How to Choose Baseball Gloves or Softball Gloves

Depending on a player’s field position, hand size, level of play and personal preferences, baseball gloves differ in size, pocket depth, webbing, back style and the amount of padding. These are all factors which can help you choose an appropriate baseball glove or softball glove.

Selecting a glove for the position you play the most often and finding a size that snuggly fits your hand is the best way to guarantee optimum performance on the field. Make sure the glove is well adjusted to your hand. In addition, it is recommended that you wear a batting glove inside the fielder glove. Most players are recommended to do so except for pitchers. The batting glove can absorb sweat thus protect glove lining, and can be simply replaced with a new one when it gets wet or rotted.

The section below explains the type of glove for each position and glove features.

  

Field Positions   

First Base Mitts

A first base mitt is usually 12 to 12.5 inches long and looks similar to a catcher’s mitt.  Its pad around the circumference is thin and stiff and there is little or no padding in the palm or finger area. Comparing to a catcher’s mitt, a first base mitt has less padding, a shallower pocket, and longer and wider reach which allows a first baseman to quickly pick or scoop short-hop balls from infielders.

Many softball players use larger outfield gloves, usually 13 inches or larger, at first base. Such gloves are not common and are only produced by certain manufacturers.

 

Catchers Mitts

A catchers’ mitt lacks individual fingers and is heavily padded around the outside as well as in the finger and palm area to prevent the catcher’s hand from being injured by the pitcher's fastballs. 

The webbing on a catcher's mitt is closed and the pocket is smaller comparing to the gloves used for other positions. A small pocket makes it easier for the catcher to get the baseball out of the mitt.

A catcher's mitt is measured by circumference instead of length. A youth catcher's glove is usually less than 31 inches and an adult’s one is usually larger than 32 inches.

The only difference between a softball catcher's mitt and a baseball catcher's mitt is that the former has less padding and a much bigger pocket.

 

Pitcher's Gloves

Most pitchers prefer closed webbing on their gloves so they can conceal the ball as they adjust finger postures before pitching the ball. The other glove features are up to a pitcher’s choice.

Comfort is usually a pitcher’s top priority while choosing a glove. Position, pocket depth, and size are less important because pitchers generally handle balls hit hard and straight toward them or bunts, which, in such a short reaction time, forces them to bare hand anyway.

 

Infield Gloves

Infielder's gloves are usually 10.5-12 inches in length and are used by second basemen, shortstops, and third basemen. Infielder’s gloves have shallower pockets than outfielder's gloves to allow quicker ball retrievals and throws between bases. An open webbing style enables a player to easily locate the ball in the glove. Sometimes third basemen prefer a closed web for additional support since balls thrown toward them are often hit harder and faster than to other basemen. 

Second basemen use the smallest infield gloves as their ability of turning a double play is of foremost important. The second smallest infield gloves are used by shortstops to increase the chance of catching bouncing grounders. Third-base gloves are generally larger with a deeper pocket.

Softball infielders’ gloves have a deeper pocket for catching the larger ball.  

 

Outfield Gloves

Outfielder's gloves typically have 12 inches or larger patterns with deep pockets. They are quite long with a closed web, making it easier for the players to catch fly balls on the run or in a dive and trap the ball in the glove.

  

Glove Features 

Webbing- Open vs Closed

A baseball or softball glove has either an open web or a closed web, depending on your fielding position and personal preference.

A closed web is a regular feature on a catcher’s mitt and is often preferred by pitchers to hide the ball from the batter. A closed web also provides more support for a player when catching.

An open web helps to hold the ball in the glove a little better than a closed web. Outfielders and third basemen prefer open webs because the spaces between each piece of leather webbing allow them to visually follow the ball while using the glove to block the sun from their eyes.

 

Back- Open Back vs Closed Back 

The difference between an open and a closed back is the space above the wrist adjustment on the glove. Open backed gloves are preferred by many infielders because they provide more flexibility, cooler feeling for the hand, and more comfort.

Outfielders and first basemen typically prefer a closed back with a finger hole for extra support.

Players can choose to have straps with Velcro for both open and closed back gloves so that they can adjust the tightness around the wrist area.

 

Pocket Depth- Shallow Pocket vs Deep Pocket

Shallow pockets allow fielders to quickly get the ball out of the glove and throw it to another base after catching.

Deeper pockets are ideal for catching fly balls. Softball players also need a deeper pocket to catch a softball as it is bigger than a baseball.

 

Female & Youth Gloves

Female Gloves: Baseball gloves and mitts designed for women usually have narrower finger stalls and smaller wrist openings.

Youth Gloves: Youth baseball gloves and mitts are usually designed to be easy to break-in. A notch in the heel is sometimes seen in a youth glove to assist with correct break-in. These gloves generally have smaller finger stalls and wrist openings to better fit smaller hands, and often have larger pockets, making it easier for youngsters to learn how to catch.

