When is it time for a new glove?

[ANNASDAD]

I started this since DD's glove is 3 1/2 years old now. Well over 300 games. It is the only glove she has had her entire time in TB. It's a Rawlings LA that ceased being white a very long time ago. I fully relaced it a year and a half ago. At that point it would still hold itself open. Now it doesn't, but still holds a pocket when laid down. Still plays well. Balls aren't popping out or blowing through it. She plays OF and SS now, used to be mostly P and 3B.

I am holding out until we get more of a sense of where she will be spending most of her fielding time (IF or OF) and if she commits what brand they use, so it may be a Christmas gift. I am an equipment nerd so I have the "itch" constantly, and I know with this crowd I don't need an excuse.

If You're talking about her committing she's obviously not 12 and she must be a baller! In my experience in TB, say starting at 14U, but especially at 16U and up, most of my girls that split positions in the infield and outfield had two dedicated gloves for those multiple positions!

But honestly you don't see many girls play SS and outfield, if you have a real SS, she usually stays at SS!

The way I look at it, in high level competitive softball, a real SS's glove won't work in the outfield, and a real outfielder's glove won't work at SS. Obviously there's exceptions to that but you get my point.

 

[LEsoftballdad]

I agree with @ANNASDAD on a dedicated glove. Those infield gloves are so small with very little pocket compared to an outfielders glove. Especially in softball, where the transfers are split second, you need a small glove for infield. And, it's rare you see someone swap from SS to CF in high-level ball, unless you're Robin Young. I just dated myself there...

 

[_MIA_]

I agree with @ANNASDAD on a dedicated glove. Those infield gloves are so small with very little pocket compared to an outfielders glove. Especially in softball, where the transfers are split second, you need a small glove for infield. And, it's rare you see someone swap from SS to CF in high-level ball, unless you're Robin Young. I just dated myself there...

Yount

 

[DryHeat]

If You're talking about her committing she's obviously not 12 and she must be a baller! In my experience in TB, say starting at 14U, but especially at 16U and up, most of my girls that split positions in the infield and outfield had two dedicated gloves for those multiple positions!

But honestly you don't see many girls play SS and outfield, if you have a real SS, she usually stays at SS!

The way I look at it, in high level competitive softball, a real SS's glove won't work in the outfield, and a real outfielder's glove won't work at SS. Obviously there's exceptions to that but you get my point.

She just moved up to our 18 National team. Was exclusively infield until last year's 16u team was short of outfielders, then she got put in the outfield and took right to it. Thing is, she has an offer from school A that wants her as an infielder, and another from school B that wants her as an outfielder. Go figure.

I agree it will be best to get a glove suited for the position. We still need to figure out what that is! By Black Friday, we should have that figured out and what brand the school uses.

 

[ANNASDAD]

She just moved up to our 18 National team. Was exclusively infield until last year's 16u team was short of outfielders, then she got put in the outfield and took right to it. Thing is, she has an offer from school A that wants her as an infielder, and another from school B that wants her as an outfielder. Go figure.

I agree it will be best to get a glove suited for the position. We still need to figure out what that is! By Black Friday, we should have that figured out and what brand the school uses.

Like I've always said, pick the best school where she'll get the best education, as if softball never even existed to her!

 

[PJR202]

When it's collapsing vertically.

Both my girls started with your average $50 model Rawlings. Both lasted two years before they began to distort at the outer edge. Both also were losing their outer coating pretty badly as well. It became painfully obvious on my older girl's glove when she suddenly couldn't get a ground ball consistently. For my younger one, it was when she was taking throws back from the catcher and anything hitting high in the pocket was folding back the edge and dropping behind her. Happened to her a few times in games. We thought she was being lazy at first, but then it happened constantly.

I told both of them (at their respective year) they could get anything under $150. My younger one chose a nice little GG Pro. Her sister chose some wack-rear rawlings that was 70 bucks and folds like a wallet. I hate that thing. She loves it. Their old gloves now stay in the basement for inside practicing.

 

[DryHeat]

Since I know everyone loves pics....Here's the beast now and 1.5 years ago fresh off a cleaning and full re-lace.

The pics make it look a LOT more white than it does in person.

 

[AW95SY]

DD loves a floppy glove, Got her an A2000 1B (baseball) glove about 2 years ago and she has been whaling on it ever since, took about 8 months for her to trust it in a game, and she is still trying to get it floppier. Now you could tickle the pocket with a feather and it will snap shut, but the perimeter is still very rigid, which she likes. It is "almost" broken in.

 

[uncdrew]

My older daughter has a sweet Rawlings we bought from Anna's dad. Old school, beautiful design. Can't remember the model but it's one of Anna's dad's favorites. My DD will use that through her entire highschool career and have it when she starts having a catch with her kids.

Younger plays much more and is younger. Will need a new glove in about a year. I'm really, really, really close to getting a custom-designed HOH glove. I want it for me... err... I mean her.

 

[Ready41]

I am an equipment nerd so I have the "itch" constantly, and I know with this crowd I don't need an excuse.

Funny how quick that happens isn't it? Mine went from big box Wilsons, to a 44 pro (growth spurt / outgrew), to Marucci custom, with a Gloveworks backup. Then add in bats, bags, cleats, and OMG !!! batting gloves (hard on equipment). I'm sure I would cry/scream/cuss if I even attempted to calculate.