Science vs Sacrament: How to Break in a Baseball Glove

How to break in a baseball glove?

This question has plagued all ballplayers, base and soft, for as long as they’ve found themselves with a brand-new glove.

You’d think the answer might be simple, but as you’ll see in this guide, it’s not as straight forward as running to first base.

Before We Break in Our Gloves

Research on this topic revealed that there are essentially two schools of thought on how to break in a baseball glove.

The Science of How to Break in a Baseball Glove

Philosophy 1 we’ve decided to call “Science”, although some might call them “purists”. This group usually consists of people who believe the glove manufactures and their tactics for how to break in a baseball glove is best practice.

They value how different substances and methods affect their glove’s leather. Much of this mindset believes in creating the longest lifespan for your glove by maintaining a glove’s durability through specialty baseball products.

The Sacraments of Breaking in a Baseball Glove

Philosophy “A” we’ve decided to call “Sacrament” for the sake of this blog post, but “traditionalist” is also an acceptable title.

Baseball is just as much a religion as it is a sport. Many baseball fans are suspicious, have strong nostalgia for their early days of baseball, and tend to favor break-in traditions from either teams or family.

These gut feelings are what drives a lot of the Sacrament mindset. The philosophy of Sacrament consists of players of all baseball backgrounds, including many MLB pros.

This approach largely consists of home remedies for breaking in gloves more rapidly. However, this often results in a shorter lifespan for the glove.

 

This article aims to share how to break in a baseball glove from these two viewpoints.

While this article specifically refers to baseball gloves, these treatment methods apply to softball gloves, catcher’s mitts, and first-base mitts as well.

Okay, let’s get off the bench and into the game.

• Universally Accepted Strategies for How to Break in a Baseball Glove
• Universally Rejected Strategies for How to Break in a Baseball Glove
• Slightly Disputed Strategies for How to Break in a Baseball Glove
• Highly Controversial Strategies for How to Break in a Baseball Glove
• Lesser-Known Strategies for Breaking in a Baseball Glove

 

Universally Accepted Strategies for How to Break in a Baseball Glove

Both parties can agree that these are acceptable methods for breaking in a baseball glove. In fact, many of these methods are used to follow up the other methods in this list.

They are as follows:

• The Traditional Method
• The Machine Method
• The Wrap Method
• The Hands-On Method
• The Mallet Method
• The Pummel Method

 

The Traditional Method

 

How it works: Grab your glove and a ball and find at least one friend. Now that the hard part is out of the way, the two of you play catch. Not only will you break in the glove, but you’ll improve your game thanks to the extra practice.

Both sides agree this is the best way to break in your glove without shortening its lifespan. The only downside is it’s not a quick prosses, and it takes many hours of catch to break in your glove. Unless you got your new glove a week or so in advance, it’s unlikely that the glove will be ready by game-time.

 

The Machine Method

 

How it works: This is just like the traditional method. However, while you don’t need a friend, you do need access to a pitching machine. The idea is to use the force, power, and rapid-fire capabilities of this baseball training aid, to speed up the traditional method.

Instead of throwing a ball back and forth, you prep the machine with several balls and catch them right after another. It’s like getting several hours’ worth of catch in a matter of minutes. While faster than the traditional method, it still takes longer to break in the glove the some of the other methods on this list.

 

The Wrap Method

 

How it works: You place a baseball inside your glove to form the pocket. Then, tie the fingers of the glove closed around the ball, and leave it this way for several hours, even overnight.

Baseball rubber bands are sold specifically for this method, however, you can get creative with other wrapping materials. Just be wary of the creases twine, string, or glove lace, can leave on your glove.

While slightly more controversial, following up this break-in strategy with the Mattress Method is another viable option.

 

The Hands-On Method

 

How it works: Grab the thumb of the glove in one hand and the pinky of your glove in the other. Pull one side towards you and the other away from you tightly. Move them back and forth as if you were rubbing the sides together, but don’t actually let them touch.

If you can’t find a friend to play catch with (I know, it happens to the best of us), then you can use this method to naturally break-in you glove all on your own.

This method takes time and work, but it consistently produces reliable gloves without doing any damage.

 

The Mallet Method

How it works: Use a specially designed glove mallet to break in specific parts of your glove.

Using a mallet, like the Marucci Glove/Mitt Break in Wood Mallet, lets players focus on shaping specific parts of the glove, getting them exactly to their liking. A mallet empowers players to make a deep pocket, form wide fingers, or shape the glove into a narrow shoot.

 

The Pummel Method

 

How it works:

Take a baseball bat or softball bat and pummel your glove from all sides until it’s in mailable enough to be worked into the shape you want.

