How to break in your glove

[DSNuts48]

I've made a thread before talking about how break in your glove, but apparently that didn't help. So today I come with pictures. Its an easy step by step guide on how to break in your glove the right way.

Okay, so you just got your glove and you're excited because church ball starts this Tuesday. Well you've had your glove for a few weeks but you're just now thinking about breaking it in. So you're thinking, "Man I've got to beat this leather to pulp right away!" - or - "Set the oven to 350!"

STOP.​

Don't do either of those things. Instead play this youtube video, grab your glove, and begin to follow the first couple of steps. Then after a 24hr period, follow the rest of the steps; there will be a different youtube video for that.

What you will need:

-Glove
-Glove Conditioner
-Latex glove, not if you're allergic
-Some type of elastic banding
-Plastic bag
-Rag/Towel/Napkin
-Let Barry set the mood

The glove probably came in a package wrapped in plastic, or was placed in a plastic bag whenever you bought it from the store. Save this bag, and set it to the side.

Now most people skip this next step, they go out of their way to buy a glove and neglect to take care of it. The directions on these conditioners are pretty straight forward. Follow them, because your glove's leather needs to be conditioned and hydrated before you go beating it; still talking about the glove.

You're just going to take a little bit at a time and attack the different areas of the glove. Takes around 3-5 pea sized drops of conditioner per side of the glove. MAKE SURE YOU WORK IT INTO THE LACES! I cannot stress that enough. Once the glove is covered with conditioner you need to stick it back into the plastic bag and let it sit for a 24hour period so the glove can soak up the conditioner.

Next slide....

 

[DSNuts48]

Refer to this post again and again until the glove is broken in.

Alright, so its been 24 hours and your glove is hydrated. Congrats, you are now the owner of a properly conditioned glove. So let's break it in:

Alright lets wipe this bad boy off, so grab a towel, dry rag, or napkin and then rub the excess conditioner off. Depending on how much the glove soaked up is going to be the deciding factor on how much excess will need to be wiped off. This is pretty self explanatory, just take the napkin to the glove and wipe.

Alright, let's break this badboy in. This is what the we're going to working on throughout the process. This is a glove that is not broken in, and so the pocket needs to be loosened up and formed.

We're going to start by doing a "shoe shine" rub or wax on - wax off type motion throughout the pocket/palm, etc. This will help loosen the leather up tremendously. I wore gloves to save you the trouble of seeing my man hands because I am a model. I prefer three fingers, although only two are shown here. Just place the fingers like this and begin to do a shoe shine or wax on wax off type motion.

The glove should look like it did before and if it doesn't then you have done something horribly wrong.

Now's the fun part. Grab someone to play catch, or just grab a ball yourself. Queue the music and begin to beat the hell out of the glove.

Now that you've been out throwing to yourself or actually have friends --

You know what, let me take a moment to congratulate all the Agoraphobes who made contact with the outside world. You can do it, you can succeed, and I do believe in you. Thank you.

Okay so you just get in and you're thinking, this glove looks nice I'll just put the ball back in the ball bag and set the glove up somewhere flat so the glove creases through the pocket. Well, I'm glad you thought, but you were wrong. Instead, leave the ball in there. I like to switch it out to a clean ball so my glove doesn't accept all the dirt. What I need you to do now is to put a clean ball deep into the pocket and really grind that sucker in there. Then mold the glove around the ball and wrap with a bandage, elastic banding, or a neoprene sleeve.

Now you can store your glove. I like to store mine inside the original plastic bag. If the glove isn't broken in the first go around, then you can refer back to this second post over and over until it is. Now there are some things I left out, like molding the glove with your hands. I did this because the way I like my glove is not the way you like your glove. You make put two in the stink when I prefer one, or you may want a pro style flare in your glove.

 

[DSNuts48]

Now, I'm not the king of glove breaking but I do know how to break in gloves. I'm reserving this third post so if anyone has any tips that I left out or any other helpful videos that need to be posted. Fill free to send me a PM, or post tips in this thread and I will try to put them into this post. Thanks.

http://forums.softballfans.com/showthread.php?t=838088

ASO METHOD

 

[thaynes]

I hate cliff hangers d let's go I got a new glove ya know

 

[KannonsDad]

I use the Aso method

 

[DSNuts48]

Alright, finished.

