Kids always seem to remember breaking in their very first baseball glove. Maybe you were told to fold a ball into the pocket and stuff it under your mattress for a week. Or you spent evenings massaging oil into the leather while watching a ball game on television.
Hopefully, you didn’t try tricks like microwaving your glove or coating it in shaving cream. If you did, you found out pretty quickly what lousy advice that was.
So, what are the best ways to break in a new glove?
If your team needs their gloves in tip-top shape sooner than later, we’ve got a few techniques the pros use to share with you.
1. Water Technique
When Players Need to Work Out Some Frustrations
- Take a mallet or neoprene dumbbell and soften the glove by pounding the breakpoints and around the pocket.
- To soften the lining, pound the outside of the glove.
- To fit the glove to your hand, moisten the glove with hot but not boiling water. Don’t submerge the glove in the water; just pour a bit of water over the leather. Then put your hand into the glove and punch into the pocket with your fist to shape the hand.
- To shape the pocket, first, identify your unique pocket while the glove is on your hand. Remove the glove and pound around the pocket. To further soften the targeted area, use a weighted ball for precision pounding.
If that sounds a bit confusing, watch Wilson’s Glove Guru, Shigeaki Aso, show you how it’s done:
2. Steam Technique
When Players Need to Fit and Break in Their Gloves Quickly
- Apply glove conditioner—this will allow the pores on the leather to open up and soften during steaming.
- Put the mitt in a glove steamer to soften the leather and make it more malleable.
- Take the mitt out and begin hitting it with a mallet, loosening up key areas.
- Repeat this process several times depending on the type or grade of leather.
Athletes need equipment that fits, and the process of wearing in new equipment can take weeks.
Whitehall® athletic training supplies—like the cleatPRO® Glove system—help athletes perform better by shaping the glove for a custom fit contoured to their hand.
- Helps to fit gloves to each individual athlete
- Steam each day to keep equipment fresh
- Use daily for a comfortable fit
It’s not just for baseball teams. Hockey players love it, too! And like the name says, our system is also designed to steam cleats for a comfortable, personal fit. Browse all the different models of cleatPRO® today!
Testimonials
Seattle Mariners
“cleatPRO® Glove has been a great addition to our Clubhouse. The players loved it during spring training and continue to use it every day throughout the season.”
Ryan Styles, Clubhouse Manager
Manchester United
“Our cleatPRO® boot steamers are an excellent addition to the boot room. Our players and coaches use them daily and absolutely love them.”
Ian Buckingham, Kit Manager
Washington Capitals
“Our players and goalie love the cleatPRO® Glove; they use it daily before each practice and game.”
Brock Myles, Head Equipment Manager
