Flared gloves?

[oldreliable]

I must admit that I don't understand why certain new model gloves are "flared" at the thumb.

Like the TPX gloves.

How on earth can this help? I have never tried one, but wouldn't it be harder to pick up a ball off the ground?

Can you guys please educate me on the point of a flared glove?

Thanks.

[MVALZ]

I've never really understood its advantages either. LS claims the Flare design provides larger catching surface with a flat and deep pocket ...accepts the ball like a funnel? No thanks.

[offsidewing]

Flared gloves aren't aesthetically pleasing to me at all at all (I'm a deep pocket guy) and if you trap grounders/DP throws like your supposed to, I don't see the advantage to flared gloves.

I'm not dissing guys that like or use them or the gloves, but I don't understand the functional advantage.

Like dad always said, "get your apron down!" or "Two hands!" Using those two things, I never had a problem at second base using a deep pocket Pro-1000 or Pro-1005 and twisting a lovely DP at lightning speed and effeciency. If you don't catch the ball, there's not need to worry about the "Pocket-to-hand" transitionor losing the ball in the pocket.

[RedSoxFan81]

I think the flaring of gloves is similar to that of finger placement. It's kinda whatever you're used to or feels comfortable to you. I personally flare my pinky / thumb fingers, or at least have them be open as wide as possible with them slanting in a diagonal fashion.This kinda allows a little wider opening across from pinky to thumb. I also just have gotten comfortable with the wider opening for ground balls. Especially for softball since that's all I play anymore. I have a custom H web I use that is flared just like Tulowitzki's glove



I have an 11.5" PRO AK2 which I believe is very similar to what he uses that I will flare in the same manner as pictured.

Here's the other option I mentioned (my A2000 infield glove)where it's super wide, but not actually flared with the pinky/thumb having a curve

[oldreliable]

OK, I guess I can see some advantage in having a glove open as wide as possible to maximize catching surface. If Tulowitzki is cool with it, well, who am I?

I guess I'm oldschool. Actually I guess I'm middleschool. If I were oldschool, I'd be using a buckle-back.

My favorite glove type is a mid-to-late-60s glove, Wilson gloves in particular.

If a flare works for someone else, and they feel comfortable with it, that's A-OK with me.

Now whatever happened to stirrups?

[wbunnell]

...Now whatever happened to stirrups?

If you really want to know or at least keep track on who is wearing them go to www.uniwatchblog.com . Its an amusing site I check almost everyday, right behind this one.

[yankees23]

That George Brett Uniform Disaster clip is funny as hell.
Thanks for the link.

[WMD_172]

The big advantage, and reason why my teammates do it is because the ball funnels down into a very small pocket area near the palm.

This way, the fielder A) always knows where the ball is for quicker transfers
B) can catch the ball without any palm bruising or completely closing the glove.

This is also usually paired with wearing the glove slightly off the hand (not having your hand buried deep in it) which puts the glove in a better position to field grounders easier.

Finally, you can use a 12.5 glove, but other than the added length, it will play like a 11.5.

[Cowboy7130]

...Now whatever happened to stirrups?

If you really want to know or at least keep track on who is wearing them go to www.uniwatchblog.com . Its an amusing site I check almost everyday, right behind this one.

Yep, me too ... VBGF, then UniWatch, then Espn.com and Page 2 ... then MLB.com ... and ebay .... and then it is time to go back to bed so I can wake up and check them all again the next day!

[Brotherray]

Finally, you can use a 12.5 glove, but other than the added length, it will play like a 11.5.

I've never cared for flared gloves until my 12 year old started to flare his PRONP5P Oxblood. I've always played infield with a deep pocket, my XPG-3 Basket Web, and the pinkie and thumb slightly curved inward, but after trying out his glove I decided to pick up a PRODJ2, another flat pocket glove, and started to flare the pinkie and thumb. The flare allows us to use two hands (isn't that what we preach?) and practically never close the glove on ground balls. Ball transfers are much quicker, and just like WMD_172 said a 12.5 plays just like an 11.5 when you use it that way but you have a great advantage on balls up the middle or in the hole with the extra inch in glove length.

I'm still not crazy about the look of the glove, especially those TPX's!

[glovemason]

Akadema came out with the Funnel years ago. Then LS came out with the Flare. I heard they are fighting about it. Akadema has a patent.
LS has money.

http://www.nypost.com/seven/07152007/sp ... kernan.htm

[Goldy the Gopher]

The louisville flared gloves felt awful when i tried them on. I would rather just flare the glove on my own.