Breaking in a catcher s mitt?

I forgot I had compiled a word document of examples I found from different sources concerning how people break in gloves. It's kinda lengthy, but hopefully it will help you out.

Glove Break In
There are many methods to breaking your glove in that come from many people. The following ideas come from our craftsmen's personal experiences and what tends to work for them. There really isn't an overnight solution to breaking your glove, we will show you some of the do's and don'ts to breaking in your new glove.

First we will give you a step by step process to the best way we believe, to breaking in your new glove.
1. Rub in glove oil or glove conditioner of your choice, we prefer to use Rawlings Glovolium. Start with the palm of the glove and work outward from there, be sure to cover the entire glove (DO NOT SATURATE, JUST COAT IT). Some people like to use shaving cream in this step which is fine.
2. When glove has dried, play catch with someone, the more catching you do the better the glove will form to your hand and fingers.
3. When you are finished playing catch, apply a light coat of oil or conditioner. Then put a baseball or softball in the pocket of the glove (We prefer using a softball to increase the size of the pocket). Then close the glove around the ball. Using a string or rubber band to tie the glove tightly with the ball in place. Repeat this step whenever you are not using the glove until the glove is broke in the way you want it, this will help hold the shape of your pocket.
4. Repeat steps 2 and 3, until the glove is broke in. The more you use your new glove the faster the glove will break in.
Notes: Try to keep a ball in your glove when it is not being used to prevent the glove from getting flat and losing its shape. Condition or oil your glove a couple times a year, maybe more depending on how dry and dirty your glove is.

Glove Repair Don'ts:
• Do not submerge your glove under water, some believe this is a quick solution to breaking in you glove. All you are doing is ruining the leather and run a risk of cracking and drying out your glove.
• Do not put your glove in the oven or microwave.
• Do not dry your glove using a heat source such as a hair dryer.
• Do not buy a pre-broken in glove, they are not as durable and will not last as long.
Glove Repair Do's:
• Keep a ball in your glove when it is not being used.
• Condition your glove occasionally to prevent drying and cracking.
• Wear a batting glove when using your glove, to protect your glove from sweat.
• Tighten your laces routinely, occasionally leather will loosen.

Mark Secontine, who works at the Varsity Shop in Birmingham, says the store does a steady business in sales of new glove partly because of its free glove conditioning service.
It doesn't matter whether the glove costs $19 or $199. Secontine will lather the glove up with shaving cream and lanoline, then steam both sides for one minute in a special machine "that opens up the pores of the leather."
He then covers the glove in needsfoot oil, pounds it with a mallet, puts a ball in the glove and ties it up. Two days later, the glove is returned in softer condition.
"It's improved our glove business immensely," Secontine says.
It's a quicker process than when Secontine played baseball as a kid at Birmingham Seaholm.
Back then, everyone had a different idea on how to break in a glove.
Some people dunked their gloves in water; others ran over them with a car. Some relied on shaving cream, while others put their gloves in the stove.

Breaking in an Akadema Professional Baseball Glove

The best way to properly break in your new baseball glove is to play catch with it at least 20 minutes every day for two weeks. This not only causes the glove to become softer but also allows it to form to your hand.

If you find that you aren't getting any results using this method or want to break in your baseball glove more quickly, there is a method to speed up the breaking-in process. Preheat an oven to 350 degrees (never use a microwave) for about 10 minutes. Turn off the oven and place the glove in the oven on a cookie sheet for 5 to 10 minutes, checking the glove every few minutes. Do not leave the glove unattended while in the oven. Carefully remove the baseball glove from the oven. (The glove will be hot, so use caution.) Liberally rub Akadema Glove Conditioner on the glove. Proceed to break in the glove. A similar method is to leave the glove in a hot car before applying Akadema glove conditioner and breaking it in.

Common Myths:

Myth 1: Glove oil should be used to help break in a new baseball glove.

Use only Akadema glove conditioner on your new Akadema glove. Akadema glove conditioner contains lanolin and other agents that cures and forms the glove pocket. Unlike our light-weight conditioner, glove oil weighs down your glove and eventually breaks the leather down into a flimsy mush.

