How to Break in a New Softball Glove
New seasons for softball players are quickly approaching. The high school season will begin in a month and is quickly followed by another summer season. New seasons mean new softball equipment. Soon enough teammates will be getting together for team practices where they can show off their Christmas and early season softball presents from their parents.
You can expect to see new bats and flashy new gloves this summer season. For those who haven’t had much time to break in a new glove this off-season, below are three easy ways to speed up the breaking in process.
Play Catch: Simple enough right? It’s time to start getting back in the swing of things and playing catch is a great way to revisit the hand-eye-coordination as well as loosening up the arm. Playing catch with a new glove can be challenging for younger players, as their hands may not be strong enough to close the fingers. Be patient and put the time in. Playing catch with a new glove helps to shape the pocket as well as mold to the fingers of the player who will be wearing the glove. Don’t jump into a game situation if your new glove isn’t ready. If you don’t have someone to throw a ball to, practice by yourself and throw the ball into your glove over and over again. You can do this while watching TV and it will help break in the pocket of your glove faster.
Oil Your New Glove: This is another common way for softball players to break in new gloves faster. You can take your glove into a sporting goods store and have someone oil it for you, or you can do it yourself. First, buy a bottle of conditioning oil. Then squirt a dime size amount of oil into a rag and rub on the palm, finger, and stitching of the glove. The oils purpose is to soften the leather, making it easier to bend and mold the glove. Oil also helps protect the glove from dirt, scrapes, and hard impacts.
Put a Ball in Glove and Wrap it: You should always put a ball in your glove when you are done using it. By leaving a ball in your glove at all times, the glove will permanently conform around the ball. It is proven that over time, the leather of gloves tends to change shape and texture, so keeping a ball in your glove will help with this. After you put a ball in your new glove, be sure to wrap something tightly around it. You want the wrap to be tight around the ball because over time and use, the glove will relax and eventually take the shape of the ball.
Glove maintenance is extremely important for all gloves, new and used. Be sure to always respect and take care of your equipment. Keep a ball in your glove at all times when it is not being used. Store your glove at room temperature. If kept outside in the winter, gloves will return to a stiff state and the leather will wear out quicker. Follow the steps above if you are eager to use a new glove during your upcoming season.
