How to Condition Your Baseball Glove

How to Condition Your Baseball Glove – The Right Way! Don’t make the same mistake I did and learn from my years of experience.

Materials Needed

Before you start, gather these materials:
-A baseball glove
-Glove oil
-A soft cloth

Preparing the Glove

A well-conditioned baseball glove will help you play your best and keep your hand healthy. It’s important to break in your glove before using it in a game. You can break in your glove by playing catch with it or by using a glove mallet. You should also condition your glove to keep the leather soft and to prevent it from drying out.

Breaking in a New Glove

There’s nothing like the smell of a new baseball glove. There are a few ways to break in a baseball glove, but we recommend the following method because it’s safe and it works!

What You Need
– new baseball glove
– 2 old baseballs or 1 nerf ball
– non-wax leather conditioner
– old towel

Instructions
1. Start by working the webbing of the glove. Open and close the glove as many times as you can. This will help to loosen up the leather and make it more pliable.
2. Once the webbing is loosened up, put some conditioner on your fingers and work it into the entire glove, paying special attention to the leather that forms the pocket.
3. Next, take one of the balls and insert it into the sweet spot of the glove (right behind where your palm would go). Close the glove around the ball.
4. Wrap an old towel or T-shirt around the ball/glove combo and tie it off with a rubber band or twine. This will help hold everything in place while you work on stretching out the leather.
5. Now, working slowly and carefully, start bending and twisting the glove in every which way — up, down, side to side, diagonally — you name it! Every movement should be gentle but firm. You’re essentially trying to replicate all of the motions that will be made when you’re using the glove in a game situation.
6. Once you’ve given the gloves a good workout, let them sit overnight so that they can start to retain their new shape.
7. In the morning, take another ball — or if you’re using a nerf ball, just flatten it out a bit — and repeat steps 3 through 6 with this second ball. Again, let your gloves sit overnight after working them out with this second ball.
8. The next day — or even better, after a few days — your gloves should be nicely broken in and ready for action on game day!

Maintaining an Older Glove

Older gloves may be more difficult to break in, but they often offer superior quality and craftsmanship compared to newer models. If you have an older glove that you’d like to use, you’ll need to take extra care when conditioning it.

The first step is to clean the glove. You can do this by removing any dirt or debris with a soft brush, then wiping it down with a damp cloth. Once the glove is clean, you’ll need to soften the leather. This can be done by applying a small amount of leather conditioner or Vaseline to the surface of the glove. Rub it in gently, then allow the glove to soak overnight.

When conditioning an older glove, it’s important not to overdo it. too much conditioner will make the leather brittle and dry, eventually causing it to crack and peel. If your glove is looking dry or cracked, you can apply another thin layer of conditioner. Allow it to soak overnight again, then brush off any excess in the morning.

Applying the Conditioner

After you have purchased your baseball glove, you need to take the time to condition it before using it. This will help the glove retain its shape and prevent it from drying out and cracking. There are a few different ways that you can condition your baseball glove. You can use a Leather Conditioner, Glove Mallet, or Glove Steamer.

Oiling the Glove

After you have used the baseball glove conditioner, you need to oil the glove. This will ensure that the conditioner is evenly distributed, as well as help to break in the glove. Oiling the glove also helps to waterproof it. When you are ready to oil the glove, do the following:

1.Put a small amount of baseball glove oil on your fingers.
2.Rub the oil into all of the parts of the glove that you conditioned, including the laces.
3.Fold the glove closed and squeeze it tightly several times so that the leather molds to your hand.
4.Leave the glove overnight so that the oil has a chance to soak in completely

Applying a Leather Cream

You can apply a leather cream to your glove to help keep it conditioned. Start by putting a small amount of cream on your fingertip. Then, rub it into the leather in a circular motion, working it into the pores of the leather. Once you’ve applied the cream, buff it into the leather with a soft cloth.

Using a Glove Mallet

Using a glove mallet is an old-school way to break in a baseball glove. If you don’t have a mallet, you can use a small hand weight or a can of soup. Wrap the ball in a light towel so you don’t mar the leather and whack away. Start at the pocket and work your way around, hitting every inch of the glove. You want to soften the leather so it’s easy to close around the ball. Don’t be afraid to really swing hard — your goal is to loosen things up, not break them.

Letting the Glove Dry

Before you start the process of conditioning your baseball glove, you need to make sure that it is clean. After you have used your glove, it is important to let it dry before you put it away. This will help to prevent the growth of mold and mildew. You can speed up the drying process by using a fan or by placing the glove in a well-ventilated area.

Once the glove is dry, you can start the conditioning process.

Additional Tips and Advice

After you have broken in your glove, you may notice the leather getting dry and hard. This is normal. It is important to keep your glove conditioned so that it remains soft and pliable. Doing this will also help it to retain its shape.

Storing the Glove

You’ve finally taken the plunge and purchased that beautiful baseball glove. It’s perfectly broken in, and it fits like a glove (pun intended). So, now that you’ve got this amazing new piece of equipment, how do you take care of it so that it will last for seasons to come? Here are a few tips on how to store your glove:

First of all, when you’re not using your glove, it’s important to keep it stored in a cool, dry place. Extreme changes in temperature can cause the leather to dry out and crack, so avoid storing your glove in places like the attic or the garage. A closet or bedroom dresser drawer is a great place to keep your glove safe and sound.

Once you’ve found a good storage spot for your glove, be sure to stuff it with newspaper so that it keeps its shape. You can also buy special glove forms that help maintain the shape of the pocket; these can be found at most sporting goods stores.

Finally, once or twice a season, it’s a good idea to give your glove a little bit of TLC by applying a coat of leather conditioner. This will help keep the leather supple and prevent it from drying out and cracking. Be sure to follow the directions on the conditioner carefully; too much can actually damage the leather.

Avoiding Common Mistakes

One common mistake is to put your baseball glove away wet. After each use, it’s important to dry off your glove so that mildew doesn’t have a chance to form and destroy the integrity of the leather. Another common mistake is using too much conditioner. When you over-condition your glove, the conditioner can actually build up and make the leather less pliable and more susceptible to cracking.