Help me in my glove journey

bigdogprinting

New Member
Hey guys I’m looking for the perfect middle infield glove for me. Went to my local sporting goods store today and all they had were Wilson a2000s. I have a smaller hand so the pedroia fit felt absolutely amazing but the only options were either 11.5 or 12.75. So I’ll give you guys a list of criteria and let’s see where this takes me. This is what I like:

- I like stiff gloves. I want something that is gonna hold its shape for years.

- I’d like to stay under $350

- I prefer something that plays like a 12”-12.25”

- I’m not brand loyal but I’ve always wanted either a Rawlings hoh, pro preferred, or Wilson a2000. I’m open for suggestions if it meets all my criteria.

- I like i webs. I also like a glove that plays short and wide vs long and narrow.

So what do you guys think would be somewhere to start looking? Also, is there a difference between a pedroia fit and a fast pitch glove fit? Thanks guys
 

ShortYellowBus

Well-Known Member
Pro-200 and the NP patterns from Rawlings are excellent for middle infielders. I highly recommend the Rawlings NP7 gloves if you’re only interested in a I-web. The Wilson A2000 1781 is a fantastic glove too.

You can also go the custom glove route. I highly recommend the Gloveworks GO96 for middle infield. You can customize it anyway you’d like.

If you’re looking to buy a glove here, I have some that I can show you and I know others who have the type of gloves that you’re looking for.
 

mkaufm1

Member
My only add here is that a lot of floor models are “pre-squeezed”, so if you’re particular about the break-in or enjoy the full break-in process, then I’d look at online vendors or shops where they keep stock locked or sell ones that aren’t the floor model. I’d also avoid Rawlings R2G gloves.
 

bigdogprinting

New Member
Pro-200 and the NP patterns from Rawlings are excellent for middle infielders. I highly recommend the Rawlings NP7 gloves if you’re only interested in a I-web. The Wilson A2000 1781 is a fantastic glove too.

You can also go the custom glove route. I highly recommend the Gloveworks GO96 for middle infield. You can customize it anyway you’d like.

If you’re looking to buy a glove here, I have some that I can show you and I know others who have the type of gloves that you’re looking for.
Sure man, show me what you have. Anything from 11.75-12.25.
 

etnstudios

Addicted to Softballfans
Pro-200 and the NP patterns from Rawlings are excellent for middle infielders. I highly recommend the Rawlings NP7 gloves if you’re only interested in a I-web. The Wilson A2000 1781 is a fantastic glove too.

You can also go the custom glove route. I highly recommend the Gloveworks GO96 for middle infield. You can customize it anyway you’d like.

If you’re looking to buy a glove here, I have some that I can show you and I know others who have the type of gloves that you’re looking for.
only thing i'd say is that several of these models are known to be more for large hands and OP said his were on the smaller side
 

bigdogprinting

New Member
only thing i'd say is that several of these models are known to be more for large hands and OP said his were on the smaller side
Yeah I have very small hands. Pretty much I’m looking for a stiff glove for middle infield slowpitch around 12” that fits like the pedroia gloves. Any recommendations?
 

Rous

Addicted to Softballfans
I'll suggest both the Rawlings Pro200 (either a 12" (Pro206) or a 12.25" (Pro207) and a few others like the Pro12 and Pro1000) and one of the 12" Mizunos (Pro or Pro Select).

There is an essential problem with making a softball glove for smaller hands. The bigger the pocket and the wider the glove, the bigger the hand stall has to be. Best option is to use a TIP grip. An alternative is to go with a fastpitch glove, but many of them look a bit odd. The Mizuno Pro Select GPSF2-1200 looks totally like a regular baseball glove. Nokona has a nice 12" American kip glove, but it's $400.

 
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bigdogprinting

New Member
I'll suggest both the Rawlings Pro200 (either a 12" (Pro206) or a 12.25" (Pro207) and a few others like the Pro12 and Pro1000) and one of the 12" Mizunos (Pro or Pro Select).

There is an essential problem with making a softball glove for smaller hands. The bigger the pocket and the wider the glove, the bigger the hand stall has to be. Best option is to use a TIP grip. An alternative is to go with a fastpitch glove, but many of them look a bit odd. The Mizuno Pro Select GPSF2-1200 looks totally like a regular baseball glove. Nokona has a nice 12" American kip glove, but it's $400.

Thanks for the reply. I have been looking at the pro206. I also thought about ordering a custom Wilson 1781 with the pedroia fit option.
 

mkaufm1

Member
I’ve got a new custom 206F HOH that I absolutely adore and I’m using this season for baseball. I like it a lot more than my Wilson DW5 (feels like it has more snap from wrist action). I haven’t gamed it for slowpitch (plan to in the fall), but my gut is that it needs to be a smidge bigger to swallow the ball (12.5”…I also like smaller gloves and felt my old 12.75” was way too big).

Counterpoint… I know Annasdad recommends the 206 for fastpitch in highschool, and he’s got a lot of happy customers from that recommendation; and my 206F has a little more breakin left to go (ordered extra stiff).
 

bigdogprinting

New Member
I’ve got a new custom 206F HOH that I absolutely adore and I’m using this season for baseball. I like it a lot more than my Wilson DW5 (feels like it has more snap from wrist action). I haven’t gamed it for slowpitch (plan to in the fall), but my gut is that it needs to be a smidge bigger to swallow the ball (12.5”…I also like smaller gloves and felt my old 12.75” was way too big).

Counterpoint… I know Annasdad recommends the 206 for fastpitch in highschool, and he’s got a lot of happy customers from that recommendation; and my 206F has a little more breakin left to go (ordered extra stiff).
So the dw5 doesn’t have a big enough pocket for softball? I was also considering that an option.
 

mkaufm1

Member
I like the 206 more than the DW5 for baseball… may be the honeymoon phase… I played a DW5 for 5 years with no regrets…great glove.

The 206 and the DW5 both have deep pockets that can fit a softball. I just feel like a glove with a smidge more length plays better with a softball. More extension that gave me more room for fielding the ball less than perfect. That being said, I played many softball games with a 12” DW5 (my primary for softball was a 12.75” Rawlings rev core) and it worked fine. I never missed contacting a ball because of the small difference in length. It just felt like I had to use two hands more often than just shag the ball.

If you’re going specifically for softball and can’t 100% make up your mind on size after trying on a 12” and 12.5” in store, I’d lean more towards a 12.25”. When you search the forum, you see folks like the NP7, 207, and 206 models for smaller gloves and then you start to see the 12.75” gloves come in to frame.
 
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I was on a similar journey a couple of years ago, only difference is I was looking for something in the 12.5 range. Some folks here recommended the NP7, but I was hesitant to go down in size. I also have somewhat smaller hands (long skinny fingers but a small wrist). After feedback here and other places, I ended up getting a custom SB125, and I love it, it fits me perfectly, it is the perfect size, and the break in was awesome.

I might add, playing middle inf, I also like smaller gloves, and played softball with an 11.75 for a while, and after making the switch to 12.5, all I can say is I wish I had made the change sooner, however, I have made the switch to 3B on a pretty much full time basis.
 

jkwoody22

League ball huer
I used to use the Todd Frazier tf21 Wilson, 12.25 at second for softball, rumor is that it is a 1781 with an hweb, I use tip and have smaller hands as well, m/l batting gloves, but that glove played wide with that web and bowled shaped, I loved it, the sp125 seems like a bigger version, I went to the 1799 as I play more 1b, of, c now, but would use it anywhere, big hand stall, but works well with tip for me, best all around glove for softball imo, I believe the Pedrioa fit has no palm pad, but I would think you can relace the hand strap the same or tighten the hand stall with another hole punched on the thumb side in most any glove
 

bigdogprinting

New Member
I used to use the Todd Frazier tf21 Wilson, 12.25 at second for softball, rumor is that it is a 1781 with an hweb, I use tip and have smaller hands as well, m/l batting gloves, but that glove played wide with that web and bowled shaped, I loved it, the sp125 seems like a bigger version, I went to the 1799 as I play more 1b, of, c now, but would use it anywhere, big hand stall, but works well with tip for me, best all around glove for softball imo, I believe the Pedrioa fit has no palm pad, but I would think you can relace the hand strap the same or tighten the hand stall with another hole punched on the thumb side in most any glove
Ok. Is that pretty easy to do if you have no experience with relacing a glove? Also, on the custom glove maker it asked if I want a thin or standard heel pad. Which is better for softball infield? Is no palm pad on the pedroia a bad things? Sorry I have so many questions lol.
 

bigdogprinting

New Member
I was on a similar journey a couple of years ago, only difference is I was looking for something in the 12.5 range. Some folks here recommended the NP7, but I was hesitant to go down in size. I also have somewhat smaller hands (long skinny fingers but a small wrist). After feedback here and other places, I ended up getting a custom SB125, and I love it, it fits me perfectly, it is the perfect size, and the break in was awesome.

I might add, playing middle inf, I also like smaller gloves, and played softball with an 11.75 for a while, and after making the switch to 12.5, all I can say is I wish I had made the change sooner, however, I have made the switch to 3B on a pretty much full time basis.
Now I’m in between a dw5, 1781, and the sp125. I’m gonna order a custom. I just wish there was somewhere I could look at some in person before I spend $350+ on a glove. My local sporting good stores don’t have those models.
 

ShortYellowBus

Well-Known Member
Now I’m in between a dw5, 1781, and the sp125. I’m gonna order a custom. I just wish there was somewhere I could look at some in person before I spend $350+ on a glove. My local sporting good stores don’t have those models.
Sp125 has a smaller handstall than the 1781. Way to tight for me, so I stopped using one.

Sp means it’s made for slowpitch, hence the SP125 and 125 means 12.5”. There’s a few SP models in bigger sizes, the most popular being the SP135. If you’re playing slowpitch and can actually find a sp125, it’s perfect.
 

ANNASDAD

The Veteran
I’m pretty familiar with this area having dealt with fastpitch girls hands for the past 10 years.

Two questions, how do you wear your glove, traditional or TIP? It makes a difference in hand stall size.

And just how small are your hands? Hopefully not smaller than my 5’0” 135lb. daughter!

And BTW, the DW5, 1781, and the SP125 are three entirely different gloves, to me anyway.
 

ANNASDAD

The Veteran
Just some random points of interest…..

My daughter used a 12” retail Pro206 and a 12” Don Morton Horween Pro1000 for travel ball, High School, and college ball. I switched her over from Vinci to Rawlings at the very end of 14U. Once she tried on that Pro206 there was no turning back, the 206 / 1000 pattern was the glove for her!

As @mkaufm1 said, I‘ve put probably 10/12 girls over at DFP into the 206-6JTB when the Myrtle Beach outlet was blowing them out. And here locally I can think of 6 girls including Anna that I put into a Horween DM Pro1000, and 6 or 7 more (?) again at DFP. That size and pattern just works!

I have medium sized thick hands, every glove here at the house the wrist has been re-laced to the smaller setting except my Pro12TC, I wear it TIP.

Me having medium sized hands, the best fitting hand stall of any glove I’ve ever owned is my second custom NP6, well actually both of my custom NP6’s. My favorite glove I own is my NP5PRO Spring Trainer, but the hand stall on it is slightly larger than both of my NP6’s and even my Horween NP7.

On the Rawlings side I’d be looking at a custom 206 or a custom NP6….or a Don Morton Pro1000, the Pro1000 is only available in black Horween at the moment. I’m an old school Tan glove guy but I did have a black 1000 here at the house for a few days, super nice glove! And really snug hand stall.

Never owned a DW5 or a 1781 so I can’t help you there, I did just sell my SP125 like an idiot here recently. That SP125 would only work for my hand TIP and laced the the smaller setting, it was a completely different and larger glove wearing it traditional. Killer glove though!

I have got to compare a Pro1000 side by side with a DW5 a couple of times, the Pro1000 is a slightly larger glove overall than the DW5. But as I said, never owned or used a DW5.
 

mkaufm1

Member
Softball in a 12” DW5. This glove hasn’t seen any action and mostly sits as decoration in my office. The Yak leather is an interesting novelty. :) When you go up to a 12.5” you’ll get more space at the end of the web. My old DW5 always felt like it required a perfect catch in softball or a snowcone which is why it made me more anxious to play it in softball vs a 12.75” glove.
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bigdogprinting

New Member
I’m pretty familiar with this area having dealt with fastpitch girls hands for the past 10 years.

Two questions, how do you wear your glove, traditional or TIP? It makes a difference in hand stall size.

And just how small are your hands? Hopefully not smaller than my 5’0” 135lb. daughter!

And BTW, the DW5, 1781, and the SP125 are three entirely different gloves, to me anyway.
I wear my glove TIP. My hand is 7” from the line on my wrist to the tip of my middle finger and 3.25” across the middle of my palm.

Is there anywhere I can see any of these gloves in person. Does Rawlings or Wilson have any stores with all their glove models to view?
 
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