This well-broken-in glove has seen
at least 10 years of action!Baseball season is here! Do you have a fresh new glove at home just waiting to be broken in? I have been breaking in gloves for myself, family and friends for almost 20 years now, so in that time I have found the best and quickest way to break in your new baseball or softball glove.
When buying a new glove, don’t be discouraged if it seems a little stiff. That means it’s going to last a long time. To break in your new glove you’ll need a bottle of glove oil, a baseball or softball, heavy duty rubber bands (a trouser belt will work), a little patience and, most important, time to throw the ball around.
To oil your glove properly, drip three our four drops of glove oil on a wash cloth and rub it in. Use oil in only in the places where the glove needs to move/fold/squeeze. If the oil is in a spray bottle, it’s OK to spray directly on the glove and then rub it in, but the only way to guarantee an even application is to spray on the wash cloth. This technique will stop you from over-oiling and make your glove last longer. Perform this process every other day for a week (four times total).
After you are oiled up, place a ball in the glove, let it fall naturally in the pocket, and wrap the pinky over the ball and then the thumb on top of that. This allows the glove to keep its natural shape and become flexible in the right areas.
Take your rubber bands or your belt and wrap the glove, first over the ball and the fingers, then another wrap just below the ball.
Place the wrapped glove under your mattress above the box spring; keep it there it for one week, except when you’re using it. You might feel a lump under you while you’re sleeping, so place it two to three feet from the foot of the bed if it’s preventing you from getting your beauty sleep. For best results, the glove will be two to three feet from the head of the bed.
If you oil it correctly and and use it daily for that week, your glove will be in perfect game-ready condition.
EXTRA TIP for middle infielders: After the first week, press down on the top of the web constantly when you’re using the glove — you will see all the pros doing this. This causes the opening of the glove to be at its maximum and allows for scooping and flipping the ball easily for that pro-style double play.
