If I’ve said it once, I’ve said it 1000 times…a catcher’s mitt is his most important tool and he must take excellent care of it! That means protecting it while it’s in your catcher’s bag and not letting it get smashed, mangled, or mis-formed. It also means that you don’t toss it on the ground in the middle of the dugout between innings, but you gently set it down where it’s not going to get lost or stepped on.
You may think I’m crazy and going over the top with taking care of your mitt, but I genuinely think it’s that important. If it’s not that important to you, maybe it should be…
Taking care of your mitt starts the second you buy it in a local sporting goods store or receive a box from Baseball Express on your front doorstep.
In this article I want to talk about the most important thing you can do to help get your mitt the perfect shape for you and then how to help keep it that way.
It all starts with how you break it in.
In almost 30 years of either catching, or coaching catchers I’ve heard it all when it comes to how you should break in your mitt. Some of the tips and tricks are really good, and others can damage your mitt. Maybe you’ve heard a few of these before:
Below I’ll discuss what you should, and shouldn’t do, when breaking in your new mitt.
Like I mentioned above, I’ve heard of players using everything under the sun to try to break in their mitt more quickly. Overall, I have to say that I’m not a fan of putting any foreign substance on a mitt…that includes oil, vaseline, shaving cream, etc.
From my experience, when players put these substances on their mitts the leather seems to almost always break down more quickly. This means that it’s going to rip sooner and you’re going to have to buy a replacement sooner…more money out of your pocket!
While I don’t use it every day, I do still have my All Star mitt that I used my least year in pro ball with the Braves and it’s in great condition. I probably need to tighten up some of the laces, but other than that it is game ready right now! I believe there are two reasons it’s still in game shape.
Please don’t do this…
I don’t know another way to put it, but if you love your catcher’s mitt please don’t do this. It may seem like a “quick fix” because cooking it like it’s the Thanksgiving turkey will make it come out softer and more pliable, but it’s bad for the leather. It makes the leather weaker and causes it to break down faster. If you want a rip in your catcher’s mitt this would be a great start. If you want it to last a few seasons this is not the way to go.
Simply put, keep your mitt out of the kitchen!
I’ve found that one of the best way to preserve the shape of your mitt is by keeping a ball (or a few balls) in the pocket of the mitt when you’re not using it.
So, every day when you’re done using your mitt go ahead and place a ball in the pocket. This will help keep the mitt in the proper shape when you’re not using it and help prevent it from getting smashed or misshaped.
It can also be helpful to put a belt around your mitt after you’ve put the ball in the pocket so that you know it’s not going to come out.
It’s not rocket science, but here it is…
The absolute best way to break in a mitt is by simply going out and using it. Grab a teammate, brother, dad, neighbor, anyone who likes to play catch and ask them to throw with you.
Use it in bullpens to help break it in even more quickly. If you have access to a pitching machine set it up and receive some balls coming in at a high velocity.
The reason that actually using it works the best is because it’s going to shape to your hand when you do this.
Think about your favorite pair of flip flops…they’re soooo comfortable, right?! How about the first day you bought them? That’s right, they were about as comfortable as wearing the box they came in. But, they get more comfortable over time because they shape to your feet. Your catcher’s mitt is no different, and the more you use it the more quickly it will shape to your hand.
If you were hoping to read this article and get some shortcut quick-fix for breaking in your mitt, I hope you’re not disappointed. There certainly are things that you can do quickly to soften the leather like drowning your mitt in oils and using the Stouffers Lasagna recipe. But, ultimately, those do much more harm than good and they’re not recommended.
Whenever you get a new mitt start playing catch with it…a lot!
Be sure to leave a comment below and let me know what you think!
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Xan Barksdale
There are mixed reviews on steaming. I personally wouldn't steam a mitt as I think that it could degrade the quality of the leather.
Xan Barksdale
They use the same methods described in this article.
Ira
What do MLB players do to break in a glove?
Kevin
You didn’t talk about steaming the glove. Would steaming it damage the glove too?
Janet
I bought a used mitt from a sports resale store. My purpose is to use it to catch for my grandson who is pitching. He’s pretty good, but he doesn’t have anyone else to pitch to when he’s not at practice. This mitt is extremely hard, not like i a new glove. It’s already broken in, possibly incorrectly. I was wondering if you have any tips on how I can get it back in shape you can barely get your fingers in it .I did put some of the cream from the store inside it, there and now you can get your fingers in it, but it still doesn’t want to close. The ball just falls out on the ground when I try to catch with it. How do you break in a mit somebody else broke in incorrectly?
