Author: Chase Marzolf | Updated: May 8th, 2025
Every baseball player relishes the feeling of that perfectly broken-in glove. It feels like an extension of your hand, helping you make play after play with ease. But there comes a time for each player where they need a new glove. Maybe you have outgrown your old glove or it is just ready to be retired. Fear not! There are ways to break in your new baseball glove and have it feeling just like you remember in no time. Baseball Savings is here to tell you how to achieve that.
Use A Little Oil
Baseball glove oil like the one found in the Rawlings Glove Break-In Kit is helpful when it comes to softening up leather and making your glove more flexible. The key to using glove oil is that a little bit goes a long way. Too much oil can soak into the leather of the glove and can weigh the glove down and soak into the spot it was applied to, leaving discoloration. Never apply the oil directly to the glove. It is best to apply the oil using a sponge or cloth. Rub the oil into the pocket and other more rigid parts of the glove. Then you can work the glove with your hands, bending and flexing the fingers, web, and palm as the oil dries.
Give It A Whack
Because leather softens with use, the most important part of breaking your glove is to use. Play catch, field some ground balls, shag pop-flys. You can help speed up that process though without catching baseballs. Try a tool like the Marucci Glove Mallet. This handy wooden tool is used to help break in and form the pocket as well as soften other parts of the glove. Try smacking it into the palm after you have applied oil to the glove. Pound the web and more rigid parts as well, using the impact to help soften up the leather in your new baseball glove.
Wrap It Up
Proper storage can go a long way when you are working with a new glove. After you have applied oil and worked on the leather a little bit, place a baseball in the pocket. Then, wrap up your new glove. The wrap should fit snug around the glove in the shape of an “X”. Leave it stored that way for a few hours as the glove dries to help mold the shape of the pocket. Once it’s done, unwrap it, take the ball out, and give it a few more hits with a glove mallet.
Lanolin Is Your Friend
A conditioner like the Rawlings Glovolium Professional Treatment is a vital part of not only breaking in your baseball glove but also maintaining it. Lanolin-based creams do not soak into the leather the way oil can, making the glove heavy. Just rub a small amount into the pocket or on the fingers using a cloth or your hands. This treatment keeps the leather from breaking down while keeping it soft and flexible. It doesn’t take much and you don’t have to use it that often. Just a couple of treatments during the season are enough to keep your glove on top of its game.
We’ll Do It For You
If you truly want to save time and have your glove arrive at your door almost game day ready, Baseball Savings will steam your glove for you. We do offer a select number of gloves that can be ordered with our steaming process. This saves you time and greatly reduces how much you need to break in your glove. If you prefer your glove delivered ready to go, we are happy to do that for you.
Now that you know how to break in your next baseball glove, you will have it feeling and playing like old reliable in no time. Be sure to visit BaseballSavings.com for all your glove maintenance needs.
Thank you for writing this article, I was thinking of using oil as well but don’t know which one would be good.
I followed your instructions and it worked, thank you so much for your post
In order to ensure complete comfort while being used, a baseball glove must be broken in and greased. This is also an essential step in maintaining the softness and durability of the glove’s leather.