful to the leather).
I hope this article has helped you to break in your new glove. Please stay tuned for our next segment of how to care for your glove.
|
