Vintage Baseball Glove Forum

I'm going to be purchasing some new gloves in the near future and would like to get some input on breaking them in. My biggest concerns are this: I have never used any break in oils in the past to speed up the process. Main reason being that I absolutely hate any additional weight added to the glove. I've always just played catch to break them in and taken infield practice etc. Another question , would it be better to play catch with a baseball as opposed to a softball to break it in? You figure a baseball is smaller and wouldn't it hit more individual areas of the glove? Granted I'm done with baseball, and it will be used for softball. Anyone had luck with the mallets with a ball on the end? Now when you use those do you have the glove on or off your hand? I want to get my glove game ready as soon as I can, I look forward to your input.

A teammate of mine broke in his new catcher's mitt using a pitching machine. He and his son cranked it up as fast as it would go (about 65mph). His son dropped balls into the machine one after another, he caught them and tossed them aside. When the bucket was empty they gathered them up and started over. He said he caught about 300 65mph fastballs in about 20 minutes and it really loosened up the glove.

The best way is to just play catch. However, if I was in a hurry, I would try the ball mallet. Watch a ball game on TV, and swat that hammer into that new glove as long as you can stand it without bruising your hand.

Thanks for the replies. It's funny you mention the pitching machine. That is a great idea , I thought about that last time I was at the batting cages taking some hacks.

I used a glove mallet and it lasted about 30 minutes before the end flew off. I still used the wooden spherical end because it's the same size as a baseball, but heavier, so it breaks in quicker.

Yeah, the mallot is a great way to break in a glove. It forms a nice, deep pocket and you don't have to buy one. I play a lot of baseball and have played in some wood bat tourney's, so when one breaks, just take the handle of it, make a nice short length (about 1 foot long), and then take a ball and tape it to the end of it and there you have it!

i used a 3/4" dowel and used a blade bit to drill out an old baseball. ran a deck screw from the opposite end and saved a few $$$. probably should put a leather wrist tether on the end to prevent the mallet from accidently launching through the plasma TV

it's so easy to use that i had my 18mo daughter breaking in a horween pro12tc

Hahaha, those are some great pictures. Now with the mallet do you pound/work it with the glove on the ground or do you put the glove on your wearing hand then pound away? Or both?

On your hand. You may soften the leather if you pound the glove on the ground, but you won't be forming the pocket to your hand.

since my daughters hand is too small, she prefers to pound it on the ground (as the pictures denote:)

i don't know about you guys, but my hand can only take about 2-3 good whacks of the mallet. so what i've resorted to is taking an old neoprene mouse pad and cutting it into an oval or you can cut it into a shape that allows it to partially enter the finger stalls. that seems to take a lot of the shock off your hand.

i actually like to hold it by the tops of the fingers and pound it into the area that i consider the pocket. in the old days, i used to use a bat and put the glove on the couch and wail away. then you can hit it harder and for a longer time. anything besides old school horween should only take a day or two i would guess.

I agree with Cowboy7130. The key is proper hand/glove positioning. Once this is established the glove will break-in surprisingly fast with a well formed pocket and proper break-in points with just some throws from your free hand. If it's a Pro-Level glove, after just a few minutes you'll notice a big difference. When I get some free time (I'll be pretty busy the next couple of days) I can send you a how-to with some instructional photos if you're interested.

You guys are all barbaric! Hitting those beautiful gloves with mallets! Work them in your hand when you’re watching a Red Sox game. Get in a tunnel with a pitching machine if you must but get out and have a catch with them. Don’t beat them!

And Ed, you’re starting down a slippery slope here. As a father of older kids, I speak from experience when I say that they are going to mess up some of your stuff. It’s to be expected (and somehow it really doesn’t matter) - but you’re encouraging the behavior! And starting young!

Don't forget about the style of pocket that you want. I like a deep pocket and two hand trap every ground ball, but i like a versatile glove. B

Here's what I've done with my pro-1000HC in the new horween camel color leather. I don't recommend this for gloves smaller than 11.25".

The leather is thick and stiff. Start playing catch with a 12" softball. Pretty soon you'll be able to close the glove around a 12" softball. Then, switch to a 11" softball, smaller and higher density. This will really start softening the pocket and give it a nice shape. With the 11" softball, make sure you intentionally snap some stingers into your palm. You want to be sure the palm is as soft as the pocket, or you'll get 'finger bumps' where your fingers look like they press through the leather in the palm. Once the thumb and the pinky can touch when you lay the glove on it's side, it's time for a baseball. The leather on the back of the fingers will still be stiff, but the pocket, palm, and web will be nice and soft.

Applying a light oil at the beginning of the year and before a prolonged winter will help. In the battle of friction created by ball smacking glove, the ball always wins. And yes, if you don't have a catch partner, tossing a ball to yourself while watching a game works too.

I have an 18 month old too. I should have her help break-in my glove.

yeah john,

i'm going to come home some day and she'll be feeding the dog my 1 owner proT or my 12tc collection will be floating in the toilet

on a lighter note: left coast 2, right coast 1

dbacks v. bosox