Need recommendation for dad's catching hand

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May 15, 2016
926
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Since you're not in a hurry to get it game ready, just catching with it is perfectly fine. :)

Thanks. I just don't know if I will be able to hold on to my DD2's fastball for a while, but I figure it is the best way to break it in.
 
Jul 29, 2013
6,782
113
North Carolina
Bob, if you have a ball mallet or a 3 or 5 lb. dumbbell, you can beat the heel and the thumb & pinkie break points. I lay new gloves on a towel in the yard, the ground is firm but gives enough to not damage the glove, and of course the towel keeps the glove from getting any grass stains.

I know I said no steam or heat, but I did throw a Vinci mitt in the clothes dryer with 5/6 towels for maybe 10 minutes and immediately went and threw with Anna, threw hard! I definitely don’t expect your RLA to be as stubborn as that Vinci! Also, shoeshine the heel & the top of the web spiral lace back and forth in a hard tight pattern, pull the glove really far open till it’s flat and then fold the pinkie over the thumb, pull open flat again and fold the thumb over the pinkie, repeat again and again, you won’t hurt it. Remember on catchers mitts you’re breaking in the padding as much as the leather and laces, maybe more, definitely more on a Vinci mitt!

You know how you like to close a glove, get yourself a dumbbell and beat the break points that work for your hand, pound and repeat, you’ll get it there in no time.

Edit: Ten minutes in a dryer won’t hurt your glove, even as much as I hate admitting that I did that, that Vinci mitt was kicking my butt! But that’s as much heat as I would ever put to a glove. And when I say fold the pinkie over the thumb and vise versa, that’s in the closed position after pulling it wide open to flat, NOT pulling it so far open it’s inside out, that make sense? It’s late, I’m rambling, and trying to work out a hitting lineup that’s making me scratch my bald head.....don’t hesitate to ask any questions here.
 
Last edited:
Jul 21, 2017
50
8
Bob, if you have a ball mallet or a 3 or 5 lb. dumbbell, you can beat the heel and the thumb & pinkie break points. I lay new gloves on a towel in the yard, the ground is firm but gives enough to not damage the glove, and of course the towel keeps the glove from getting any grass stains.

I know I said no steam or heat, but I did throw a Vinci mitt in the clothes dryer with 5/6 towels for maybe 10 minutes and immediately went and threw with Anna, threw hard! I definitely don’t expect your RLA to be as stubborn as that Vinci! Also, shoeshine the heel & the top of the web spiral lace back and forth in a hard tight pattern, pull the glove really far open till it’s flat and then fold the pinkie over the thumb, pull open flat again and fold the thumb over the pinkie, repeat again and again, you won’t hurt it. Remember on catchers mitts you’re breaking in the padding as much as the leather and laces, maybe more, definitely more on a Vinci mitt!

You know how you like to close a glove, get yourself a dumbbell and beat the break points that work for your hand, pound and repeat, you’ll get it there in no time.

Edit: Ten minutes in a dryer won’t hurt your glove, even as much as I hate admitting that I did that, that Vinci mitt was kicking my butt! But that’s as much heat as I would ever put to a glove. And when I say fold the pinkie over the thumb and vise versa, that’s in the closed position after pulling it wide open to flat, NOT pulling it so far open it’s inside out, that make sense? It’s late, I’m rambling, and trying to work out a hitting lineup that’s making me scratch my bald head.....don’t hesitate to ask any questions here.

Thank you. I’ve been stalking all of your advice on breaking in a mitt!
518630e04a5c9bf42392a5bfed37f0d8.jpg
this will be our spring break. Thankful we have a pitching machine & I love the dryer idea!


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk
 
Jul 29, 2013
6,782
113
North Carolina
Thank you. I’ve been stalking all of your advice on breaking in a mitt!
518630e04a5c9bf42392a5bfed37f0d8.jpg
this will be our spring break. Thankful we have a pitching machine & I love the dryer idea!


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

From clothes dryer to straight in front of a pitching machine.........perfect scenario! Since you have a pitching machine which I’m sure you can crank up the speed on, here’s another method that works great if you’re willing to try?

