How do baseball gloves do with softballs, especially the 12.25 or 12.5 versions? My current gloves was a hastily done purchase and it was designed for softball.
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I was in your situation just a couple months ago. The only certainty I can share is that I can tell you the answers to many questions about gloves will come frustratingly slow if you are starting from scratch like I was. For me the frustration was simply not being able to "try on" several gloves which would have told me in a few seconds if any of them was a contender and I could have been done in a half hour. What I had to settle for were pictures of gloves (those with a softball in the pocket helped most), and others opinions. There 'are' better general choices among all the baseball glove model patterns that you can eventually narrow down to; but that took me a lot of time, by searching many web sites, and asking questions like your doing now. Getting down to one or two was dicey this way and I never was "sure". So I'll share some of my experience in choosing a softball glove, but of course this is just one more opinion. I am a "gear head" about most activities I take an interest in as I count it part of the sport; but I had not yet been bitten by the bug for softball since I just started a few years ago to play again after 40 years, so I knew very little as I started to look for a new glove. What I did know though was even for a city the size of Denver I was not going to find it in a store as I had tried or be able to try many on my hand.
The general baseball/softball glove question you ask was my first eventual realization of lots of wasted time. There are softball gloves made, few in comparison to baseball and fewer good ones unless you like floppy gloves and want to go through this every year. If you want a good durable longer lasting leather, and a glove that keeps a shape, then you will need a baseball glove. Here is where some general pattern advice you will hear can help speed you on your way. I found Rawlings 504, JD (as in 5048 and JD-6) to have larger pockets for a softball. When I figured out I could lump "the looks" of some patterns together like 206/207/208 in to a general 200 glove pattern category it was helpful. 5048 may be referred to by many as a 504 pattern, but JD is simply JD. I never found a RV23. These were all I turned up as softball associated gloves in Rawlings. I know there are customs from other mfg's I did not follow up on that you may want to do. Despite my current use of a Wilson 12" which I liked it, Wilson did not make the cut for me. In retrospect the pattern was my biggest decision. I ended up getting a 208 pattern (208 is a 12.5" 200 pattern - 207 is a 12.25" and 206 is a 12" version of the similar). This is because (for me again, as I have narrow hands). This was as large a pocket and sequentially glove I "felt" I could go and keep it tight on my hand. I found out "narrow" on a glove only means the wrist strap is laced on the tightest hole setting. The mental connection to feeling I have "control" of the glove was far more important. So much of what you want vrs what you get may be a compromise (as you wrote in your post title , and again you may be in large part deducing or guessing about these traits). The pockets in the 5048 and JD seemed to just pan out towards the pinky too much which I did not like. I catch almost all balls at second base directly in the pocket and don't want extra space for the ball to meander. When I reach for it I want to know exactly where it is at - just another of those personal things. Also, maybe you know but I did not, if it says "softball" that is code for girls/women's glove as in fast pitch. A point that stayed lost on me for too long through my questions and searching. The custom form does not even make this distinction or explain this nor any of the several abbreviations your making selections for; so I recommend calling any company and running down any list you have to confirm what the options are if your not already sure. In talking to Rawlings I found this out after 15 minutes into our discussion - they seemed totally surprised I thought I could order a "softball glove". (Maybe getting up there on the "S" curve if you know what I mean.)
About length: I was using a Wilson A2000 basket web which I liked, but wished was a little longer if it did not change the pocket much if I was going to buy a new glove. I found out their 12.25" version (they actually make one, but there is a lack of models between 12" (say infield) and 12 3/4" (say outfield baseball). No mfg seems to really go after the softball glove market (not by product or marketing), which would include more gloves in this size); But the Wilson 12.25" changed the whole glove too much and it was not going to work. The Wilson 1781 never came up. The Rawlings in 'infield sizes' I could find in stores were smaller than the Wilsons - a non starter. I found (you may not) that 12" and smaller gloves were similar in pocket area shape and provided a wider area in the palm for the ball; and longer 12 3/4" gloves were smaller in this area and fanned out towards the finger tips as they got longer and wider. Also I found the longer a glove was the floppier it could be or was as it was used. (May be a positive for some). I was surprised when I measured my 12" glove and found out the total inches between the top of the web and bottom of the palm were not that different from my 601, a 12 3/4" glove. same for 13" gloves I checked. Most of the additional linear inches was due to a deeper pocket. When the tape was run taught from web to palm (elevated over the pocket) as ball flight might enter into the glove was only 1/4" longer. And it's reasonably questionable how much of the palm or tip of the web is actually helpful in catching a softball. So that solidified my choice of a 12"-12.5" size glove. (Progress!) I also don't buy in on the idea that in softball that a good infield glove is necessarily smaller, although it seems more likely that a good outfield glove might be bigger. The larger gloves I have tried in the couple years I have played again were not as compatible with me due to shape, not size. (That may be lost on you but I'm typing too much already to explain). I did like the longer length, but I found the ones I could try were looser on my hands. The best short stop on the teams I play on now uses a 12 3/4". So it's a dilemma to listen to opinions and look at pictures.
Firm/Stiff gloves: I wanted a generally firm stiffer glove and the thumb and pinkly have to be firm. For players on my teams this was probably their most personal choice and they were most sure about this aspect. Nokona's,since you mention them as possible choices are very soft and floppy gloves. For me they would make a good wallet or billfold ;-). I found the longer the glove the more floppier they can get. Hence 12" - 12.5" again was looking better. Nokona's were floppy from the get go.
So my decision after a couple months of searching was to get a custom Rawlings 208 pattern (12.5") which seemed to have a pattern shape from pictures I looked at similar to my current 12" which I liked, but might be a smidge longer for those high line drives and slightly deeper pocket which was ok for the softball, in a Pro Preferred kip leather as the 601 I had was kip and it stayed firm for longer than any in my experience did. Others agreed on this point from my teams; (but others on this board have posted differently); and since the leather was a bit thicker/heavier it could help those eventual stings since I usually catch balls right in the pocket which I liked the 601 for, but a poor pattern/web choice for infield at least for me.
I received my Rawlings 208 yesterday and things turned out OK. It's sitting with a coat conditioner waiting for some shoeshine action and then ball break in. The leather not as thick as my 601, but pattern which concerned me most and shape/ length is good. Looking forward to what should be my next gamer. Hope this helps to some degree and not too wordy..............