Glove professionals approve of this method as long as it’s done strategically and outside the house. Pounding away at your glove is a reliable way to break it down, relieve some pent-up stress, and it pleases the baseball gods. Just make sure you don’t pummel it into a pancake.

 

Universally Rejected Strategies for How to Break in a Baseball Glove

Both philosophies agree that when asked how to break in a baseball glove, these are the wrong answers.

They are as follows:

• The Driving Method

 

The Driving Method

 

How it works:

You lay your glove down in front of the wheel of your car and carefully drive over the glove until the car is right on top of it.

While there may be some outspoken believers of this method, they are few are far between. Both the Science and Sacrament philosophies of baseball love the game and their gloves. They can’t image spending any amount of money on a new glove, and immediately taking it to the curb to make imitation roadkill.

Slightly Disputed Strategies for How to Break in a Baseball Glove

Here things start to differ slightly. The differences lie in how you perform these methods, not if you should. We’ll get to those arguments later in this article.

They include:

• The Oil Method
• The Mattress Method
• The Sun Salutation (Method)
• The Water Method
• The Steam Method

 

The Oil Method

 

How it works:

Spray or spread an oil, like Rawlings Gluonium Glove Treatment, or cream, like Rawlings Gold Glove Butter, on a rag before gently wiping down your glove. This relaxes the leather in your glove and makes it easier to shape.

Both parties agree that using oils can help break in a glove and that a “less is more” philosophy best practice. However, they disagree on the types of oils used.

Science: Baseball scientists strictly follow the manufacturer’s suggestions when using baseball oils. That means no homemade remedies and no dad’s shaving cream. Strictly products like Rawlings Gluonium Glove Treatment and Gold Glove Butter.

Substances not specifically designed for breaking in baseball gloves usually come with negative side effects for the leather. It’s far too common that home remedies leave players with a glove that’s too heavy to use, and falls apart long before you get your money’s worth.

If you’re of the Science mentality, but are dead set on using a “home remedy”, stay away from Vaseline, shaving cream (unless it’s primarily Lanolin oil), and cooking oils, and thoroughly research leather treatment products. Know that any of these substances, including baseball oil, break down your glove faster than the previous methods, but should also break it in faster.

Sacrament: Using glove oil is all part of the sacred sacrament of breaking in a baseball glove. Players of this mindset have strong memories of their dad or grandad using home remedies like baby oil, Vaseline, shaving cream, linseed oil, and various leather treatment products like saddle cream, and neat’s foot oil. Often, these products are cheaper and more accessible than special glove oils.

 

The Mattress Method

 

How it works: Prepare your glove using the Wrap Method. Then place the glove underneath your mattress. Repeat this process for a few nights.

Science: Baseball scientists are tolerable of this method as long as players are prepping the glove properly beforehand. Without placing the baseball or softball in the glove and wrapping beforehand, this method can leave players with a flat, useless glove.

Sacrament: This method is another favorite sacrament for breaking in a baseball glove. Ballplayers of all skill levels can either know another player who’s done it or have done it themselves. Not only does it break in the glove, but it also creates a bond with that glove that can only truly be understood by experiencing it yourself.

 

The Sun Salutation

 

How it works: Prepare your glove with the Wrap Method and leave the ball by a sunny window inside your home. The heat from the sun makes the glove soft and shapes the glove around the ball.

Science: Glove scientists are more tolerable of this strategy than other heat-based methods. A sunny window won’t reach the broiling extremes of the Car Method, Oven Method, or Microwave Method, but under the right conditions, it is still potentially damaging. Leaving the glove in the heat of direct sunlight for too long robs it of its moisture and causes it to dry out.

Sacrament: Most people of Sacrament prefer the Car Method over the Sun Salutation, as it usually works much faster.

 

The Water Method

 

How it works: The heat and moisture of hot water spread along the glove’s surface make it easy to shape. Even professional manufacturers like Wilson Glove Guru, Shigeaki Aso, use hot water to break in a baseball glove.

Science: Much like the Oil Method, the Science approach uses water sparingly and prefers warm water to hot water. This reduces the chance of your glove drying out, getting heavy, and shrinking. Lightly washing water over the section of glove you’re shaping is great when followed up with the Mallet Method and Hands-On Methods.

Sacrament: The Sacrament side of baseball has a much different approach. Many former players and pro players alike remember parents and grandparents baptizing their gloves in hot water. Some even had their glove soaked them for several days in a row. These holy waters get the glove soft and game ready in just a few days.

 

The Steam Method

 

How it works: The warm moisturized air from hot water softens your glove so it can be shaped.

