Breaking In Your Glove
Breaking in your glove should not be rushed. The goal is to loosen the leather, shape the glove around the way you play, and gradually work it into something that feels natural in your hand.
1. Start With Hot Water
Begin by using hot water to loosen the leather fibers. This makes the glove easier to shape and work with.
You do not need to completely soak the glove. The goal is to get the leather warm and pliable enough to work.
Once the leather begins to soften, decide how you want your glove to close and what kind of pocket you want to create.
2. Work the Glove
Use a glove mallet to work the areas you want to soften.
Focus on:
- The pocket
- The heel
- The hinge points
- The areas where you want the glove to fold and close
Pound the pocket repeatedly and work the hinges based on how you want the glove to close.
Do not be afraid to stretch the glove in different directions. Open it wide, work the fingers, bend the leather, and loosen the areas that still feel stiff.
You can even carefully turn parts of the glove inside out to help loosen and stretch the leather.
Take your time during this step. The more intentionally you shape the glove now, the easier it will be to get the feel you want later.
3. Shape It Before It Dries
This is one of the most important parts of the process.
While the glove is still damp, the leather is much easier to form. Shape the glove exactly how you want it before leaving it to dry.
Create your pocket, position the fingers, and set the glove into the closing shape you prefer.
Once you are happy with the shape, leave the glove in a well-ventilated area and let it dry naturally for approximately 20–30 hours.
Do not use a dryer, oven, microwave, heater, or other direct heat source to speed up the process.
4. Work It Again
Once the glove is completely dry, it will likely feel much stiffer than it did before.
That is normal.
The glove should now hold much of the shape you created while it was wet, but the leather will need to be loosened again.
Use your mallet to:
Continue working the glove until it begins closing naturally and comfortably.
- Rework the hinge points
- Pound the pocket
- Open and close the glove repeatedly
- Loosen any areas that became too stiff while drying
5. Condition the Leather
Please do not skip this step.
Water can leave leather feeling dry after the glove has fully dried. Apply a small amount of glove conditioner to help restore moisture and keep the leather from becoming overly dry or brittle.
Use a light, even amount. More conditioner is not necessarily better.
Once conditioned, give the leather time to absorb the conditioner before continuing to work the glove.
6. Play Catch
Now comes the best part.
Once your glove is dry, conditioned, and moving the way you want, get out there and play catch.
The more you use it, the more the glove will continue to form around your hand and the way you play. No break-in method can replace actually using your glove.
Keep playing catch, keep working the pocket when needed, and let the glove continue to become yours.
Then go enjoy the game of baseball.