No oil on new baseball gloves? Why and what should we do?
We have had a bunch of inquires from people asking about Coach Scott’s reasons for not using oil on new baseball gloves. Below is a recap of his comments made earlier this year.
Coach Scott: The reason I do not like oil to break in baseball gloves is simple. In my opinion oil takes life out of the glove. Most baseball gloves come preconditioned, now it is up to the user of the glove to break it in the old fashion way, by using it. Oil can make the leather to soft which allows the leather to stretch more than it should. This can lead to ripping of the leather. Oil also, adds weight to the glove and can make it heavy. To make a baseball glove last a long time, make sure the laces stay tight. Do not throw the glove in your bat bag when you are done using it. It will only get smashed and bent out of shape. Carry the baseball glove in your hand. When you get home put it up for safe keeping by placing the palm of the glove down (Do not leave your glove in the trunk of a car). As a baseball mitt starts to age they seem to dry out. Now is the time for oil. Use a very light amount. If you you think you have the perfect amount you most likely have to much. Use very thin layers. P.S. when buying a glove, the stiffer the leather, the better the leather.
So what Coach Scott is saying is to use your baseball glove to properly break-it in. As the glove ages and dry’s, then use oil and use it very sparingly. I’ve seen coaches catchers mitt and it is almost 20 years old. They are as good as new.
