Baseball Glove Conditioning
ByMy Glove Break-in Process
Here is a quick way to break in a baseball glove. I’ve used it many times and really believe it’s the best way to quickly break in a glove.
Go to your local sporting goods store and find oven bake glove foam. Keep looking around until you find it and if not available locally I would order it from an online retailer. The stuff really speeds up the process dramatically.
The process:
- Pre-heat oven to 300 degrees.
- You want to put a thin layer of the glove foam over the entire glove. Be sure to get it between the fingers as well. Don’t put it insider the glove.
- Once you have a thin layer on the glove place it on a cookie sheet with a rag between the glove and the sheet.
- Bake the glove for 4 minutes.
- Take the glove out and work it thoroughly until all excess foam is rubbed into the glove.
- Repeat the process 3-4 times. I usually repeat 3 times for a new glove and usually once for a glove you are just trying to recondition.
- I will some times use a glove mallet on really good quality leather gloves to speed the break-in but this is not usually needed.
- After you finish this process, get some glove conditioner and rub the entire glove down as this will seal in the foam and help water proof the glove.
- I always put a ball in the glove and us a glove wrap to hold it all together during the season. This way the glove never goes flat.
- I repeat this conditioner step monthly throughout the season.
- When the season is over and I’m putting the glove up for the season I will recondition at that time and wrap it with a cloth for the winter.
There are many thoughts on how to break in a glove and most have value; however I’ve tried lots of these techniques over the years but have found this to work the best. You be the judge.
Note of caution, don’t bake the glove over 4 minutes as you risking ruining the glove not the mention the possibility of burning down the house. Please follow the directions on the can of the glove foam.
My Glove Break-in Process
Here is a quick way to break in a baseball glove. I’ve used it many times and really believe it’s the best way to quickly break in a glove.
Go to your local sporting goods store and find oven bake glove foam. Keep looking around until you find it and if not available locally I would order it from an online retailer. The stuff really speeds up the process dramatically.
The process:
- Pre-heat oven to 300 degrees.
- You want to put a thin layer of the glove foam over the entire glove. Be sure to get it between the fingers as well. Don’t put it insider the glove.
- Once you have a thin layer on the glove place it on a cookie sheet with a rag between the glove and the sheet.
- Bake the glove for 4 minutes.
- Take the glove out and work it thoroughly until all excess foam is rubbed into the glove.
- Repeat the process 3-4 times. I usually repeat 3 times for a new glove and usually once for a glove you are just trying to recondition.
- I will some times use a glove mallet on really good quality leather gloves to speed the break-in but this is not usually needed.
- After you finish this process, get some glove conditioner and rub the entire glove down as this will seal in the foam and help water proof the glove.
- I always put a ball in the glove and us a glove wrap to hold it all together during the season. This way the glove never goes flat.
- I repeat this conditioner step monthly throughout the season.
- When the season is over and I’m putting the glove up for the season I will recondition at that time and wrap it with a cloth for the winter.
There are many thoughts on how to break in a glove and most have value; however I’ve tried lots of these techniques over the years but have found this to work the best. You be the judge.
Note of caution, don’t bake the glove over 4 minutes as you risking ruining the glove not the mention the possibility of burning down the house. Please follow the directions on the can of the glove foam.
