Thoughts on the Shoeless Jane gloves?

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Jun 8, 2016
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So this may make me sound a little naive...and I probably am to an extent yet also well experienced...so here it goes.

Why does a glove need to be so rigid? I've searched Shoeless Jane on the forums and see alot of complaints about it being "floppy" and the fingers not rigid enough. I may not be using the exact words but you get the point. I've also heard coaches complain when the kids gloves look like pancakes. I'm not saying any of this is wrong, I'm trying to understand it as its not my experience. I was a D1 shortstop in the late 90s. I used the same floppy super soft glove through HS and college. It felt like an extension of my fingers. I felt like I could control every movement it made. If the ball didn't hit right in the pocket, I had the control to hang on to it anyway, especially on those what were ALMOST just out of reach. But I put on some of the more rigid gloves at my kids practices and I don't have that feeling. I seems like I need to make sure the ball hits pocket every time. I seems like the ones that are ALMOST just out of reach end up bouncing off because they hit off the rigid part of the glove.

But I realize that I am in the minority here...so it probably comes down to my lack of playing time with one of these other gloves. Can anyone explain what would be better if I got to go back and play a season with a different glove? LOL...oh how I wish I could play one more!

Like Gunner said, as a MI you aren't really catching the ball anyway most of the time so stiffness of the glove really isn't a huge deal. For balls right at you or DP, it really should be more of a deflection off the index finger. You may not have thought of it this way but go and field a ground ball now with this thought in mind ...As a MI I used the same Rawlings glove from 9th grade through college..it certainly wasn't stiff.
 
So I’m guessing no one who has commented has ever caught a line drive with an older “well broken in” glove just to have it bend backwards and the ball fly out. It’s happened to me twice but won’t happen again. No floppy gloves for me.
 
May 17, 2012
2,804
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So I’m guessing no one who has commented has ever caught a line drive with an older “well broken in” glove just to have it bend backwards and the ball fly out. It’s happened to me twice but won’t happen again. No floppy gloves for me.

If your glove is properly maintained and strung you won't have this problem. Being floppy wasn't your issue.
 
Jan 21, 2019
12
3
If your glove is properly maintained and strung you won't have this problem. Being floppy wasn't your issue.

I agree. I never missed a ball because my glove was floppy or didn't hold up for the catch.

I started this post, as I was starting the search for new gloves for my kids. My 2 choices were the Shoeless Jane because I like the "floppy glove" or a Vinci because everyone ravs about them. I know, 2 extremes. But I bit the bullet and took a trip to a large baseball / softball specialty and let them choose. I figured if they didn't find the perfect glove, we'd order one Vinci and then maybe a 2nd if they both loved the 1st one. But one kid fell in love with the 11.75 Rawlings HOH and another loved the 12.5 Marucci. I decided to be positive about the break in process. Wow. I'm over it already. I beat those gloves daily. We've played alot of catch. Took pitches off a machine. We've practiced with them. I used Lexol. I've watch Aso. I can tell a huge difference but they still seem so stiff to me. We're gonna keep at it but I hope they never need a new glove again. As I type this I realize we'll need a new catchers mitt in a year or so. Ugh :(
 
Apr 6, 2017
328
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I think you’ll be glade you bought the stiff gloves. When the palm and laces get
broken in it will be all good.
 

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