Glove Break In
Breaking in a glove takes time, patience, and proper technique — and our Glove Break In Service takes care of the hard work.
How a glove is broken will determine its “catch”, or how the glove closes when catching the ball. Ideally, we’d like the catch the ball flush, in a solid, consistent pocket. With an improper break in, a glove’s pocket may potentially form in the wrong place or angle, causing it to have an awkward feel when catching the ball.
Gloves can continue “breaking in” for seasons or years - we make sure they start off on the right track and get them game-ready.
Machine Break In
Each glove is treated individually, with our break in services tailoring to the ballplayer and their specific needs - starting with how the glove is used
1 finger in each slot (Traditional)
2 in the pinky
3 in the pinky
Index finger, in or out
Our machine break in service follows a multi-step process, with each stage adjusted in time and technique to adapt the break in to the specific glove:
Condition/water mix is applied
Glove is stretched and prepped for shaping stage
Leather creases are made using our Mitt Master Machine, in addition to mallets and wooden balls.
Glove is wrapped with baseball or softball until dry
Glove shape is inspected - steps are repeated if necessary
Dry glove with final shape is fully conditioned
Japanese Yumomi Break In
The Japenese Yumomi Break In method is a traditional Japanese glove break in technique that uses a combination of warm water bucket, glove shaping techniques, and attention to detail in order to not damage the glove’s structure or features.
“Yumomi” is a Japanese process where hot spring bath waters are cooled down using natural techniques, like paddling the water. This break in method uses warm water, hence the name
The Japanese Yumomi Break In forms a deeper, firmer pocket, since the entire glove is submerged:
Glove is submerged in a bucket of warm water
Once damp enough, glove is removed and rid of excess water
Damp glove is shaped with our Mitt Master Machine, and a mix of mallets and weighted balls
Damp, shaped glove is wrapped and hung to dry (24-48 hours)
Dry glove is inspect, steps are repeated if necessary
Dry glove with final shape is fully conditioned
Japanese Yumomi is not applicable for all gloves - proper refund will be issued if your glove is not applicable, and process will be Machine Break In
The Difference
Although both methods achieve a similar end result, the process and final feel of the glove differ slightly.
Machine break in services achieve a glove shape that is game-ready, a 60-70% break in - which still requires a bit of catch play and hand sweat to get just right and fitted to the ballplayer’s hand.
Japanese Yumomi break in services achieve a slightly different feel. Since the glove is soaked in warm water before machine work to shape the glove and install the proper leather breaks to impact how the glove ultimately forms when it dries.
The Result
After the break in - ball glove develops a formed, natural pocket and a comfortable, game-ready feel. Once it is used, flexed, and has just a little bit of sweat in it - the final pocket and breaks will be achieved.