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Breaking in a ball glove???

B

BigMotherTucker

Sophomore
Aug 20, 2006
6,806
199
63
My 10yo girl has been playing with a 14yo Walmart special for the last few years. My wife bought it when we got married so we could toss the ball around.

I thought it was time to upgrade her game and considered a Wilson a2000 12" but I chickend out and got her a wilson 950 12.5"

Whats the boards opinion on breaking this sucker in? It's usable now... But I'd like to get it to a 2nd year feel.

Let's hear it...
 
C

Cooterpoot

Redshirt
Aug 29, 2012
4,239
2
0
Really hot water and follow instructions on the Wilson website. They work pretty well. Don’t put in an oven. Don’t lube it up with oil,
 
dawgstudent

dawgstudent

Heisman
Apr 15, 2003
40,656
22,706
113
 
B

BigMotherTucker

Sophomore
Aug 20, 2006
6,806
199
63
They steam them for 20 mins then beat it with a mallet for a few mins. It helps, but it's not a sure fire break-in.
 
E

EminenceBunt

Redshirt
Mar 28, 2016
164
38
28
Have her put her hand in the glove, then put a ball in the glove and tell her to squeeze it, then put 4-5 rubber bands around it to keep it closed and then have her pull her hand out. Do this every night for a couple weeks while also tossing the rock with her in between. This way it doesn’t just break in, but breaks in exactly how her hand would want it to, if that makes sense. Best way to do it is take time doing it, quick ways are never the best ways. Do it the right way, it breaks in perfectly and she can then use it for a decade or more.
 
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N

ntzdog

Redshirt
Aug 6, 2009
64
3
8
We used to lather them up with shaving cream, put a ball in, and wrap with rubber bands. Seemed to work well.
 
was21

was21

Senior
May 29, 2007
10,011
637
113
Put that leather conditioner on there in the pocket, place a baseball in there and wrap the glove up with large rubber bands...leave it alone for about 6 months
 
R

RocketDawg

All-Conference
Oct 21, 2011
20,350
3,026
113
EminenceBunt said:
Have her put her hand in the glove, then put a ball in the glove and tell her to squeeze it, then put 4-5 rubber bands around it to keep it closed and then have her pull her hand out. Do this every night for a couple weeks while also tossing the rock with her in between. This way it doesn’t just break in, but breaks in exactly how her hand would want it to, if that makes sense. Best way to do it is take time doing it, quick ways are never the best ways. Do it the right way, it breaks in perfectly and she can then use it for a decade or more.
Click to expand...

Problem is, she's only 10 years old. So her hand will be growing for another 4-5 years at least, so she'll outgrow the forming.
 
E

EminenceBunt

Redshirt
Mar 28, 2016
164
38
28
I see why you would think that but her fingers would just get longer. It’s more about the action that she uses to close the glove rather than the size of the hand.
 
E

engie

Sophomore
May 29, 2011
10,763
106
63
Just use it to break it in and use the timeframe that it’s stiff to improve receiving and transfer fundamentals. Some degree of stiffness is a good thing at most positions.

Yes I teed it up, so “let me have it”.
 
B

BigMotherTucker

Sophomore
Aug 20, 2006
6,806
199
63
All good suggestions. Thanks guys. She used it at her lesson tonight with minimal dropped balls. I'm going to research all the suggestions here and chose a few to try. I'm a firm believer in just playing catch with it, but that's me... She wants to use this thing immediately, so I'm going to do everything I can to speed it up.

The a950 is no a2000, but she says it's really comfortable and she likes it a lot. I bought her a pro series mizuno mitt a few months ago it is still unusable, so I'm going to sell that sucker. I'll report back when we get this thing to our liking and let everyone know what worked after some trial and error.
 
U

Upyurs

Redshirt
Nov 24, 2017
453
0
0
Steam it a little and let her use the damn thing. Hell it's an 80 dollar glove. Not like you spent 500. We have a clothes steamer at home that Ive used on my son's and it works great otherwise find any steam source and beat it with a bat or anything to help loosen it up. Let her do it if your concerned with it mouldings to her hand. Let it dry and oil it up. Put ball in it and put rupper band around it when she isn't using it.
 