Xan Barksdale
I'd say your situation is a little different than most...you're not using your mitt competitively, you're just using it to help your grandson practice. If you want to put oils or creams on it go right ahead!
Daniel T Burke
What if you want a good mitt to catch your son/grandson as he learns to pitch. While I do have a great glove, it is way to stiff and, being 70, I do not have any way to play enough catch to break it in. Any ideas for a quick softening? I plan to use shaving cream and pound it with a mallet. I have read the least bad-comments with shaving cream (with aloe, lanolin).
Xan Barksdale
You can if you want to...I wouldn't though.
Kit
Can you use hot water
Xan Barksdale
What about it?
Stephen winterrowd
what about Nokona glove conditioner
Baseball kid 15
Thank you soooooo much!!!! I just bought a Rawlings premium series catchers mitt and I’m still trying to break it in because I have a baseball clinic on Saturday that I am going to with some of my teammates and I need it to be broken in by then. But again, thank you so much for this!!
Xan Barksdale
Makes almost no difference at all. Go with the one that feels best.
Shawn Kyzar
Xan, I know you mentioned in a previous article about choosing a Catchers mitt that just feels right to you. My son is 16 playing high school ball, and has been using a 34" mizuno mitt with deep pocket. He is torn between that Allstar 33.50" and 35" mitt. Allstar seems to run smaller than other brands and leaning towards the 35" mitt with a good deep pocket. Seems to transfer well too. What are your thoughts on using a mitt that size? Thanks for your time Thanks, Shawn
Kevin
I understand this and am sure you’re 100% correct. I guess the ‘impatience’ comes from seeing my kid not being able to use it for game play. I bought my 13yr old boy a Rawlings Heart of the Hide mitt. Yeah, pretty darn expensive but I figure it’ll last him quite awhile. But it’s so firm and stiff I couldn’t even catch balls with it. The ball literally springs out of the mitt. He’s using it to warm up and at practice but it’s been 3 weeks and still stiff as a board. Well, it’s more flexible as far as opening/closing but the inside is like a ball repellent. It just sucks to see him using his old $30 beater when this gorgeous premium glove just sits in his bag wrapped with a ball in it. Anyway, thanks for your article.
Xan Barksdale
Dillon, I would use the methods that I outline in this article.
Dillon
When you get a new glove should you get it steamed at the store?
Ari
The way my dad and I do it is we cover it in oils, like leather oil and stuff like that, and then we put a ball in it, wrap it in rubber bands and leave it under my mattress for 3 days. After the 3 days are up we take it out and run it over with my dads truck works pretty great in my opinion and I believe that if you use the right oils you'll be fine.
Joey Tortorello
I use my sons (9) catchers glove a lot when we warm up. Is this bad for it because I noticed the ball popping out a lot after a pitch.
Alec R
Hah! I like this - no shortcuts to breaking in a glove (as with most things in baseball). Bought a Nokona fielder's mitt a decade ago and have done nothing but played catch with it and kept a ball with it in its bag, and it's in great shape.
Felix Santiago
I just got a catchers mitt for Christmas and i've been playing catch with it 6 days out of the week,every week and i put 2 balls in it and wrapped it in a belt,but it still hasn't broken in to my liking,its been over 2 months since i've got it what do you recommend i should do to break it in the fastest.MY glove is the 2017 rawlings gold glove elite series catchers mitt.
Xan Barksdale
I don't see any benefit to it.
David
What about "steaming" would you recommend this for youth gloves and catching mitt?