How to Measure Baseball Gloves

 

Measure Fielder Glove and First Base Mitt

Fielders’ gloves and first base mitts are measured from the top of the index finger of the glove down to the heel of the glove. 

To measure a baseball glove, a flexible tape measure has to be used, starting from the highest point, normally the index finger, on the glove, across the palm of the glove, so that it is laid along the indented area, down to the heel of the glove. 

 

Measure a Catcher’s Mitt

A catcher's mitt is measured around its circumference or by the distance around its outside edge.

Open the catcher's mitt and put it face down on a flat surface. Press the "0" end of a flexible tape measure against the surface of the mitt and wrap the tape all the way around the mitt’s circumference till the tape overlaps. The reading on the tape is the mitt’s size.

Catcher's mitts are usually between 32 and 34 inches. 

 

Size Reference

Youth baseball gloves: 10 to 11 inches. 

Adult baseball gloves: 10.5 to 13 inches. Normally infield gloves are smaller than outfield gloves.

Professional baseball gloves: usually smaller than 12 inches but this rule is not strictly followed.

Baseball Gloves Size Chart
Youth	Infield	Pitcher	Outfield	First Base	Catcher
9	11	11.5	12	12	32
9.5	11.5	12	12.5	12.5	33
10	12	12.5	13	13	34
10.5			13.5
11			14

 

How to Make Custom Baseball Gloves

 

To customize a baseball glove, you are provided with a wide variety of selections, from leather type, glove size, web pattern, color on each part of the glove, and having your name and your country’s flag broidered onto the glove. Being creative on a glove of your very own and letting your imagination run wild is very interesting and exciting. The best thing is that, in our site, you can design several gloves and pick the one you like the most. Our customization process is described below:

 

Step 0: Customize From Scratch or From Template

We offer 2 ways to customize your gloves. You can either customize from scratch or start from the designed templates. For template way, you can get lots of ideas about how to design your gloves. 

 

Step 1: Choose the Type Setting

First, let us know whether you want a baseball or softball glove, the leather grade, and your position on the field. Based on your position and your hand size, pick the size that best fits you. You also need to tell us whether you are left- or right-handed. 

 

Step 2: Decide the Glove Style

Second, tell us the glove style you prefer, including the back style, webbing style, as well as whether pads and a Velcro Strap are needed. A Velcro Strap allows you to adjust the tightness around your wrist.

 

Step 3: Pick a Color for each part

This is the most time and energy consuming stage as you can choose a color for each part of a glove. You can try as many times as you want to figure out your favorite color combination.

 

Step 4: Personalize Your Glove

You can have your own labels on the glove, including names, numbers, flags, logos. These labels will be broidered onto the glove. 

 

Step 5: Add to List

After you finish designing a glove, you can first add it to your wish list and continue to work on the second glove. In the end, you can choose your favorite one to purchase.

 

How to Break In Baseball Gloves

 

Step 1

First, soften the glove's leather with some type of baseball glove conditioner, oil, cream or foam. Wear latex gloves and apply conditioner no more than a pea sized amount at a time to all leather areas of the glove including the pocket, laces, and rear.  Too much conditioner deteriorates your glove faster and shortens its life. Usually 3 - 5 pea sized applications are enough to cover every corner of a new glove. Simply follow the instructions on the softening product you buy and be patient with your glove.

 

Step 2

After applying softening conditioner to your glove, wait for 24 hours to allow the leather to fully absorb in the conditioner. Use a clean and dry cloth to remove any excess conditioner if necessary. No more conditioner will be needed for the next 2 weeks.

Move the heel of the glove, the fingers, and where the bottom of the web meets the glove firmly back and forth in a "shoe shining" motion to loosen the fibers of the leather and interior linings.

 

Step 3

Shape the glove's pocket. Get a baseball or softball that you plan to play with and place it in the glove where you want the pocket to be formed. Then wrap around the glove with the ball inside with some string. Let the glove sit for a few days so the leather will start to remember the form of the pocket exactly how you want it.

 

Step 4

Lastly, take the glove outside and play throw and catch! The more you play with it, the faster the break-in process. If you don’t plan to play with it during the first few months, keep the ball in the glove wrapped in string to maintain its shape.

 

How to Maintain Baseball Gloves

 

1. Avoid direct sunlight when you're not playing with it!
2. Store it in a cool dry place
3. Monitor the leather‘s health. Apply some oil if it starts to dry out. Usually only a little oil a few times a year is needed.
4. Regularly check the tightness of your laces.

 

Leather Grades Used in Baseball Gloves

 

Kip Leather

Kip leather is soft and luxurious cowhide used by the best baseball glove manufacturing companies in the world. Kip leather tends to be lighter in weight as compared to cowhide. This makes it a preferred material for high-end baseball gloves where quick hands are key. 

