Break-In technique
- Thread starter Skunkape_
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Good ole fashioned catch, that's it! The more you take your time slowly breaking it in the longer it'll last. As Gags said, get yourself a container of Obenauf's from Amazon and lightly coat the inside palm liner, the heel, and the palm/pocket and play catch!
Don't beat a new catchers mitt to death with a mallet or dumbbell, you bought it for protection, the more structure it has the more protection it gives you. Break it in straight up the middle from the heel through the pocket & web to the web spiral, do this a little wider than the width of a softball. Leave the thumb and pinky side fingers alone, they'll break in naturally with repeated use.
And don't beat on the thumb side down at the heel, these All-Stars have a single break heel by design to provide the most thumb protection of any mitt on the market!
Don't beat a new catchers mitt to death with a mallet or dumbbell, you bought it for protection, the more structure it has the more protection it gives you. Break it in straight up the middle from the heel through the pocket & web to the web spiral, do this a little wider than the width of a softball. Leave the thumb and pinky side fingers alone, they'll break in naturally with repeated use.
And don't beat on the thumb side down at the heel, these All-Stars have a single break heel by design to provide the most thumb protection of any mitt on the market!
I was just going to say that the advice from Gags so far is the best way to go along with echoing what Annasdad just added about not beating it too much and especially down at the heel/thumb side. It's a good glove with decent protection don't beat that out of it. Protect the inside with the Obenauf's (good stuff) and have someone (or the machine) throw nothing but fastballs for a few sessions. It'll get there quick...there are tougher mitts to break in...this one will just give you some experience! ;-)
inumpire
Observer, but has an opinion
- Oct 31, 2014
- 278
- 43
That’s just crazy…..throw your money away.
I think this went into service last fall, maybe summer of ‘21?
So it’s gone at least a full season of 12B usage. IIRC, most of the final break-in and shaping came from just using it in the games.
Only a handful of balls popped out that would have been from a lack of break-in, which IMO isn’t bad for -200!innings of use.
The hand stall seems to be holding up well - I’ll clean and lightly condition everything before we start up again at the end of the month.
Very minor wear on one of the webbing laces, but as you can see, the glove still holds its shape when laid on its side.
Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk
So it’s gone at least a full season of 12B usage. IIRC, most of the final break-in and shaping came from just using it in the games.
Only a handful of balls popped out that would have been from a lack of break-in, which IMO isn’t bad for -200!innings of use.
The hand stall seems to be holding up well - I’ll clean and lightly condition everything before we start up again at the end of the month.
Very minor wear on one of the webbing laces, but as you can see, the glove still holds its shape when laid on its side.
Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk
And here’s the mallet I made - if I make another one, I’ll probably use an 11” ball, to make it a little more feasible for working on baseball gloves.
My daughter is also diligent about using the glove wrap - and for added protection (or more likely - to save space in her bag), she keeps it in her helmet.
The wrap really seemed to help form the pocket early on. That - plus I tried to focus on the webbing, and getting a “lip” of the padding where that inner row of lacing is along the ring finger.
I’m not sure how much any of this really will help you in the actual break-in process, other than to reassure you that however long it takes - it’s worth the trouble. A catchers glove that is “game ready” shortly after purchase is rarely going to hold up to more than a season of TB or HS use.
Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk
My daughter is also diligent about using the glove wrap - and for added protection (or more likely - to save space in her bag), she keeps it in her helmet.
The wrap really seemed to help form the pocket early on. That - plus I tried to focus on the webbing, and getting a “lip” of the padding where that inner row of lacing is along the ring finger.
I’m not sure how much any of this really will help you in the actual break-in process, other than to reassure you that however long it takes - it’s worth the trouble. A catchers glove that is “game ready” shortly after purchase is rarely going to hold up to more than a season of TB or HS use.
Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk
But when all else fails...my weapon of choice!
- Oct 14, 2019
- 903
- 93
I just use this promotional bat mug.
