Baseball is often synonymous with America. But baseball has been around for a couple of centuries, is believed to come from England, and is popular all over the world.
When you want to get involved in America’s greatest pastime, one of the most important pieces of equipment is the baseball glove. While the majority of gloves are very similar, the catcher glove is unlike any of the others.
Buying a catcher mitt comes with some responsibility. You want to buy the proper target for the pitchers on your team. Do you know what to look for?
When you’re buying a catcher mitt, remember it can make or break your game! Keep reading this helpful catcher glove buying guide and choose the right catcher glove for you.
It’s a Mitt, Not a Glove
These two terms are used interchangeably. But when it comes to catchers, there’s a distinct difference. While a glove has separate finger pockets, a catcher’s mitt has a different design.
It’s designed to keep the fingers close together. The catcher’s fingers are less flexible and versatile, but this design helps to ensure that the catcher “catches” the ball.
Every catchers gloves should be chosen by the catchers themselves so they can test the suitability to their own style.
Sizing
The sizing for a catcher’s mitt is different than it is for other styles of baseball gloves. The sizing refers to the surface area for catching the ball.
They’re measured for the circumference. For youth players, the proper size will be between 30.5 and 32 inches. Adult sizes typically range from 32.5 to 35 inches.
When starting out as a youth player, look for a catcher’s mitt that is easier to close to ensure holding on to the ball. The closed webbing also gives the catcher more support when catching pitches.
Break It In
Once you find the right glove, it’s time to work on breaking it in. The different varieties of leather will have different break-in times. Softer leather will not take as long and will be easier to break in. The downside is the faster they break in, the faster they wear out.
A leather like steerhide will take two to three months of light use to break in. If you plan to go this route, buy it before your current glove wears out to give yourself time to break it in during practice.
You can also buy gloves that are pre-broken. It’ll then take you less time to break it in to your liking.
Getting the Right Catcher Glove
Now that you have all of the important information from this catcher glove guide, you’ll know how to choose a mitt you can trust. Choose the one that fits your needs, feels most comfortable, provides protection, and helps you feel that you’ll perform well in clutch moments.
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