 

Full Grain Leather

"Full-Grain" leather is usually quite thick, the original thickness of the cow skin, because it preserves the whole natural grain of a steer hide or cow hide. Sometimes its bottom grain is sanded off until the leather reaches the desired thickness. Full grain leather is a common material in premium adult gloves for older Little Leaguers. Gloves made of full grain leather are not suitable for youth players as they are typically harder and heavier than gloves made of other types of leather and need longer time to break in. In addition, full grain leather gloves are almost never pre-oiled, because the players who buy them prefer to break in their gloves in their own unique ways. Once the gloves are properly broken in, full grain leather gloves always bring out the best performance of a player. Catchers' mitts are almost always made of full grain leather or premium steer hide. 

 

Premium Steer Hide

A steer is a neutered bull. A steer hide is usually stronger than a cow hide. Although the word "premium" can be designated to any grade of steer hide, manufacturers tend to reserve this honorable name for their better grades of heavy weight steer hide, usually top grain, occasionally full grain. Gloves made of premium steer hide are sometimes pre-oiled, but they are stiff and heavy which take time to break in. In reality, premium steer hide has been used less and less by manufacturers due to declining market demand, which is oriented toward softer gloves, and cost reduction since few consumers can distinguish leather of different grades.

 

Top Grain Leather

"Top-Grain" leather usually causes misunderstanding. This leather grade has the "top" grain (the fur side) sanded off, making it thinner to a desired thickness. It is then filled or treated by adding on an artificial grain. Many baseball gloves are made of top grain leather although the manufacturers may call it with a different name. 

 

Leather or Cow Hide

"Leather" or cow hide is usually medium to heavy weight and its quality varies widely. Cow hide performs well, and is easier to be broken in, but also wears out faster than steer hide. Usually cow hide gloves are "pre-oiled" or pre-treated to reduce break-in time. Cow hide is usually the best material for a youth glove for ages 10 and up. 

 

Kangaroo Skin

Kangaroo skin is stronger and lighter than steer hide of any grade, which is its advantage as a glove material. However, kangaroo skin is still not commonly seen in the baseball glove market, and its grading system is not clear as it has been used in both premium gloves and budget baseball gloves. Some people claim that kangaroo skin gloves are easy to break in, however, their shapes are not as durable as gloves made with steer hide or cow hide. 

 

Pigskin

Comparing to cowhide, pigskin is much weaker and less enduring, but it is more bendable and much easier to break in. Pigskin gloves are cheaper than cowhide gloves and are perfect for youngsters who want to have an outstanding performance on the field but will grow too fast to fit in the glove in a year.

 

Custom Baseball Glove Production Process

 

Capire’s craftsmen boast an average of 20 years of experience in baseball glove production. Manufacturing custom baseball gloves is an art. In such an automation era, baseball gloves are one of the few kinds of athletic equipment which until today, still requires enormous labor and time devoted by experienced craftsmen to produce by hand. A baseball glove is usually composed of 25 parts, most of which need to be manually assembled through 25 procedures. The production process of a custom baseball glove is described below:

 

1. Leather Selection 

Before steer hides are shipped to the factory and made into gloves, they are salt cured and dried to remove any bacteria, and tanned for preserving from spoilage. Once the leathers arrive at the factory, they are categorized and tested in a laboratory based on their colors and strengths. A baseball glove craftsman can then easily choose the leather that best suits the customer's need.

 

2. Leather Shaping & Cutting 

The hides are then die-cut into four major parts of a glove: shell, lining, pad, and web.

 

3. Parts Assembly & Stitching

The shell is first sewn together inside-out and then the right side is turned outward, followed by inserting the lining.

 

4. Shape Forming

The right side out shell is then put on a “hot hand”, a hand-shaped metallic device, which helps shape the shell to the correct size. It also makes sure that all finger stalls are correctly open.

 

5. Lining Material Assembly

A heel pad is then inserted into the glove. Usually the padding of a glove is made of two layers of hand-sewn leather, while a catcher’s mitt, which requires a thicker palm than other gloves, has five layers of leather padding. Sometimes two-part pads are used in a glove so that it can be easily bent in the correct direction when squeezed.

 

6. Web Fabricating 

The web of a glove is fabricated out of two to six pieces of leather, depending on the type of web desired.

 

7. Lacing

Lacing is usually done with one piece of 80-90 inches (203-228 centimeters) long rawhide, which begins at the thumb or little finger, goes around the edge of a glove to hold the entire glove together, and finally ends at the web. Nylon thread is needed to stitch together certain parts at the web section.

 

8. Final Forming

Lastly the glove is put on a hammer to adjust to its final shape and to ensure that the finger stalls have remained open.