Breaking in a new Softball glove?

[Tangs4President40]

Hey Guys and Gals, just realized I can't find my softball glove, and if I can't find it soon may have to go out and snag a new one. Anyone have any tried and true techniques on the best/fastest way to break in a new glove? Thanks in advance!

[Caged Great]

Put two softballs in it, and tie a sock around it (or two tied together if they're too short), then throw it into a bucket of water.

[DropIt]

Oil it up, put 2 softballs in it and wrap it with some thick elastics and park a truck on it

[Raekwon]

Throw it in a bucket of water? Are we talking about the same thing here?

[Da_Chief]

Oil it up, wrap it in tin foil and microwave it for 60 seconds.

[Caged Great]

Originally Posted by Raekwon

Throw it in a bucket of water? Are we talking about the same thing here?

It's the best way. I've broken in almost a half dozen gloves that way. You have to wait for a couple days for it to dry out (you should leave the balls and socks around it till it does).

The water opens the pores regardless if it's synthetic or leather and with the two softballs in it, it moulds it so when it dries you'll have a perfectly broken in glove.

[phiten]

Sit in front of the TV, and repeatedly throw the ball in the upper palm of the glove. The webbing doesn't need as much breaking in because the leather isn't as thick...The benefit of this tactic is that is perfectly forms to your hand compared to the elastic method.

By just throwing a ball into my Wilson's Catcher Baseball Glove (which is far harder then a larger softball glove due to the variations in leather) I was able to break it in almost 24 hrs..caught a college game with it that same weekend.

[troutman]

Put it under your mattress, and sleep on it for a few nights.

[Stranger]

Find Randy Johnson and catch 1000 balls with from him.

Actually, I'm with Caged Great. Take a ball and tie it up tightly in the glove where you would catch it. Soak it good in a pail of water. Let dry and then try it. After that, apply oil to it everyday and help loosen it some more.

I think I even froze mine when I last broke one in.

[ricoFlame]

Originally Posted by Caged Great

then throw it into a bucket of water.

baseball people the world over are cringing.

[nickerjones]

Ok here is what you do ... Get Leather Oil ( I find the oil makes the glove heavier) or shaving cream. Rub it in .. and put a softball in the pocket of the glove. Get rubber bands and tighten them around the glove. You want it quite tight. Wrap the glove in an old towel and place it on floor of your garage. Take your car and and park it on top of the glove with the glove under a tire.

Take it the next morning and play catch. I did this with a lot of gloves through my playing career , all the way through college. Always worked like a charm for me !

It

[RougeUnderoos]

Okay, the whole "throw it into a bucket of water" thing is nonsense.

What you want to do is this, see. Take a full size pink grapefruit (it has to be pink) and peel it (do NOT throw the peel away) like you would an orange then put it in the deep freeze for about an hour. You want it frozen, but not frozen solid. Take the grapefruit out of the freezer, put it in the glove. Then, wrap a leather belt (not elastics, they chafe and weaken the grain) around the glove. Make sure you take the buckle off the belt because the whole thing is going in the microwave next.

Now this part is important -- put it in the microwave on DEFROST for half an hour (an hour if it's a catcher's mitt, 22 minutes for a 1st-baseman's glove). The heat in the microwave will simultaneously melt the grapefruit and contract the leather belt, slowly squeezing out the essential oils of the grapefruit while also molding the leather into the shape you want (the shape of a grapefruit/softball).

I know, I know, Spalding has their $29 citrus oils and velcro straps that the salesman will try to push on you at any specialty shop, but doing it the old fashioned way is cheaper and better.

And remember those peels you saved? Well, rub those into the palm and between the fingers (especially between the fingers, that region is usually ignored but is vital) next time he temperature reaches 15C (74F) and leave the glove in the sun for no more than 3 hours.

[algernon]

Originally Posted by RougeUnderoos

Okay, the whole "throw it into a bucket of water" thing is nonsense.

What you want to do is this, see. Take a full size pink grapefruit (it has to be pink) and peel it (do NOT throw the peel away) like you would an orange then put it in the deep freeze for about an hour. You want it frozen, but not frozen solid. Take the grapefruit out of the freezer, put it in the glove. Then, wrap a leather belt (not elastics, they chafe and weaken the grain) around the glove. Make sure you take the buckle off the belt because the whole thing is going in the microwave next.

Now this part is important -- put it in the microwave on DEFROST for half an hour (an hour if it's a catcher's mitt, 22 minutes for a 1st-baseman's glove). The heat in the microwave will simultaneously melt the grapefruit and contract the leather belt, slowly squeezing out the essential oils of the grapefruit while also molding the leather into the shape you want (the shape of a grapefruit/softball).

I know, I know, Spalding has their $29 citrus oils and velcro straps that the salesman will try to push on you at any specialty shop, but doing it the old fashioned way is cheaper and better.

And remember those peels you saved? Well, rub those into the palm and between the fingers (especially between the fingers, that region is usually ignored but is vital) next time he temperature reaches 15C (74F) and leave the glove in the sun for no more than 3 hours.

Hmmm, I used to just spitle my chaw in the pocket. But, I was 12, so I may have been doing it wrong.

[Nufy]

I literally worked mine into shape. Beat it around a field with a bat to soften the leather and then like someone mentioned ran over it with my car a few times a day.

Works great....At least it did for me.

[Table 5]

Throw it in the garbage and go play a real sport.

That's right, I said it.

[ricoFlame]

once it's been oiled up and let sit for a while, go to the batting cages and catch 50 or 60 fastballs at 70mph...play catch every day with it...respect the mitt.

[Pastiche]

Originally Posted by RougeUnderoos

Okay, the whole "throw it into a bucket of water" thing is nonsense.

What you want to do is this, see. Take a full size pink grapefruit (it has to be pink) and peel it (do NOT throw the peel away) like you would an orange then put it in the deep freeze for about an hour. You want it frozen, but not frozen solid. Take the grapefruit out of the freezer, put it in the glove. Then, wrap a leather belt (not elastics, they chafe and weaken the grain) around the glove. Make sure you take the buckle off the belt because the whole thing is going in the microwave next.

Now this part is important -- put it in the microwave on DEFROST for half an hour (an hour if it's a catcher's mitt, 22 minutes for a 1st-baseman's glove). The heat in the microwave will simultaneously melt the grapefruit and contract the leather belt, slowly squeezing out the essential oils of the grapefruit while also molding the leather into the shape you want (the shape of a grapefruit/softball).

I know, I know, Spalding has their $29 citrus oils and velcro straps that the salesman will try to push on you at any specialty shop, but doing it the old fashioned way is cheaper and better.

And remember those peels you saved? Well, rub those into the palm and between the fingers (especially between the fingers, that region is usually ignored but is vital) next time he temperature reaches 15C (74F) and leave the glove in the sun for no more than 3 hours.

As a guy who's broken in his share of gloves this blew my mind. I never heard of this method.

[ricoFlame]

Originally Posted by Pastiche

As a guy who's broken in his share of gloves this blew my mind. I never heard of this method.

Water dries out the leather...exactly the opposite of what you want.