 

[KDEflyers]

Play catch in the rain.

 

[shockfinder]

I use the Aso method

Yep...minus the water, ot because I think it's especially harmful to put a thimble sized amount on the palm, but I am just too lazy to be bothered.

 

[Houdini5150]

Nice write up. I like the shoe sine work at the palm of the glove.

 

[baptism]

You should link the video of the Chinese man breaking in the glove for Brandon Phillips. I think they said he is the designer of the A2000? I could be wrong.

 

[usmcluberti]

You should link the video of the Chinese man breaking in the glove for Brandon Phillips. I think they said he is the designer of the A2000? I could be wrong.

Yeah, that's ASO...they were referring to the aso method above

Works great for breaking in gloves, everyone has there own methods though

 

[-Six-]

Nicely done!

 

[iowa_kid]

Nice write up sir.. I also use the aso method, but this is good stuff also

 

[DSNuts48]

Thanks guys, I added the ASO method to the third post. I find that a lot of his work supplements well with the VINCI method.

 

[phoenix26]

Never thought I'd hear Agoraphobia mentioned on this site.

That was a good step by step tutorial.

 

[Whitey0817]

What are the ingredients of that Vinci conditioner? Ive had luck with Red Wing's mink oil boot conditioner...its got lanolin, silicone, and mink oil in it...pretty good stuff

 

[BigBL87]

Just finished the first portion on my EI1918, just gotta wait for it to soak in. Seems like the palm will be the most difficult thing, especially with having the basket web it's really hard to work the top of the palm.

 

[DSNuts48]

What are the ingredients of that Vinci conditioner? Ive had luck with Red Wing's mink oil boot conditioner...its got lanolin, silicone, and mink oil in it...pretty good stuff

I'll look into the ingredients and get back to you.

Just finished the first portion on my EI1918, just gotta wait for it to soak in. Seems like the palm will be the most difficult thing, especially with having the basket web it's really hard to work the top of the palm.

Just use a little more TLC on the trouble areas. Frankly, the start off with the second part of my tutorial and then supplement in some of the ASO methods.

 

[Houdini5150]

Just keep working it and shoe shining it. Play catch and pound the pocket.

 

[shockfinder]

What are the ingredients of that Vinci conditioner? Ive had luck with Red Wing's mink oil boot conditioner...its got lanolin, silicone, and mink oil in it...pretty good stuff

Vaseline pretty much.

 

[thaynes]

I used nokonas cream and now theres a tacky feel to the leather

 

[Simmer17]

I've always used shaving cream to break in gloves. Recently had my laces tightened and the guy reccommended I put my glove in cold water for a couple hours to make it stiffer.

 

[CatchersSB#31]

I used nokonas cream and now theres a tacky feel to the leather

That taky feeling will come out after a use or two. You may have to use it a few times, but if you beat the glove similar to the Aso method after you condition it, I think you'll get good results. Play catch too.

 

[thaynes]

Yea I figured as much. It sees game debut tomorrow

 

[MrNixter]

?I've always used shaving cream to break in gloves. Recently had my laces tightened and the guy reccommended I put my glove in cold water for a couple hours to make it stiffer.

There is a lot of fail here. Please for your gloves sake dont do this

 

[Simmer17]

There is a lot of fail here. Please for your gloves sake dont do this

I wont do the water part but I thought foam shaving cream with lanolin was ok?

 

[Coonass]

Good post! I used a combination DSnuts/Aso, No water and i basically beat the hell out of it.

 

[MrNixter]

I wont do the water part but I thought foam shaving cream with lanolin was ok?

I would use some form of vaseline/lanolin mix before and kind of shaving cream. Just my .02 though.

 

[Simmer17]

I would use some form of vaseline/lanolin mix before and kind of shaving cream. Just my .02 though.

Foam shaving cream is lanolin mix

 

[MrNixter]

Foam shaving cream is lanolin mix

Shaving cream is to shave your face, not to condition your glove, lanolin or not, there are glove treatments for this, and none of them are gillette.