It's funny how it still doesn't look fully broken in.
What does a fully broken in glove look like to you?
A 12" softball has a diameter of ~4". Once I get my glove to close to 3.5", it's fully broken in!
Too many people break in their glove too much & then wonder why it doesn't hold its shape or last them as long.
Dunking is an old method that, IMHO, is not necessary for most modern gloves. They just aren't that stiff as to require it. Of course, if you're someone who is always switching out gloves, it can shorten break-in time. I don't think that it's beneficial to the longevity of a glove though. Most people don't buy a glove only to swap it out every 6 months or so. They hold on to it long term. Dunking has a negative effect on lace health & has uneven drying patterns that can lead to early deterioration, especially of internals. It's not that I don't believe in adding moisture to a glove. I just believe in adding it in a more controlled, less invasive way.
I always try to give a glove a 6 month leeway before I game it. I have enough time to break it in naturally & minimally. For me this is:
- Minimal conditioning. ("You can always add but you can't take away!")
- Mallet & weighted ball work.
- Lacing break-in. (Web & fingers)
- Shaping.
- Shoe shining the top & the crotch of the web.
- Shoe shining the glove heel.
If I feel that it's necessary, I will introduce a few microwaved wet bar towels to specific parts of the glove.
What I wind up with is a glove that's shaped to my hand & works exactly how "I" want it to work. Once I get it to about 80 to 85% of the way, outside it goes to finish the process with some weighted ball catch & defensive drills. It's only when I get to a certain level of comfort that I deem a glove "game ready". Since I usually make glove purchases from late summer to mid February, at the latest, it's very rare that I will game a glove in the same calendar year as purchase.
I would also add that I
NEVER create specific "break points" in my gloves. I believe that they're not necessary for a softball glove & they shorten its useful life. Glove longevity can be affected based on where you live (weather), how many games you play, maintenance regimen & other factors. Where I live has a playing window of 8-9 months with mostly moderate temps & I play roughly the equivalent of 100+ games. With that in mind, I expect to get about 7 years of optimal service out of a stock high end glove (think A2000/HOH).
