To do this, you can place the glove in the microwave after wetting it thoroughly. By using our site, you agree to our. We use cookies to make wikiHow great. They are intentionally quite stiff right out of the wrapper and take some work to break in. This also exerts the same pressures the glove will encounter in the game, therefore making it become softer, way faster than if you left it to get broken in during the course of game playing. Here’s what you need to do: Put the glove on like you would normally wear it With your throwing hand, take the mallet and continually strike the pocket of the glove To break the glove in more, take the glove off, lay the glove palm side down on the floor, and strike the back side This time the glove is not drenched in water, but covered in shaving cream. How To Break In A Softball Glove. Since you’re breaking in a softball glove, make sure you don’t wrap the glove using anything smaller than a regulation size softball. While this is happening, the ball on the inside creates the valuable shape necessary to make the glove well formed. Whenever you get a new softball glove, the first thing you always ask is, "ok, now how do I break this in?" Well, this feeling might be diluted in no time after you realize how stiff the glove is. Your body weight while sleeping on the glove causes the tautness of the glove to dissipate. Another heating method is by using the oven. Here are some ways to break in your softball glove: Make the leather soft. There are actually special mallets made specifically for glove-beating, check out some examples available online: A fourth and final manual way to break in your glove fast is simply to sleep on it. If the heated methods discussed previously all seemed too extreme for you, but you still need you softball glove broken in, in a hurry, you should consider steaming it. Do not worry because these oils do not cause much. You can also use this method to help your glove keep its shape when you aren’t using it. When you have ensured that the glove is soaked through, squeeze any surplus water out and put it in the microwave. Brad is a local softball enthusiast and has been involved in fastpitch softball and baseball for 20 years as a parent and coach. This said, I’m an enormous supporter of heat to break in a softball glove. This will allow it to stretch and form a near perfect softball sized pocket. In professional baseball, this is known as “manhandling,” and can be used to break in new gloves or keep them supple between games. Manufacturer recommendations are sometimes included with new gloves. Barbasol Shaving Cream is proudly made in the USA, Break-In and Maintain your glove with the Hot Glove Break In Kit Value Bundle, Includes Hot Glove Treatment to Break In your glove, Cream Conditioner to preserve and maintain your glove, and two Wrap Bands to wrap your glove around the included practice softball to maintain the glove pocket. Softball gloves are fashioned from thick, durable leather, so you’re unlikely to damage the glove, as long as you don’t employ extreme measures like running it over in a car or dropping it off a cliff. The oils from our hands alone can help. Do not use too much oil or cream on your glove. Tying a baseball sanitary sock, a strong heavy cord or rubber bands around the glove with two or three baseballs in the pocket is a standard overnight break in mode. Use the glove to play catch. Break in a Softball Glove For a softball player, nothing is more exciting than getting a brand new glove—until you put it on and feel how stiff it is. Several “glove steamers” are on the market at local sporting goods stores, and if used correctly, can speed up the process for break … Also, try hitting your glove repeatedly with a baseball bat or ball mallet, striking it in the center of the palm. Though this is a swift way to break in your glove, it will still take at least … It’s important to treat the stitching and webbing of the glove with oil, as these parts absorb most of the strain from catching and gripping and need to be pliable. Go easy on the oil. Your focus should be on enclosing the ball each and every time it is caught. Grip the striking implement firmly as you make impact to get used to squeezing around an object, the way you would when catching a ball. Most manufacturers offer oils specifically formulated to treat their gloves. Sure, oil softens the leather up and makes it more pliable. http://www.baseballmonkey.com/how-to-break-in-a-baseball-glove, https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-ZQZKOyqHe0, http://www.hksportsfields.com/break-in-your-glove/, https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=NdFzzLQPAMA, http://www.artofmanliness.com/2009/04/19/how-to-break-in-a-baseball-glove/, https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=tEYKRT1SuRU, http://www.ebay.com/gds/How-to-Break-in-a-Softball-Glove-/10000000178608519/g.html, http://espn.go.com/mlb/columns/story?id=5173365&columnist=caple_jim, http://theysmell.com/baseball-glove-steaming/, https://www.reference.com/hobbies-games/can-make-leather-shrink-18d43b114bf9fcad, consider supporting our work with a contribution to wikiHow. Prices for softball gloves and mitts can range from as low as $20 to as high as more than $300. This way it gets to meld into the shape of your hand as it is being broken in. Applying too … You should apply pressure to the ball through the use of your thumb and forefingers to create a “pocket.” This results in a nice natural curve which would have occurred organically if you had the time. The kit includes 3 products to let you break in, maintain, and preserve your baseball or softball glove. Did you just buy a brand new softball glove and have a game coming up tomorrow? Try kneading your new glove while you’re watching TV, talking with friends or sitting in traffic. Once your oven has reached the optimal heat, the glove must be inserted for only three minutes. Tie the baseball glove shut, with the baseball inside, using shoelaces or a belt. Good for when the glove sleeps at night. % of people told us that this article helped them. First, buy a bottle of conditioning oil. Wearing your glove a lot, squeezing your glove a lot and working the leather simply with your hands, can help to break it in. 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