How to break in a new baseball glove

For passionate baseball players and fans there is nothing better than a well broken in baseball glove. The following steps will help you transform a new baseball glove into an extension of your hand.

Difficulty: Easy

Instructions

Things You'll Need:

• new baseball glove, baseball glove oil (can be purchased in any sporting goods store), a baseball, twine.

1. Take your new glove and begin breaking it in with your hands. You can throw a baseball into it or just continuously bend and shape the glove. The oil from your hands is a useful first step in breaking down the leather.

2. Pour a generous amount of baseball glove oil onto the new glove. Quickly begin using your hands and fingers to work the oil around and into the glove.

3. After the oil has been consistently worked into the glove place a baseball into the pocket of the glove and wrap the ends of the glove around the baseball. The entire unit should look just as it would if you had just caught a fly ball in centerfield.

4. Once the glove is properly set with the baseball and the sides are folded in use the twine to secure the glove. You want the glove to remain just as it is so it holds it shape around the ball.

5. Leave the entire unit (glove + baseball + twine) alone for 24 hours and then unwrap and play catch with a buddy.

6. Repeat steps 2 - 6 as many times as you need to until the glove is soft and fits comfortably on your hand.

Tips & Warnings

• Rawlings makes a very good baseball glove.
• It is importantly that the glove fit you securely. If the glove doesn't feel comfortable you can take it to any sporting goods store to have them make the laces tighter.

[lococom]

on 12/5/2007 Step 5.1 would be to play catch. Maybe playing catch goes without saying, but the glove becomes more pliable at the end of a session of catch than at the beginning. You will notice this each time you play catch until the glove is well broken-in.