Have her fill up a bowl with water, as hot as she can stand it, the warmer the better. Once she’s ready to catch, have her put her bare left hand (glove hand) in the water and then simply catch. Warm water briefly de-links leather fibers and will help the palm liner and finger stalls mold to HER hand. It will not damage the glove whatsoever and is not as extreme as a full on water dunk.

Have her do it several times over a week, sit the glove where it will completely drain and dry, once dry, condition the hand stall really well with a beeswax or Lexol, even Vaseline would work. Thanks for the pic bss09!
 
May 19, 2016
198
28
From clothes dryer to straight in front of a pitching machine.........perfect scenario! Since you have a pitching machine which I’m sure you can crank up the speed on, here’s another method that works great if you’re willing to try?

Have her fill up a bowl with water, as hot as she can stand it, the warmer the better. Once she’s ready to catch, have her put her bare left hand (glove hand) in the water and then simply catch. Warm water briefly de-links leather fibers and will help the palm liner and finger stalls mold to HER hand. It will not damage the glove whatsoever and is not as extreme as a full on water dunk.

Have her do it several times over a week, sit the glove where it will completely drain and dry, once dry, condition the hand stall really well with a beeswax or Lexol, even Vaseline would work. Thanks for the pic bss09!

I can personally vouch for the hot water technique. After watching Aso break In gloves on youtube (Ill give the official credit to ANNASDAD though) I tried It on Alys new glove and It worked great. I was seriously worried It wouldn't be broke In for at least a month or two, It took maybe 5 days but I only used the hot water the first time round of breaking In. 24 hours after the hot water treatment I put a layer of Obenaufs on It and Its holding the pocket firm yet still opening and closing like a dream, leather looks as great as It did when we opened the box. Now Ive got her storing her glove with a ball In the pocket and glove In her helmet.....no complaints. Even got a couple compliments from her private lesson instructors on how nice her glove Is formed.
 
Last edited:
Jul 21, 2017
50
8
I can personally vouch for the hot water technique. After watching Aso break In gloves on youtube (Ill give the official credit to ANNASDAD though) I tried It on Alys new glove and It worked great. I was seriously worried It wouldn't be broke In for at least a month or two, It took maybe 5 days but I only used the hot water the first time round of breaking In. 24 hours after the hot water treatment I put a layer of Obenaufs on It and Its holding the pocket firm yet still opening and closing like a dream, leather looks are great as It did the when we opened the box. Now Ive got her storing her glove with a ball In the pocket and glove In her helmet.....no complaints. Even got a couple compliments from her private lesson instructors on how nice her glove Is formed.

Thank you! She was up skiing today but I’m sure will be anxious to catch a few balls when she gets home. We will try this tonight. We bought a Vinci (had the shelf model Mizuno before) it’s going to take some work! I like the helmet idea. Thanks


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk
 
Jul 29, 2013
6,782
113
North Carolina
I can personally vouch for the hot water technique. After watching Aso break In gloves on youtube (Ill give the official credit to ANNASDAD though) I tried It on Alys new glove and It worked great. I was seriously worried It wouldn't be broke In for at least a month or two, It took maybe 5 days but I only used the hot water the first time round of breaking In. 24 hours after the hot water treatment I put a layer of Obenaufs on It and Its holding the pocket firm yet still opening and closing like a dream, leather looks are great as It did the when we opened the box. Now Ive got her storing her glove with a ball In the pocket and glove In her helmet.....no complaints. Even got a couple compliments from her private lesson instructors on how nice her glove Is formed.

Thanks Shawn, but no way you can give me credit over Wilson’s Aso, he’s a glove genius and a pioneer in the ballglove field! And I learned the wet hand technique from Jeffrey Rous. I’ve used all of these methods at one time or another, I’m just passing them along here for anyone who’s interested. I personally think breaking in a glove is actually a fun process and done right is also very satisfying.

Sometimes I think I screwed up, I have both girls & parents from both TB & HS teams who hand me a glove to fix or ask me glove purchase questions almost daily. Nah.......I love it.
 

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