What is the best way to condition a new basebal glove?

June 9, 2006 4:47 AM

What is the best way to condition a new baseball glove?

I'm thinking of getting my four year old a baseball glove (and since mine got lost years ago somewhere between intermural softball and a keg party, I'll probably be getting one for myself). Is the old "put a ball in it, wrap with a rubberband and put it under your pillow" thing just a myth or does it work?

posted by ddysart to Sports, Hobbies, & Recreation (7 answers total)

three steps, none can be skipped in my opinion:
1: use Neats Foot Oil [simple stuff from the hardware store] and rub the glove down well. let it all soak in for 24 hours. don't do this too often - you don't want a limp glove.
2: every night, nestle a ball deep in the pocket and wrap the glove with rubber bands. [my grandfather would say that only a campbell's soup can can really do the job, but i prefer a ball].
3: play catch every day.

most people try to skip #3. there is NO SUBSTITUTE. playing catch will break it in faster than anything else. besides, the best part of baseball is you can't play by yourself. spend enough time playing catch with the kid, and it'll mean more than the glove ever will.
posted by rubberfish at 5:08 AM on June 9, 2006

That is exactly the technique I used on my gloves.
posted by plinth at 5:48 AM on June 9, 2006

I also did the same thing except I used unscented shaving foam and string instead of rubber bands.
posted by nimsey lou at 6:50 AM on June 9, 2006

Lexol

follow steps 1, 2 and 3 above
posted by caddis at 7:12 AM on June 9, 2006

I would also recommend not getting a tiny glove for your four-year-old. It might be a little tougher for him/her to wield it, but easier to catch with it--the ball is still adult-sized.
posted by mookieproof at 7:46 AM on June 9, 2006

Here's what my dad says:

Bill,
Your GP Boyer would use saddle soap to soften the leather on a new glove.
I did the same thing when I was a kid. I also used to put a ball in the glove and wrap with rubber bands. This would give the glove a good pocket for the ball to land into.
The technology of gloves has changed over the past 5 decades.
Gloves use to have a huge amount of padding and little webbing between the index finger and thumb. Gloves improved to where there is less padding and the webbing is more of a trap which makes catching the ball easier.
There are times that particularly an infielder will need to catch the ball not in the webbing but in the palm of the glove. The palms on new gloves have a minimal amount of stitching to product a good pocket.
Now days there is an oil that is used to soften the leather of a glove.
The last glove that I had I used oil to soften the leather, unfortunately I applied the oil as freely has I used to do the saddle soap and the glove became too floppy.

My recommendation is to put a little bit of oil in the glove and go out and play pass with your kid.
The second part is the best part of the glove break in process.

posted by billtron at 8:08 AM on June 9, 2006

My dad's advice had included (in addition to the aforementioned steps) putting the glove not under the pillow, but the mattress. This also encouraged reckless midnight baseball in my room, but hey, the mitt softened up nicely.
posted by marxfriedrice at 8:18 AM on June 9, 2006