Xan Barksdale
Dave, thanks for the comment! I actually just developed a protective case that is designed to help mitts keep their shape, and extend the life of the leather. It's called The TANK and you can check it out here: catching-101.com/tank
Dave Palmeri
Now that baseball season is close to being over for most could you please offer advice on what should be done in the off season to clean, protect and shape it. My son has a new A2K that will serve him well for years to com as long as it is cleaned and cared for properly. Thanks
David Nelams
Not trying to be funny but the heading should read "Common sense"! There are so many videos on the web that only confuses a kid. This is my 9yr old sons 1st yr playing catcher,his previous position was 2nd. We're looking forward to your newsletters
Mark McGuire
Xan, My recently acquired catcher Coach introduced me to your website this season. (I really like your catcher coaching by the way). I have always been a strong advocate for coaching my catchers. I think I memorized Bob Bennetts video on Catcher coaching. I relace a lot of gloves. And catchers mitts are certainly fun and challenging. Before I relace a glove or at the end of a season, I like to clean it. Especially those gloves that have had the factory oil treatment in the pocket (like the Wilson A2000 or A1000 models). These seem to accumlate dirt in the pocket. I use water and a little soap (surfactant) to help remove the dirt and oil from the leather in the pocket. I have tried other things that you have mentioned but a clean wet rag with a little soap and some elbow grease gets the job done. Once I have cleaned or relaced a glove, I like to use Pecards Glove Conditioner to moisturize and seal the leather. Conditioning is really about sealing the glove. ASO says it best in his videos. The wierdest thing I have heard doing to "break in a glove" is submerging the glove in motor oil. Yeah not going there. I have heard coaches and past players talk about submerging their glove in water (hot, cold, ice water, room temperature). I really like ASO's video's break in methods. He is the BEST! My one concern about the "go play catch Method" of breaking in a glove is that my young players, (now playing 13U). Is that their hands are not strong enough to even begin to squeeze a top of the line All-Star, Rawlings, Wilson, or Mizuno, etc glove. So then you end up with the "FOLDOVER pocket". Not the deep pocket of a correctly formed catchers mitt. (You just took a $250 catchers mitt and rendered it nearly useless. I see it ALL THE TIME!) So for my players, I tend to shop the used market. And try to find high end gloves that were broken in "CORRECTLY" and are looking for their second home. Correctly meaning that a good pocket has created and maintained. Often they will have broken laces in the pocket, so off to the lacing station they go. For storing a glove, I agree with you. You just spent $250-500 on your most IMPORTANT AND EXPENSIVE TOOL in your bag and then you drop it on the ground, step on it, and kick it under the bench. (DO NOT GET ME STARTED!) I have tried several things. (Mizuno glove wrapper, rubber bands, belt, tightly wrapped clean cloth.) My favorite is the Markwartz Glove Locker. I gave these last fall to ALL OF MY 13U players. My son has been using them for his gloves the last 2 years. They are the BEST invest that I can make in the life of his glove. He plays with an early model Rawlings Pro Preferred 32.5 catchers mitt. After every game, he knows to put his glove in the glovelocker. There is a pocket in the glovelocker for a ball and then it all gets wrapped up.
Yves
If the leather is really stiff like it usually is on higher end mitts, use it to play catch with a heavy ball. The heavier the ball the quicker it will break in and the pocket will form naturally. Once broken in don't use it with heavy balls anymore because you will shorten its lifespan and maybe even break some laces.
Anonymous
I have had a school coach that was also one of my teachers and they recommended placing a couple of my school textbooks (hard cover, 1-4 inches thick each) on top of it with a ball inside. It's similar to the mattress method. But they recommended that you actually use the glove
Kevin christman
You r the best always! I tell people to see you and listen and read what you say! Thanks for keeping our young catchers on their path to greatness Kc Parent,scout,coach.and baseball lifer! ⚾️
James
Xan, Agreed playing catch best method. Here in the northeast, in the winter, months had to go to a batting cage for 30 minutes each session. Took about four sessions (breaking in a Rawlings ProPreferred). Will keep a ball in pocket when not in use. In winter months right after season will work in a small amount of shaving cream with lanolin. Matt Wallbeck recommends Lexol leather conditioner. Haven't tried that yet.
Chase
My friend put a ball in his glove and his dad ran over it with his truck.
Joshua Frommelt
Good article Xan. I've learned first hand how using oils, leather conditioner, steaming ect can in the long run do more damage in the longevity of your glove. One key point to note from the article, buying a $50 catching mitt and expecting it to hold-up for any period of time is a unrealistic expectation. Sure you may get one season from it, but chances are the shape is gone, and pocket is long lost never to return. Buying quality gloves with higher-end leather, along with the proper care will ensure you're not breaking in a new glove every year.
Dave
What is your opinion on the web gem product for gloves. My son uses a allstar pro elite glove and wanna do the correct thing for him to be able to use it for a long time. Thanks
Mark Gibson
Great information, and not just because this is the same route my 16YO son uses to break-in his gloves. On that note, a great follow-up article would be "when to retire your catchers glove?" A topic that is (or should be) near and dear to any dedicated catcher.
Chris Sheehy
We bought my 10 yr old son a Rawlings mitt, it was a little on the cheap side. He's used it for under one season, broke it in exactly how you said...., sadly you get what you pay for. Finally broke down and ordered the all star mitt! He's dying for the delivery date! Thanks Xan for the great tips!