How To Break In A Baseball Glove (Video Below)

Breaking in a baseball glove is a personal preference. You could have a hundred different players tell you a hundred different ways to break in a glove. Why and how to break in a new baseball glove? The are three reason to break in a baseball glove.

First we want to condition the leather. Keeping the leather conditioned and soft will help keep your baseball glove around for a long time.

The second reason we break in a baseball glove is to form a pocket. The pocket of a baseball glove is where we try to catch the baseball. Every player prefers a different pocket. Some like them deep, while others don't. Which brings us to the 3rd reason for breaking in a baseball glove.

Comfort. Probably the most important reason for breaking in a baseball glove is so that it feels comfortable when you are playing with it. If it doesn't feel good, then you are not going to be able to perform good. Make sure you break in your glove to YOUR specifications and not how someone else tells you how to.

Here are some common practices used to break in a new baseball glove:

To soften or condition the leather you can use:

Shaving Cream (Foam) - this is one way to soften the leather of a new baseball glove.

Vaseline - another way to soften the leather.

Glove Oil - there are some companies that make oil specifically for breaking in baseball gloves. These oils are also used to condition the leather. Check with the manufacturer that you bought your glove from if they have some. If not, here is a link to some glove oil

To form the pocket you can:

Play Catch - probably the best way to break in a new baseball glove is to play catch with it. Playing catching will give you a true fit on how you like your baseball glove depending on how you catch the baseball. The more catches you get, the looser the glove will become and the more of a pocket you will have.

Use a mallet - They make these things that look like the bottom of a baseball bat with a wood ball on the top of them. It is kind of like a hammer except the ball is what you pound into your glove where you want to form the pocket. Here is a link to one of these mallets

Rubberband with a ball - Leaving a baseball in your glove overnight and putting rubber bands around the glove is another way to develope a pocket and help break in your glove. If you want a bigger pocket try using a softball instead of a baseball.

Catch a Pitching Machine - If you don't have a partner to play catch with before the season try going to a batting cage and instead of hitting, go in there with your new glove and catch the baseballs that are thrown. This is sometimes better than playing catch with a regular partner because you can get in the faster cages and really get some good speed behind the pitches.

Also, those rubber balls are usually a little heavier than baseballs so you can get more bang for your buck per pitch in a batting cage as opposed to throwing with a partner.

Some NOT SO COMMON ways to break in a baseball glove: Some players will put their baseball glove into the stove for 3-5 mins at 350 degrees. You have to make sure that the oil you are using is ok for this. I have personally never seen it done but I've heard some players swear by it. Here is a link to some oils that will work with this uncommon method.

You could always just leave it in your car on a hot day instead of putting it in the oven or microwave! Be sure to use the glove while it is still warm so you can form it before it gets stiff again.