Myth 2: Baseball gloves can be soaked in a bucket of water to help break them in.

Water should not be used to soften a glove's leather. Water will make the glove heavy, and it will cause the leather to eventually dry out and crack.

Myth 3: A microwave can be used to break in a baseball glove.

Never try to use a microwave to break in a glove. A microwave cooks from the inside out, and doesn't heat evenly. A glove will get too hot in a microwave and may even have holes burned through it.

Myth 4: The easiest way to break in a basball glove is to tie a baseball in it and let it sit overnight.

This process will not produce the optimal pocket shape, and it does not form the glove to your hand. Use the suggested method to get the best pocket shape and glove fit.

Final Tips:

Remember, your Akadema Professional Baseball Glove is a tool for good fielding. Break it in properly and fit it to your hand. Condition your glove with Akadema conditioner regularly and replace loose and broken lacing when needed.

There are as many theories regarding glove break-in as there are players. But some are pretty far-fetched. One we've heard is to soak the glove in water, then place a ball in the pocket, wrap it with a leather belt, place it in a plastic bag and store it in a warm place. I think you'll end up with a waterlogged, mildew-covered chew toy for the dog when you're finished.
Another had you oil the glove and place it in the oven on low for a couple hours, to get the warm oil to penetrate the pores. We know of one very impatient player who tried it in the microwave! His result? Beef jerky!
We asked some experts their methods of glove break-in:
Rawlings' "master glove designer" recommends:
1. Press a small amount of shaving cream with lanoline on a clean, dry cloth and carefully work the cream around the outer shell, palm, and back. A light coating is all the is necessary. This will lubricate the leather fibers.
2. Allow the cream to dry thoroughly for 12 to 24 hours.
3. Wipe off the glove and play catch for 10-15 minutes, or 50 to 70 throws.
This stretches and conforms the glove to your hand and speeds the break-in process,
4. Position a ball in the pocket and tie the glove closed for a few days with a string or rubber band around the outer perimeter. An option is to use the new Rawlings "Mit Kit", which is designed to quickly form the 'ideal' pocket. It includes a double-ended pocket form with a large sphere on one end and a smaller sphere on the other, to form the pocket and the web area simultaneously, and a wide elastic 'figure 8' to hold the glove firmly around the form.
5. As the glove starts to break in, pour a small amount of 'Glovolium' on a clean, dry cloth, and carefully work the oil around the outer shell, palm, and back. A light coating is all that's needed.
6. Allow the glove to dry thoroughly for 24 hours so the oil has time to penetrate and condition the leather.
7. Store the glove in a cool, dry place with a ball in the pocket, or a Mit Kit when not in use.
8. Lace will stretch with use. Keep laces taut but do not overtighten. Check for replacement if necessary after each season.
9. Do not over oil your glove! Twice a season is sufficient!
Wilson's Jim Hackett explains his favorite method:
"With full-grain leather, most major leaguers use foamy style shaving cream to break in their ball gloves.
On a clean glove, spread the shaving cream all over using your hand or a towel. Let the cream-covered glove sit for at least 15 minutes, then wipe off the excess shaving cream and pull/push/pound/massage the glove for a while, shaping the pocket the way you want it. Play some catch and keep pounding it. Sometimes a bat works as a good mallet to pound the pocket (or get a Pocket Shaper to do the job).
Clean the glove off and repeat the process. Depending on the stiffness of the leather, the glove should be ready in an hour or less, but the pocket will continue to improve over several practices or games."
Cal Ripken, Jr., says:
"I don't do anything strange, like soak it in water or anything. I play with it in practice a lot, and maybe rub a little vaseline into the palm. I break in a couple of gloves, and if one seems to have the potential to be a game glove, I save it for games once it's ready. I tighten the laces as the glove breaks in over a period of time, so it forms closely to my hand. I don't let anyone else put their hands in my gloves, as they can change the fit and feel. Practice gloves get a lot more wear with all the ground balls and drills. I've had one game glove that lasted me three years, but most last only one."
Tip :
Bring the player to the store to try on gloves. Have him put on a few that feel good to him, not too loose, and see which ones he can easily hold a baseball in with his palm facing downwards.
Don't be influenced by "autographs" of famous players on the glove, or particularly cool graphics. Nothing's more cool than seeing your kid make a great catch because he had good glove control! In the beginning, his limited skills and budding enthusiasm for the game require a glove that's truly 'user-friendly'.
Tip:
Buy the smallest glove that will do the job properly for the player. The increase in glove control far outweighs the advantage of additional reach.