Science: Glove Scientists are torn on this method. While they agree that this is an effective strategy for breaking in a glove quickly, as many services will steam your glove professionally, they recognize that dries out the glove, shortening its overall lifespan.

If you go with this method, make sure you work the glove immediately after steaming, or the pores will close up, the glove will become ridged, and the entire exercise will be pointless.

Sacrament: While the memories of dad or grandad steaming a glove are few and far between, many on the Sacrament side are open to this method. They generally prefer to steam the glove at home over a pot of boiling water for a more intimate experience.

 

Highly Controversial Strategies for How to Break in a Baseball Glove

The players behind Science and Sacrament mindsets strongly disagree on these methods. Some swear by these methods, while others argue they do irreversible damage. These methods value getting a glove in shape quickly above extending the glove’s lifespan.

They consist of:

• The Oven Method
• The Microwave Method
• The Car Method

 

The Oven Method

 

How it Works: Turn your oven to up to 350 degrees. You can either turn the oven off when it reaches the desired temperature and place your glove in the cooling oven or set it in briefly while the heat is on. This softens the glove so it can be easily worked into shape.

Science: The science mentality actively discourages having your glove in the oven for any amount of time. Your glove isn’t a Thanksgiving turkey and shouldn’t be treated as such. Leather requires moisture to remain mailable. Placing your glove in a hot oven drains it of its natural oils. Instead of a juicy Christmas ham, your glove will be brittle, even shrinking several sizes.

Sacrament: The Oven Method is a tried and true glove sacrament that many pros have done themselves. While the execution varies, it usually consists of popping your glove in the oven for 10 to 15 minutes after prepping it with glove oil. When you take the glove out, it should be soft enough to shape to your liking.

 

The Microwave Method

 

How it works: Place your glove in the microwave and run it in short bursts until it gets warm. Think of rapidly trying to thaw frozen meat that you neglected to leave out earlier for tonight’s dinner. Otherwise, you might accidentally toast your glove beyond repair. Once the glove is warm (not hot) and soft, it’s ready to be worked.

Science: The science side of baseball gloves is not a fan of slow-roasting their gloves in the oven. So, it’s not surprising they object to nuking it in the microwave. Much like an oven, a microwave saps the glove of its moisture and natural oils. But, it does it in seconds instead of minutes. A microwave is not ideal for the long team health of your glove, or even the short-term. It’s extremely easy to overcook your glove and fill the entire house with the scent of burnt leather.

Sacrament: While not blind to the dangers of this glove sacrament, this doesn’t stop the ritual from being attempted. Many of baseball’s professionals have burnt a glove or two using this method. However, if done properly, this is a quick way to get your glove soft and into shape.

 

The Car Method

 

How it works: This is an amped-up version of the Sun Salutation. Leave your glove on the dashboard of your car. The sun shining into your car creates a greenhouse effect, warming the glove, and making it soft enough to shape.

Science: It should come as no surprise that glove scientists are just as opposed to this method as cooking your glove in the microwave or oven. A car can get up to 150 degrees on a hot day. You’re really just turning your car into an oven and cooking your glove that way.

Sacrament: If you find yourself living in a hot state, first use the wrapping method to shape your glove around a ball. Then, leave your glove on the dashboard of your car for an hour or so. This is glove sacrament breaks your glove in quickly, especially if you leave in a warmer location with long hours of sunlight.

 

Lesser-Known Strategies for How to Break in a Baseball Glove

These hidden gems lack the notoriety of the previously mentioned strategies for breaking in a baseball glove.

They are:

• The Inside-Out Method
• The Dishwasher Method

 

The Inside-Out Method

 

How it works: Turn the glove inside out and let it sit.

This method lacks the moisture robbing substances and tactics used in previous methods. However, leaving the glove in a shape that isn’t designed for catching could be unhealthy for the natural structure of the glove.

 

The Dishwasher Method

 

How it works:  A variation of the Oven Method and Microwave Method. Send your glove through a cycle of the dishwasher (not with the dishes, obviously) to break it in.

We advise avoiding this method. The dousing and rapid drying of your glove can leave it stiff, brittle, and shrink it several sizes.

Your glove is not a cereal bowl, so it’s best to avoid this method. However, there is something to be said about someone having enough success with this method to recommend it.

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Batter Up!

We covered a lot of different ways to break in a baseball glove.

Now we want to hear from you.

How did you break in your glove? Is there a method we missed? What side of the spectrum do you see yourself on?

We want this guide to constantly evolve. So, let us know down in the comments your method for how to break in a baseball glove. Who knows, your strategy could

be featured in our next update!

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Resources: The Art of Manliness, Baseball Monkey, The Hitting Vault, Baseball Clinics