Choose and Break In A Baseball Glove

How to Choose and Break In A Baseball Glove
By: Lee Dobbins

When it comes to choosing a baseball glove, you have many things to consider. The type of material is important as well as the type of glove and, of course your budget.

First of all you need to know what type of glove you want. G loves made for specific positions have certain features which are designed to specifically meet the needs of that position. One clear example for this is that a catchers mitt has extra padding needed to help absorb the shock from fast balls and curve balls. Obviously knowing what positions you will play is key in selecting the best glove for the job.

Another thing to consider when choosing a glove is the webbing. There are two types of webbing - open and closed. Open webbing works well for active fielders who want to able to get the ball out of the glove as fast as possible. Closed webbing is better for pitchers, who use it to help hide the ball from the batter.

Gloves are made from three main types of materials. First you have your basic leather glove that we all know and love. Secondly there are leather gloves that are treated with chemicals which cause it to be easier to break in and more durable keeping a better shape longer. Lastly, you can buy synthetic or plastic gloves but these are not of the same quality as leather gloves and are only good for beginners and youth players.

When picking a glove, make sure it is of a size that's easy to handle and control. You want it to snap open and closed quickly and your fingers should feel snug inside but not too tight.

Once you get your glove home, you won't be able to play well with it until it is properly broken in. This takes a combination of oils, creativity and elbow grease and there are many age old methods to breaking in a baseball glove.

If you don't have a secret family recipe for breaking in your glove, you can simply apply oil that's specifically designed for this purpose. Rub the oil onto every part of the glove including the laces and the inside. The oil will moisturize the glove to keep it from drying out and cracking. It will also keep the webbing from coming lose. When you buy oil made for gloves, you can be assured that this won't damage the glove as the concoction your uncle Bernie swears by might.

It's best to apply the oil in the fall and really work it in - let the glove sit until spring then take it out and play ball!

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