How to Loosen a New Baseball Mitt in the Oven

Ask 10 different baseball players how to break in a glove, and you’ll receive 10 different answers. Some believe the best way is to play ball with it, but breaking it in that way can take months. Some players rub oil on the surface and tie the mitt closed with an elastic band. Others pound the leather with the butt-end of a baseball bat. Still others break in a mitt in the oven. This tactic is controversial; some feel it damages the leather, but others attest to the method's quickness and overall result.

Things You'll Need

  • Baseball glove foam
  • Oven mitts
  • Shaving cream
  • Vaseline
  • Saddle soap
  • Mink oil
  • Neatsfoot oil
  • Glove oil.
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Instructions

    • 1

      Preheat your oven to 350 degrees Fahrenheit. Rub baseball glove foam into the surface of your glove.

    • 2

      Turn the oven off. Put the glove inside the oven. Leave it in the oven for about four minutes. Periodically check to see if the leather is loosening by bending it. Always wear oven mitts when checking the glove.

    • 3

      Remove the glove from your oven and let it cool.

    • 4

      Play catch with your baseball glove. The leather will be more flexible, and you can shape the glove to your hand and to the ball's contours.

    • 5

      Place a baseball inside the glove, then wrap an elastic band around the glove if it is still tight. Leave it in this position for several days.

    • 6

      Heat the glove by leaving it in a vehicle on a warm day if there’s any residual tightness. Do not leave the glove in the car for too long, as the heat can damage the leather.

    • 7

      Soften the leather further by applying shaving cream, Vaseline, saddle soap, mink oil, Neatsfoot oil or glove oil.