What kind of glove do i need for softball

A pitcher is typically not as concerned about the performance of his glove as are other players, his main concern is comfort. Baseball pitchers gloves usually range from The best way to break in your glove is to use a little glove conditioner to keep the pocket firm and the leather strong. Shape the glove with your hands including folding the fingers and creasing the heel to your liking.

The most common method is to have the thumb bend over to the ring finger. Ultimately, playing catch is the best way to break in a glove to your hand. You will begin to feel the glove take the shape of your palm and see the glove start to fold the way you want. Glove Buying Guide When purchasing a glove, the first thing that needs to be determined is what hand the glove will be worn on. Choose a size. Bring along someone who knows the game to stand in for the batter.

Adult sizes for pitchers range from Choose a closed web. Avoid gloves with open webbing when pitching, since these may offer the batter a glimpse of your grip on the ball. Judge the comfort. Know that, as a pitcher, you will be making catches continually throughout the game.

Be sure your hand is well protected from so many impacts. Avoid gloves that feel too heavy. If you like every other feature of a particular glove, check with a sales rep or the manufacturer to see if the same design is available in alternate, lighter materials. Method 4. Opt for a smaller glove. Ensure a quicker ball-to-hand transfer for fast plays after catching the ball. Adult sizes for infield positions range from Choose an open back. Pick a glove whose design leaves the top of your wrist uncovered.

Allow yourself greater flexibility. Choose between open and closed webs. Method 5. Opt for a longer glove. Avoid the extra steps and costly seconds that it might take to catch fly balls or make diving catches with a short glove. Adult sizes for outfield positions range from ". Choose a closed back. Pick a glove whose design covers all of your hand for greater support.

Sample a closed-back glove that offers a hole for your index finger to protrude from the glove for additional support and judge whether your prefer this option or not. Opt for the additional support that a closed web offers when catching fly balls and line drives.

Method 6. If you're going to be switching between infield and outfield positions, pick a size as Goldilocks would: not so long that it would impede quick ball-to-hand transfers, but not so short that it would make catches in the outfield too difficult.

Go for an open back. Keep your wrist uncovered. Allow yourself greater mobility while playing infield positions. The depth of the pocket is decided by the position that is played. Shallower pockets aid infield players in quickly catching and throwing the ball, while deeper pockets help outfielders catch a ball while in flight. Again, softball glove pockets are relatively deeper to be able to accommodate the larger ball.

Whether or not to choose a glove with webbing is determined both by player preference and field position. Open webbing is allows for quick retrieval of the ball, which is a great advantage for infielders.

Outfielders and third base players benefit more from closed or tightly woven webbing. This type of webbing also allows pitchers to hide the ball from the batter! This part of the glove wraps across the back of your hand and is either closed or open. That decision is largely a matter of preference for the player. An open back gives you more flexibility, which is greatly beneficial for infielders, while a closed back gives outfielders more support.

This feature is available in some gloves. It may come in the form of a buckle, lacing, Velcro, or D-rings. Depending on the position, the padding on a glove will differ. Usually, the player with the thickest padding is the catcher. These days, you may find that gloves are much more padded than they used to be — even with gloves for other positions — to reduce palm shock, which is experienced by most players.

The standard size range is from They also have open web designs to allow the pocket to be a little deeper and lighter than a closed pocket. The typical size range for both baseball and softball is from But the comfort is important since they are constantly catching and will often have to stop line drives hit back through the middle. Many manufacturers make light versions of high-end gloves with special materials that weigh significantly less than standard gloves.

These smaller gloves are made to allow for quick plays like a double play in the middle infield. They are shorter and have a shallower pocket than other gloves. Infielders typically want an open pocket that makes it easy to get the ball out quickly. This is typically an I-web, post web, Dual Post web, or modified trapeze pocket. The only position that sometimes wants a closed pocket is third base.

This is because third base gets harder hits that a closed pocket can handle better than an open one will. The standard size for a baseball infield glove is These larger gloves are made for diving catches and to catch fly balls. This means that the gloves are longer and deeper with extra support in the fingers. The pocket designs for baseball are typically open with the main options being a modified trapeze and an H-web.

These pockets are the best for long extension plays that need to keep the ball in the glove, such as diving plays and snow cones. For softball, the pockets can be closed webs, because they need to be extra deep to account for the size of the softball.

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