At Marucci, we believe a player’s glove is as unique as the player themselves. Every glove is individually handcrafted to provide a unique feel and requires important care and break-in to maintain its outstanding quality and performance.

The break-in process is as unique as the glove itself. Depending on the size, pattern, web design, leather type and player position, various methods have been developed throughout the history of the game.

While working with big leaguers and elite collegiate athletes and putting in countless hours perfecting our glove series, we have sorted through many different practices and defined what we believe is the optimum way to break-in and care for your Marucci fielding glove.

The ideal stiffness and comfort level for game play from when you first purchase your glove will depend heavily on the steps you take for break-in. Only you know how you want your glove to feel and perform.

FOR A STIFFER-FEELING GLOVE

If you prefer a very stiff feeling glove, simply playing catch daily for about 2 weeks will form your pocket and break in the lace and web fibers for a safe and secure closure. The sweat from your hand will permeate the palm lining and mold into place.

After you complete your throwing session, consider wrapping your glove around a baseball so the shape can be maintained while you’re not using the glove. There are several glove wraps and forming kits on the market that work very well.

If you are on a quick timeline to break in your new glove before your season’s first practice or game, players have been known to receive balls repeatedly from an Iron Mike pitching machine turned up to a high velocity. We encourage you to use at your own risk, but the premise is to receive many balls over and over without having to throw back and over-exert your throwing arm.

GLOVE STEAMING

For urgent break-in requests from pro players, Marucci has utilized a steam chamber to accommodate the quick turnaround. Several “glove steamers” are on the market at local sporting goods stores, and if used correctly, can speed up the process for break-in while offering great pocket formation. The steam softens not just the shell leather but also the wool padding fibers. 

The key to successfully steaming a glove is the lubrication added to the leather prior to starting the steam process.

Marucci only recommends Lexol Leather Conditioner be liberally applied throughout the entire glove. Depending on the saturation of the conditioner you applied, it will cause some staining to the leather. Unfortunately, there isn’t a way to condition without some staining.

The most important treatment while steaming a glove is heavily applying Marucci Glove Rub to all laces. If left untreated, the raw laces quickly dry as moisture from the steam evaporates. This rapid drying makes the laces hard and brittle which weaken the fibers and can increase risk of breakage.

After removing from the steamer and while the glove is very warm, it is important to use a glove mallet on the pocket and web to simulate ball impacts and on the pinky and thumb to establish break points.

Also while the leather is very warm and soft, grab the glove with two hands with the back facing you – left hand on the pinky, right hand on the thumb (if a regular right-hand glove). Move the thumb and pinky backwards and forwards in opposite directions for several minutes. This further softens the internal lining and padding and breaks in the lace and web. The lace and web on a new glove are some of the stiffest parts and sometimes take the most time to soften and shape.

Use the steaming process with extreme caution. Depending on the steamer and length of time the glove is inside, the glove may be extremely hot and can cause injury to the hand if inserted too soon upon removal from the steamer.

Marucci strongly discourages submerging your glove in water or using other foreign substances beyond Lexol Glove Conditioner or Marucci Glove Rub. Additionally, we do not recommend baking your glove in an oven, as this dehydrates the leather and laces, weakening the fibers and the longevity of the glove. 

Months of repeated testing on hundreds of gloves helped us reach our conclusion on the right break-in steps and substances for softening, cleaning, and conditioning.