How to Choose a Baseball Glove

Rawlings Gloves laying on the baseball field

No matter the level of competition, having conviction when stepping out onto the baseball field is key. With the right size of baseball glove , yous're able to not just increase your conviction merely improve your overall functioning. Whether you lot're picking out a glove for yourself or a immature baseball player, knowing the basics of how to cull a baseball glove is a fundamental step to playing your best on the field. Since at that place are a combination of dissimilar factors that go into determining which baseball game glove is right for you or your player, we break down what yous need to know in lodge to choose a baseball glove. Once yous narrow downwardly the size and manner of baseball glove you need, come across what gloves our experts suggest as the Best Baseball game Gloves for 2022.

How To Measure a Baseball game Glove

Before identifying which baseball glove size will fit best, it's important to have a basic agreement of how to measure a glove. All baseball gloves and catcher's mitts volition have a size listed, usually in inches.

  • To determine the size of a baseball glove , measure out from the tip of the index finger along the palm to the heel of the glove. Most baseball gloves don't measure greater than 12.five inches.
  • When looking for a catcher'south paw , y'all'll find that the sizing of the glove is betwixt 32.5 to 34 inches. That's considering a catcher's hand is measured by the circumference.

Baseball Glove Size & Position

When finding the right size baseball glove, there are several factors to consider including hand size, age, and field position. The baseball game glove size charts beneath are a great starting signal in narrowing your size options.

Youth Baseball game Glove Size Chart

Historic period Baseball Glove Size
five & under nine" - x"
vi - seven 10" - 10.5"
8 - 10 x.75" - 11.5"
11 -12 11" - 12"

Youth Catcher's Mitt Size Chart

Age Catcher'due south Glove Size
Nether 7 29.5" - xxx"
eight - 10 30" - 32"
eleven - xiii 31" - 32.five"

High School & Adult Baseball Glove Size Chart

Position Glove Size
Infield 11" - 12.25"
Outfield 12.5" - 12.75"
Offset Base 12" - 13"
Pitcher 11.five" - 12.v"
Catcher 32.5" - 34"

Depending on your position, you'll want to look for specific features inside a baseball glove to help ameliorate your overall performance. It's important to annotation that if you're a utility player or are just starting to play baseball game, it's more important that your baseball game glove feels comfortable than meets all the requirements below. Beneath is a summary of what to wait for in a baseball glove based on your position.

  • Infield Gloves : If you're playing an infield position, you'll utilize a smaller glove with a shallow pocket. This allows infielders to chop-chop transfer the ball from the glove to their throwing hand.
  • Outfield Gloves : For an outfield position, you'll typically want a larger glove with a deep pocket. With the extra length, outfielders take a longer accomplish to snag fly balls, while the deeper pocket offers added control after the grab.
  • First Base of operations Mitts: Playing first base is one of the most demanding positions on the field. A first base mitt is synthetic as more of a hybrid betwixt a catcher's manus and an infield glove because commencement basemen spend much of their fourth dimension catching throws or fielding ground balls. The mitt-mode structure provides a deeper pocket for easier catching and scooping up ground balls, while the extended length of the mitt makes fielding throws easier.
  • Pitcher's Gloves : When y'all're a pitcher, you'll utilise a glove nearly the same size equally an infielder, but y'all'll want to pay more attention to the webbing on the glove. With a airtight web-pattern, a pitcher tin hide their grip to prevent the batter from knowing which pitch is coming their style.
  • Catcher'due south Mitts : With a catcher'due south manus, y'all should be most concerned virtually which size offers the all-time experience for your hand. With the right size catcher's paw for your hand, y'all're able to grab and transfer the baseball apace.

Baseball Glove Web Types

Web Styles i web, modified trap, two piece, and h web

Aside from size and position, you'll besides want to consider the baseball game glove's spider web type. To meliorate efficiency in catching and transferring the ball, you'll want to detect the correct glove web type that matches your preferences and position. Beneath is a brief summary of the four virtually mutual spider web types.

  1. I-Web: A baseball game glove featuring an I-Spider web is mostly used by infielders. This webbing is an platonic size and will sift through dirt when scooping upward a footing ball.
  2. Modified Trapeze: The modified trapeze webbing, often referred to every bit mod trap, is used past infielders or the pitcher. With a modern trap design, in that location is a leather strip down the center of the webbing to provide more stability besides as help hide the pitcher'south grip.
  3. Two-Slice: This style of webbing is mainly used past pitchers considering this webbing pick helps conceal the pitcher's grip the best. Added coverage ways added weight, so a glove with a two-piece webbing is typically used by older players with more force.
  4. H-Web: Depending on the glove's size, the H-Spider web webbing tin can be used past infielders or outfielders. With the leather strips making an "H" design, this webbing is very strong nevertheless allows players to encounter through the webbing to locate fly balls.

Aside from these iv baseball glove web types, at that place are a few more position-specific web types including basket, trapeze, single-post, and dual-mail.

For a brief review of how to choose the right baseball glove, 1 of our baseball experts, Jimmy, summarizes what y'all need to proceed in mind before picking out your adjacent glove.

At present that y'all have a bones understanding of how to choose a baseball glove—considering your historic period, playing position, and webbing—you lot're ready to start browsing in store or online for your next glove. Just remember when choosing your baseball glove, it's all nearly personal preference and comfort. If you need additional help or have questions about how to cull a baseball glove, contact your local SCHEELS to speak with a baseball expert!

Looking for other new baseball game equipment? Bank check out our two expert blogs— How to Choose a Baseball game Bat and the All-time Baseball Cleats .