C

Cooterpoot

Redshirt
Aug 29, 2012
4,239
2
0
Never cover a glove in a bunch of oil. It will break it down. You use oil very sparingly according to usage and conditions you live/play in. Any oil should be specific for gloves. Some gloves will have directions on oil usage and care. Low end gloves will not.
 
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BlueRidgeMtns

BlueRidgeMtns

All-Conference
Nov 29, 2016
5,573
3,457
113
I'm pretty sure a glove or two of mine ended up in the oven at some point.

She needs to start using it... that'll break it in.
 
G

Goat Holding Inc

Redshirt
Jun 27, 2019
254
0
0
Oil it up ONE time. Let it sit for 24 hours. Then start playing with it until broken in. Kid will learn a lot about catching while going through that process. Now is the best time to do it, too.
 
D

dstatechamps

Sophomore
Oct 15, 2006
277
168
43
All techniques have pretty much been covered and I agree that use is the best way to break one in. Back when we were playing, we took a ball and inserted a foot or so long rod into it. Think ball on a stick. Take that and whack it into the glove to simulate catching a ball. Barring having someone to play catch with a lot, it's pretty effective.
 
HumpDawgy

HumpDawgy

All-Conference
Apr 6, 2010
4,897
2,074
113
I always used mitt oil, a baseball, and a couple big rubber bands and then stuck it under my mattress.
 
Swede39

Swede39

Junior
Jan 29, 2016
361
365
63
Had an old little league coach buy me some neatsfoot oil for my glove when I was younger. Worked like a charm. Used the same bottle with any newer gloves I had to break in as I progressed though school.
 
CochiseCowbell

CochiseCowbell

Heisman
Oct 29, 2012
15,862
14,943
113
Swede39 said:
Had an old little league coach buy me some neatsfoot oil for my glove when I was younger. Worked like a charm. Used the same bottle with any newer gloves I had to break in as I progressed though school.
Click to expand...

Were you the punter that tried out to pitch for Cannizaro's squad? I was thinking it was the punter who left to attend dental school. Hell, that could still be you. Sorry, age and booze have my punter memory a little hazy.
 
Swede39

Swede39

Junior
Jan 29, 2016
361
365
63
Haha wasn't me. Cooke tried out for Cann's squad. Sobiesk left to attend dental school/asked Mullen to be put on scholarship and Mullen said no so he enrolled in dental school instead.
 
CochiseCowbell

CochiseCowbell

Heisman
Oct 29, 2012
15,862
14,943
113
Cooterpoot said:
https://youtu.be/3i_x0neoseU
Click to expand...

Wow. Between this video and the travel ball thread I now realize that I am extremely out of touch. I feel ancient. I'm only 37.

Is this method used to get the glove ready for a game the next day?

What happened to sandlot ball? We played 9 months of the year in a random field, as long as it wasn't cold, in between all the other sports (including organized ball) and obligations we had. Right field (right of the big tree) was foul. Usually 5-5, often just 3 on 3, & occasionally less. Not everyone had their own bat.

I guess this is why I never made State's roster.

Now, get off my lawn!*
 
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B

BigMotherTucker

Sophomore
Aug 20, 2006
6,806
199
63
This is the method I used. Wilson has a good instructions page on this and they link a video to their break-in guy doing it. This method allowed me to form a good pocket and soften up the glove a good bit. Per the Japanese guy in the video, you do the hot water treatment and beat the glove with a break in bat, let it rest for a little bit then do it again. We tossed the ball a little after the second treatment. I'd say its 85% of where it needs to be. I'm going to repeat this method a few times. I also bound the glove with a ball inside it and threw it under my matress for the night. When I'm done, I'm going to rub a little glove butter in the palm/pocket area.

So I guess my point is, I'm trying several methods at once.
 
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