How to Choose the Best Baseball or Softball Glove for You
With the very large selection of different types of gloves available today, it can be confusing which is the best one for you. Here’s a simple guide to help you choose the right glove:
Position:
Will you be playing all positions just one? For 50 years or more there have been specialized gloves for catchers and first basemen, but today there are special gloves for middle infielders, outfielders, pitchers, and third basemen.
If you are a utility player there are gloves designed for you, too.
The glove descriptions given in this web site specify the intended use for the glove.
Size:
Generally, smaller gloves are preferred by infielders while larger gloves are for outfielders. Commonly referred to as the gloves’ “pattern”, it is a measure of a gloves’ overall length in inches. Today’s gloves are so specialized that even within the same glove type you can get different sizes.
For example, if you happen to be a big person that plays shortstop, you’ll want to look at gloves made for middle infielders but choose the glove with a large pattern.
Web design:
This is really a matter of personal preference. There are many web designs for baseball gloves but there is only one feature that really counts: Can you see through it. Web designs that have spaces allow you see the ball in the glove, may be a bit lighter and allow dirt to fall through.
Web designs that are solid offer a better sun shield on pop-ups and fly balls.
Open back vs. closed back:
Again, this is a matter of personal taste. With an open back glove you can see part of the back of your hand and a closed back you can’t. Gloves with an open back may be a little cooler on hot days and some manufacturers offer an adjustable wrist strap that can be a nice feature. A closed back design usually incorporates a slot for your index finger to fit through so it’s on the outside of the glove if you wish.
Quality:
Like most things in life you get what you pay for. A cheap glove can be uncomfortable, nearly impossible to break in properly and not durable. Expect to pay over $60 for a quality glove, but you don’t have to spend $200.
Most recognizable big brand names command high prices for their high quality gloves, but, you can find gloves of equal quality from smaller manufacturers like Akadema at much lower prices.
If you have any questions please email us at scott@jamesjscottllc or call us at 860-571-9200 between 8 and 5, eastern time.
Click on the link below to view all of our baseball gloves:
