How to Break In Your Baseball Glove – The Water Method

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Coach JP's Test:
I recently broke in one of our New Pro Stock Akadema infield glovesusing the following method. WOW, did it work! I was shocked! In 4 days, that glove was almost GAME-READY and had just a bit of moisture at the ends of my fingers inside the glove! That absolutely impressed me and I will recommend this method to you.
Check it out, print it out and email it around!

PS: After you try it, let me hear from you. Please send comments to mailto:coach@baseballtips.com

2009 Update:
I wrote this article some seasons back and in reviewing this earlier recommendation, I thought I would add that I have still not had even one baseball player or dad bark at me for any reason about this water method… and I still use the same model I broke in, though it is now my back up glove.

Important Note! There are some glove-types where I don’t recommend using this process:

1. Synthetic Gloves – Please don’t buy them… better to save up or buy something used that’s made of real leather.
2. Pre Oiled Gloves – These are fine if this is your preference…but do note that pre-oiled may be pre-broken down. Some can be heavy and lack “feel” and historically, this has allowed some glove makers to produce gloves of less-than-perfect hides which covers blemishes under certain colored oils.
3. Exotic Hides – I have no experience and figure this should work just fine but I will welcome your comments if you do try this water method. coach@baseballtips.com.

Hello JP
After 30+ years of playing & coaching baseball I have tried many different methods of breaking in a glove. In my opinion, the steps listed below will speed up this seemingly forever process. Please keep in mind this process should be used on high quality gloves made of 100% leather, like your Barraza Gloves, as this process may shorten the life of synthetic materials.

1. Fill up your sink or a bucket & completely submerge glove in room temperature water for approximately 3-5 minutes.
2. Put a baseball deep in the pocket & try to stretch glove around a baseball forming a pocket.
3. Tie up glove tightly, forming the pocket around the ball using a belt or string fingers facing up, to help the water drain.
4. Keep tied up & let glove dry naturally out in the sun or in the attic a couple days or in any warm part of the house. Do not place on any HOT surface.
5. Untie & throw in the clothes dryer (even if still wet) on hot for 15-20 minutes. This will help "beat up the leather."
6. Remove from dryer & start working it in. The more time you spend bending down on the fingers & forming the pocket the better the end result. Once completely broken in I prefer an occasional application of inexpensive shaving cream (just the white foam kind with lanolin and no fragrance) when glove gets a little dry.

UPDATE: I have found it increasingly difficult to find shaving cream with lanolin, so note that a good alternative is to purchase a small bottle of Rawlings Glovolium, which seems to be readily available in many sporting goods stores. (Just remember to add in small amounts...you don't want your glove to be soaked and/or heavy!) This method should leave your glove as close to game-ready as is possible in the absolute least amount of time... It works!

Remember, the cow that your glove came from certainly spent most of its life outdoors, so a little water shouldn't affect your leather. However I would not use this method with any of those chemically pre-oiled gloves that you sometimes see. They are chemically broken in and, in my opinion, will not last as long and tend to turn into rag dolls way before their time.

Best regards,

Coach Tonto Genovese
Fayette Yellow Jackets
Fayette County, GA

Shortcut#1
Consider investing in the Baseball Tips Glove Hammer. I designed its shape and size so that you should be able to cut down the break-in time by around 20-30%. It is so much easier and more efficient than throwing a ball into the pocket by yourself because you can accurately work the leather exactly how you want! Good leather should break in with a few sessions and some on-field play. There’s no need to pummel the glove night after night…just get it broken in. Our Glove Hammer should quickly get you and your new glove in the game.

Maintenance
Once your new glove is completely broken in, I recommend an occasional application of Glove Stuff when leather gets a little dry or after glove has gotten water-soaked.

Wet gloves should be towel-dried and then allowed to finish drying in open air… then add a small application of Glove Stuff for cleaning and feeding your leather. Leave this small bottle in your bat bag along with a dry rag for rainy days.

A Note About Breaking a Baseball or Softball Glove in Using Shaving Cream/strong>
Don’t... here’s why. Shaving cream used to always be a white cream that contained “Lanolin”…this was how I was taught to break in my new leather. Well, times have changed and now there seems to be no lanolin in ANY shaving cream I have found in any store.

Need A New Glove?
If you are in the market for some new leather, browse our selection of position-specific Akadema Baseball Gloves. They may be the best glove you’ve never heard of. They are all over college ball and invading the pro circuit too! The quality is that of “big name gloves” costing $50 to 80. more... I guarantee their quality! - JP

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