Vintage Baseball Glove Forum

I just picked up a Pro Preferred that is used and was wondering what the best techniques are for softening up just the palm area? It still is a little on the stiff side. I have always liked gloves where when the ball hits in the palm area it just sticks and doesn't want to rebound off it. I love the light feel of the glove just didn't know if putting any kind of oil or conditioner on just the palm area would add any weight or not? I figured it's such a small area of the glove it wouldn't be noticeable if you did? But you guys would know better than me. Look forward to your guys input. Thanks

I would try lanolin or Lexol and then break out my homemade glove mallet (an 11" softball attached to a sawed-off wooden bat handle).

One product that I have used on really stiff gloves is Doctor Glove glove foam, from Franklin. It contains lanolin, plus neats foot oil. As a lightweight foam, it adds no extra weight to the glove at all- even if you slather it on.

Be aware that the neats foot oil will tend to darken leather a bit, if that is a concern. But this stuff is great for softening stiff leather and breaking in stiff gloves.

Thanks for the tips. Yeah, I will try what was mentioned. I want to get it so that whenever I do happen to catch a ball in the palm that it will just hit and stick and not want to rebound. I tried working the glove by hand tonight and used an end of a wooden bat to kinda shape the palm area pocket and try to soften that area too.