Synthetic baseball gloves are mostly used by young players who started baseball recently. Most of the time this type of baseball glove comes with zero break-in requirements. But in some circumstances, you need to break it in to make it game ready.
That’s why today we are going to learn about how to break in a synthetic baseball glove in 4 easy steps. And it won’t cost you more than 2 hours.
Difference Between Synthetic and Leather Baseball Gloves to Break-In
As you know, leather and synthetic are totally two different materials. While most leather gloves need hard break-in, synthetic glove comes with a ready out-of-the-box option.
Plastic leathered gloves are perfect to practice for children. A professional break-in can give more life expectancy to the leather glove. But sometimes it could be the main reason for the damage to synthetic.
What you’ll need?
If you ever tried to break in a leather glove then you are probably familiar with glove oil and conditioner. But those things are totally unnecessary in the matter of synthetic. Instead of oil or conditioner, you will need:
- Warm water
- A dry soft cloth
- A baseball bat
- A baseball
- Some rubber bands
How to Break In a Synthetic Baseball Glove
Everyone has their own way to break in a glove. It depends on a person’s comfort and ease. You can’t use baseball oil. Because the layers of synthetic baseball gloves are very soft.
Pour Warm Water into the Palm of the Glove
Make sure you took the warm water (not boiling). Like baseball oil, pour the water into the entire outside of the glove. Don’t soak it too much. The reason is to make your glove soften which gives ease in the break-in. It also helps you to moisturize the glove and reduces its stiffness.
Dry It with the Cloth
After pouring it into warm water now you need to dry it out. Take a soft dry cloth, and wipe it on the whole glove. Don’t let your glove absorb water.
Because soaking synthetic gloves in the water can really damage their construction shell. That’s why you need to dry the glove as soon as possible.
Give it a Shape
Now it’s time to give it a proper shape that helps you to catch more balls with more ease. First, take a baseball bat or mallet and pound the glove.
You need to make a pocket by doing that. To give shape gloves now take a baseball and some rubber bands. Then put the ball in the palm of the glove and tie it with rubber. Keep it under the fan or dry cold area for 2/3 hours.
Practice Catch with It
At that moment your baseball glove is broken in. But now you need to give a final touch to it. It means you need to make it ready to use by practicing.
To do that just play some catch with it and it should be ready. That’s just it. By doing these simple steps you can break in your synthetic glove easily.
Things to Avoid
A synthetic baseball glove is constructed with soft shell plastic. That’s why it’s different than leather gloves. You need to avoid some things to keep your glove safe.
- Don’t soak it in boiling water
- Don’t dry it under the sun
- Keep it away from microwave or fire
In Summary
Breaking in a synthetic glove isn’t a tough thing to do. Even a young boy with a newbie’s hand can do that. Most of the time, this type of glove doesn’t need a break-in. But if it is required, you can easily do that with these easy steps.