I always clamp my jaw and shudder when a player tells me of the best way to break-in a glove. I have heard the most bizzare methods imaginable. Well, maybe not, but I have heard a lot of weird ones, and I've seen and repaired the results of many of these "best-ways." (Please do not send me your method.) I've relaced many gloves in my shop that have had bacon-crisp laces as a result of being oiled and put in the oven. This is how food is cooked—not how to treat leather designed and manufactured to function as a tool! I've seen gloves that have been saturated in a bucket of used motor oil. This will make the leather more pliable, and heavy, and floppy and pretty much useless. There are gloves that have been coated with linseed oil. Linseed oil is made for use on rigid items, such as wood, to seal the surface and protect against moisture. When used on leather it seals the surface and causes it to become brittle and crack.
Not all oils are created equal. Just because the label indicates oil, does not mean it is good for use on leather. Olive oil and other cooking oils will go rancid on the shelf as well as in your glove. Gloves that have had these oils used on them tend to have mushy leather. The laces break easily. The leather stretches and tears easily.
Soaking is a popular method used for breaking-in a glove. Whether the soaking is done in water or oil, the leather, laces, and pad are subject to damage. There is a constant quest to develop ways to break-in gloves instantly. Many of these procedures involve the use of household appliances, such as conventional ovens, microwave ovens, washers, dryers and hair dryers, none of which should have anything to do with leather ball gloves.
I read an article in a major sports magazine that quoted a professional ball player, who described pouring hot coffee with cream into the pocket of his glove. I don't remember if he used sugar, too, but why not?
One other thing. Some players think that pummeling a new glove is the way to a quick break. Yes, it is. It is basically the same as using the glove for many games, only much rougher. I believe the glove will be better served, and will serve better, if this extra abuse is avoided. If you just catch balls to form the glove, you are training the glove and getting your timing down at the same time. Better for you. Better for the glove.
When I break-in a glove, or mitt, I use a product that I've developed after years of trying almost every leather conditioning product on the market and some that weren't. Glove Stuff® is a cleaner and conditioner that contains lanolin, to soften and moisturize the leather so that spitting in your glove—a disgusting practice, and damaging to the leather—is unnecessary. Glove Stuff® loosens even caked on dirt and grime, which can then be wiped off with a soft towel. It will not leave your glove greasy or oily. It does not attract dirt. Glove Stuff® will not make your glove heavy or floppy. It will not promote cracking or deterioration of the leather. Buy a lot. Give it as gifts!
I apply a small amount of Glove Stuff® in the triangular area shown. I rub it into the leather until most of it has been absorbed, then wipe off the excess with a soft towel. Next, I fold the glove at the hinge and excercise that area until I feel it relax a bit. I then fold the glove and squeeze the fold with my hand so that a crease can be formed along the triangle line from the index finger side to the hinge. After setting this crease, I re-fold the glove and form a similar crease from the thumb side of the triangle to the hinge. The final step is to re-fold the glove so a crease can be formed from the center of the web crotch to the hinge. When finished with these steps you should be able to see three distinct creases fanning out from the hinge to the web crotch. After completing these steps (about 20 minutes) put the glove on your hand and close it a few times. You should be able to feel a difference in the way the glove responds. The more you repeat these excercises, the more responsive your glove will be. I may reapply some Glove Stuff® in a few days, but it is not necessary to use it in excess. I do not apply it to any other areas on a new glove. New leather should be clean and moist from the factory.
Now I did have one customer who told me his best method for break-in and, after preparing myself for the worst, was delighted to find it made excellent sense. It's fast, too. He conditions a new glove then goes to the batting cages (at an off-peak hour, please, there will be fewer distractions and less chance of injury). He buys a bucket o' balls to catch, not to bat. He says that after one session the glove is game ready. Makes sense to me. Try it.