Breaking in a baseball glove (infeilders glove)

May 9, 2011 6:39 AM

Need help breaking in a new baseball glove.

Ok, so I bought a new baseball glove the other day. I want to break it in "properly". The last baseball glove I bought about 5-6 years ago, was a larger, outfielders glove that I broke in with some glove oil and some elastic bands wrapped around it (with a ball in the pocket).

I am planning on doing the same thing with this one, however I purposely bought this one smaller as its an infielders glove. I have never broken in an infielders glove before and I am wondering 'how' to do it so that the ball fits great in the pocket.

With my outfielders glove, I have it broken in so that the thumb and the pinky finger (the outsides of the glove) are together. However, with the smaller, infielders glove, I want to break in the glove around the pocket and I am unsure as to how this is done.

Suggestions?

posted by dbirchum to Sports, Hobbies, & Recreation (4 answers total)

I would do it the same way. But, also, there is no better way to break in a glove than just using it a lot. Play catch (or have a catch, if you are in the East) a lot and then do the elastic-ball-in-pocket thing in between when you are not using it.
posted by Danf at 6:43 AM on May 9, 2011

I've had good results using Hot Glove to help a glove along in the breaking-in process. It's not a replacement for constant use, but it will help to speed-up the process.
posted by Thorzdad at 7:33 AM on May 9, 2011

I've always rubbed the glove down with Tanner's Leather Oil, placed 2 baseballs in the pocket, tied it closed with an old sock, and let it sit for a few days. Alternately, menthol shaving cream seems to do a nice job.
posted by COD at 8:24 AM on May 9, 2011

Seconding Thorzdad and the Hot Glove. I baked mine and was able to mold it the way I wanted. It really helped the break-in process. Danf is not wrong when he says to use it to break it in, but it goes a lot quicker with the Hot Glove.
posted by JohnnyGunn at 8:25 AM on May 9, 2011