How to Break in a Baseball Glove v1.5

Edit: Edited for some grammatical errors, better tips and disclaimers, etc.

HELLO! My name is Alex and this is my first instructable WOO!

Today we will be learning some of my techniques for breaking in a baseball glove. Since the turn of the last century people have been playing baseball for leisure or professionally. And as a player, one of the common things I hear from fellow team mates is the "stiffness" of a new glove. Believe me I'm a catcher, and some of the worst gloves to break in are catchers mitts. It also seems that the newer and higher quality of the glove the harder the darn thing is! So now *trumpets and drum role* I will be showing you how I work my magic on my mitts and fielding gloves to make them soft and pliable.

Step 1 Beating Your Mit

Beating the leather. This is often the hardest and most tedious step. A step that often people skip over due to laziness.

Materials: One Hammer (recommended: ball peen or rubber mallet)
OR
Glove Mallet
Hammer:

If you choose to use a conventional hammer I suggest you use something with a more worn down head. With sharp edges comes scratches, scuffs, and ultimately tears (on your brand new glove). I like ball peen simply because it has the rounded side making it a little gentler.

Rubber Mallet:
I also recommend using a rubber mallet. The soft rubber head makes for almost no scratching. But be careful as over extended use of this mallet or using a cheap-er mallet may cause scuffs on your brand new mitt.

Glove Mallets:
There are various types of glove mallets from home made to retail. They usually have a stick like apparatus for you to hold, with a ball shapped orb on one end. You then take the stick and proceed to beat your mitt.

Technique: There are various techniques to this step. I prefer the Inside Out method.

Take the glove. Turn it inside out, so that if you were to wear it you would have to catch the ball on the side opposite where you would normally catch it. Then take your hammer/mallet and go at it.

Comments

[chadwickrc]

I also agree with you on the necessity of the use of using oil on your glove. I think it actually prolongs the life of your baseball glove. I have used the same glove(I play at the college level so it gets used a lot) for 4 years now. I put oil/conditioner on my glove around once a month, depending on where we've played. My favorite stuff to put on my glove is called Leather CPR. It's a conditioner for high quality leathers, not specifically baseball gloves but I tried it out and it's amazing. (Go to http://www.baseball-gloveoil.com to buy it and check out other glove oils/conditioners I like to use).

[chadwickrc]

Good information here. I have played baseball all my life and continue to do so at the college level. I have gone through many gloves in my life and have tried many different ways to try and break in my glove. The best way I have found for me is to just use the glove. Play lots of catch and use a good type of glove oil to speed up the process. Check out http://www.baseball-gloveoil.com for more ways to break in a new baseball glove and some different types of glove oil to use to help your glove maintain its quality.

[bovic]

Alex, nice job. I was glad to see you do not recommend the "Oven Treatment". That is bad news for gloves. To learn what to do with your baseball glove once it is broken in please visit http://www.helpful-baseball-drills.com

[knight432]

or you could just put a ball in your glove to help form the pocket and wrap it up with rubber bands and when you are all done with that you just stick it under yoiur mattress for a few days

[givemedarock08]

this step is confusing.. can you show a picture of the "inside out" part?

[ianripken]

Consider heavy duty hand creme, available usually in the hardware or auto section of wal-mart and the like. It is stinkin cheap and easier to apply conservative amounts than shaving cream. It contains lanolin, which is the key ingredient in getting that glove moldable. Do not cook it in the oven/microwave.

[jaxy1185]

Oiling a baseball glove actually weighs it down and is not very good for it. The best way to break a glove in is to USE IT!. Shaving cream is the best way to condition and clean a glove... I have broken in many a glove in my day having played softball for 18 years all the way up through college and there are many bad tips so be careful when breaking in your glove!

[Aburame Shino]

I love you. I have an old glove (YEARS old, mind you) and it still isn't broken in too well. I find that letting my uncle (a softball player) throw baseballs at me and then catching them helps, too. Meaning just play a casual game of catch often and that helps. So I shall stay your methods! RED SOX, FTW! And if you guys know of the Lexington Legends, I live in Kentucky, so ... LEGENDS, FTW!

[NickelPhone]

(removed by author or community request)

[Aburame Shino]

<_< >_> HINATA MADE ME DO IT! She acts all sweet and innocent and then BOOM. Uses that Byakugan crap to threaten me!!1!one!!!

[rushenroulette]

I've used shaving cream on my kids and my glove. I picked up the technique on the Internet somewhere. Apparently shaving cream has skin moisturizers and oils. If it is good for my skin it probably would be OK for cowskin. If I remember right you are supposed to smear shaving cream (I used the stuff my wife uses on her legs) all over the glove then cook it in a preheated oven at 350 deg. for 10 minutes. It's fast, cheap, seems to work, and smells pretty!

[NickelPhone]

Well they do sell Glove "cooking oil" (I guess you could call it) but I've never used it. I don't necessarily like cooking my glove, I've had friends burn theirs and I personally think it would dry the leather out.

[sdedalus2000]

tyeing the glove closed with a baseball or softball in the palm then keeping it between your mattress and box spring for a few days was the way I was taught to do it as a kid.

[mightyinch]

I did most of these steps and in a similar manner. My glove is like a catching machine from forming the pocket correctly. I also did the mattress thing when I first bought this glove and actually left it there for probably 6 months like an idiot. I guess I just didn't use it that first year so much, but what a freakin glove it is now! Awesome instructable because throughout the history of baseball, this is a step everyone must take when they get their first glove (and other gloves throughout your baseball life, of course).

[gmoon]

This is a GREAT idea for an instructable.... I definitely think you'll get a lot of input and advice from readers, too (so many different techniques.) It's been a long time, but I recall putting a baseball in the pocket (like you advise) and then the glove under my mattress every night for a month....

[Casabamelon]

I've had a lot of success with petrolium jelly. Work it into the glove, and wrap it with shoelaces, with a ball in the pocket. It will get nice and supple really quick. Leave it for a day or two, play catch, wash, rinse, repeat. Just my $0.02.

[GorillazMiko]

Cool, I guess, it's okay for a first Instructable. Nice job!