Best Ideas for breaking in new glove quickly

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Apr 20, 2019
17
3
DD has a new A1000 catchers mitt because old glove has seen about 3 seasons of use . 1st tournament next weekend. I grew up oiling the crap out of my gloves and leaving it tied up for week or two with ball in it. What everyone's best advice for best break in in minimum time
 
Jul 19, 2020
34
8
Tons of catch and take a rubber mallet to all the break points. I’ll wrap them up too but one thing I like to make a deep pocket is to use clamps. Bury the ball in deep and use the clamps to push the pocket back. I can post a pic if needed.

I also will run an empty dishwasher and let it get pretty warm open it up and toss the glove on the top rack. Leave it off of course and let the steam do it’s job. Rubber mallet again after it sets in the dishwasher for about 15 mins.
 
May 20, 2015
1,095
113
I'm an Aso fan.....goggle Aso glove break in on youtube, i think he even may have had a catcher's glove specific one at one point
 
Nov 20, 2020
995
93
SW Missouri
I'm an Aso fan.....goggle Aso glove break in on youtube, i think he even may have had a catcher's glove specific one at one point

I used his process on DD’s A1000 and a couple other
personal gloves. It and a mixture of a lot of catch got it done. It helped, but it still wasn’t “quick”.

As mentioned above...the mallet over the break points seems to help a lot. The other thing, in my opinion, is getting a good pocket formed right away.
 
Nov 8, 2020
402
43
Careful with the Aso technique on an A1000. Aso will use hot water on a glove but he is using that hot water on A2000 and A2K models. A2000 and A2K have full leather construction and a sturdier felt insert than the A1000 gloves.

On that A1000 I would go down to your local Boot Barn and pick up some Obenauf's Heavy Duty LP. It's a Beeswax based leather cream and protectant that will soften up the leather without weighing it down like glove oil. Rub that in to the whole shell of the glove by putting some of it in your fingers and just use your hands to rub it in. If you don't have a glove mallet or pounding pad just use your hands to bend and flex the glove. Another good product for the glove is Fiebings Golden Mink Oil, like the Obenaufs you want to put it directly on your glove hand and this product you want to rub in to the hand and finger stalls, on the binding and in to the thumb and pinky loops. This product smells good but more importantly it will seal the leather and not permit sweat in to the leather and in that A1000 the hand well is going to be a much thinner leather or some other material and you need to help that stand up if you want this glove to last.


Once you have the products worked well in to the glove, pound the pocket with your fist, maybe an oversized ball. Put a couple wraps around it, compress it between mattresses, play self catch on the sofa with it and with catchers gloves I like to use them to catch a few pitching lessons. Should be game ready in a few days.

Sent from my SM-N975U using Tapatalk
 
Nov 20, 2020
995
93
SW Missouri
Careful with the Aso technique on an A1000. Aso will use hot water on a glove but he is using that hot water on A2000 and A2K models. A2000 and A2K have full leather construction and a sturdier felt insert than the A1000 gloves.

On that A1000 I would go down to your local Boot Barn and pick up some Obenauf's Heavy Duty LP. It's a Beeswax based leather cream and protectant that will soften up the leather without weighing it down like glove oil. Rub that in to the whole shell of the glove by putting some of it in your fingers and just use your hands to rub it in. If you don't have a glove mallet or pounding pad just use your hands to bend and flex the glove. Another good product for the glove is Fiebings Golden Mink Oil, like the Obenaufs you want to put it directly on your glove hand and this product you want to rub in to the hand and finger stalls, on the binding and in to the thumb and pinky loops. This product smells good but more importantly it will seal the leather and not permit sweat in to the leather and in that A1000 the hand well is going to be a much thinner leather or some other material and you need to help that stand up if you want this glove to last.


Once you have the products worked well in to the glove, pound the pocket with your fist, maybe an oversized ball. Put a couple wraps around it, compress it between mattresses, play self catch on the sofa with it and with catchers gloves I like to use them to catch a few pitching lessons. Should be game ready in a few days.

Sent from my SM-N975U using Tapatalk

Such good info to have. Appreciate you sharing.
 
May 15, 2008
1,913
113
Cape Cod Mass.
Getting the leather to bend takes a while, I use lanolin cream for that. The wrist strap is the main reason why the palm has to flex so much. To test this out loosen the wrist strap and you'll see that the glove closes easier. The problem is that with the wrist strap so loose the glove won't stay on her hand when it is 'open'. For a quick fix on the A1000 undo the velcro and pull the strap through the plastic buckle. Take a hair tie, cut it, and tie the two ends to the plastic buckle. Then slip the strap back through the hair tie and adjust it to fit her hand, When she closes the glove the hair tie will stretch, when it's open the tie will provide enough tension to keep it on her hand. After the glove is broken in and flexes better remove the hair tie and put the strap back through the buckle.
The quickest fix and it's really more of an adjustment; if they will fit, put three fingers in the end slot and one in the second slot, leaving the index finger slot empty. Having three fingers in the end will give her extra leverage when closing the glove. It feels awkward at first but you get used to it.
 
Jun 19, 2016
858
63
I used to take my DD glove, beat it up, tie it, and put it in the dashboard of my card. Bow I just give it to her and make her play catch.
 
Oct 1, 2014
2,219
113
USA
Some great specific advice to the A1000 given above. My .02 are to go easy on the oil, paly catch with it as much as possible, keep working the hinges and massaging it and when not in use keep it wrapped with a ball inside.
 

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