Does your child love to play baseball? If yes, you probably accompany him to all his games, and you can’t help but cheer him on. Are you possibly his best fan, and you would wish to see your son play in Major League Baseball (MLB) in the future? Won’t you always be there to hold his hand till he becomes a baseball pro?
But wait! What about his playing gear? Do you ensure your child has the right uniform during his baseball games and uses the best equipment? When your kid wears comfortable clothes and uses the best gear when playing, his chances of winning become higher.
In this article, you will learn about how to find the best baseball gloves for your child using the sizing guidelines we’ll provide you in the following sections.
How to Size a Youth Baseball Glove
The following are guidelines you can use to get the right measurements for a youth glove.
Right-Handed Thrower (RHT)
When your child is a right-handed thrower, select a glove that is marked regular. The baseball player will put on the glove on his left hand to allow the right hand to retrieve and toss the ball.
Left-Handed Thrower (LHT)
A left-handed baseball thrower wears the glove on his right hand and throws the ball with his left hand. If your child is an LHT, fit him a glove marked full right so he can use the left hand to catch the baseball.
Webbing
You can also fit the glove, depending on the web type. Different webbing comes with various styles and designs as they add more benefits to your mitt. Also, the type of glove web you wear depends on the position you play in a baseball game. Different players’ positions require varying web-type gloves.
Check this Video on How to Choose the Right Baseball Glove:
You can purchase a baseball glove with the following webbing types:
I-web
It is a commonly used glove by middle infielders in baseball matches. Gloves with I-webbing have two horizontal leather strips and a central vertical strip. As a result, the pattern forms something like the letter I.
This softball glove allows the child’s hand to align consistently with the ball at the same spot for quick turns and relay throws from the outfield. Also, you can look through the web when you throw the baseball high.
H-web
The leather pattern in this type of baseball glove forms the letter H. It fits both the outfield and infield positions and especially the third baseman position. Its open web allows the dirt and debris to fall through easily as it remains strong enough to field hard-hit balls.
Basket
Sometimes called a closed glove because it is completely closed off, a basket baseball glove doesn’t allow light or dirt to pass through. The pitcher can conceal their ball’s grip from a hitter on the lookout. This type of glove has a shallow pocket, but it is stronger, especially for fast-pitch softball games, despite the player’s position. Also, basket gloves are easier to close because of the weave’s flexibility.
Single Post
Also known as a cross-web softball glove, the single-post glove has a vertical leather strip and two horizontal bars. The first baseman commonly uses this type of baseball glove as its construction provides a consistent pocket to catch the ball.
Its deep pockets help to secure the throws across the infield. However, the deep pockets can hinder transfers. First basemen use it because their position doesn’t require quick transfers.
Two-Piece Closed Webbing
It has two leather patches, and pitchers commonly use it. Just like the basket glove, the two-piece closed glove helps to conceal the ball from hitters. The difference between the two baseball gloves is the weight. The two-piece closed is heavier than the basket model. As a result, it is not the best option for minor league players.
Trapeze
Outfielders commonly use this webbing style. Its pattern has a leather strap with interlacing on each side. As a result, it forms a deeper pocket that helps to catch a flying ball.
Modified Trap
A modified trap web glove is like a trapeze, with a leather strip to the top. Outfielders, infielders, and pitchers prefer using this type of softball glove as it is more stable.
Half-moon
A half-moon catcher’s glove comes with two leather pieces that are laced together. The pattern allows it to have a tight pocket and more flexibility than the gloves with only one piece of leather.
One-piece
It is a popular web style that features one large piece of leather. This catcher’s mitt has an outer edge lacing that provides a tight, shallow pocket.
Modified H-web
These are H-web gloves that are adjusted by adding a top leather strip. This helps expand the catch radius of the first baseman and makes fielding easier.
Dual Bar
It is a type of baseball glove that features two horizontal leather bars threaded together. As a result, the glove entails a pocket that can help the first baseman in trapping and catching the ball.
Take a look at How a Baseball Glove is Made:
The Versatility of the Glove
When you go to the sporting goods store to buy a baseball glove for your child, go for an adaptable item in various functions. A baseball glove size that can serve your kid despite their playing position. If you want your kid to be a superman in t-ball, go for a versatile glove size that will allow him to explore the various positions in baseball matches.
The Durability of the Glove
No one wants to buy baseball or softball gloves after every month because they easily wear out. So when fitting on your child’s glove, consider their durability. How long will it serve him? Look for a glove made of strong leather and not inferior quality material that gets torn quickly.
That said, as you look for a strong t-ball glove, don’t buy a too sturdy one either. This is because it will hinder hand movement, and hence, your child won’t play to his best. Purchase gloves that are not only durable but also flexible for a fruitful match.
Throwing Types
Have you identified how your child throws the ball when playing baseball? Does he use his right hand or left one? A kid whose throwing strength amazes others is definitely a pitcher, while the one who catches or dives so well is an outfielder. Also, if his picking and throwing speed is faster, he basically has potential as an infielder.
When you know the throwing type of your kid, you will purchase a softball glove that suits them. As a result, they will be comfortable playing t-ball and probably win the match- what a joy to you as a parent.
Pocket Size of a Baseball Glove
Baseball gloves come in varying pocket sizes. Some are shallow, while others are deep. As parents, don’t get tempted to buy bigger gloves, hoping your kid will grow into them quickly.
In baseball matches, shallow pocket gloves are perfect for fielders because they allow them to grab the ball quickly and transfer it to the throwing hand. Deeper-pocketed gloves are suitable for holding flying balls and hard-hit shots. As a result, they are good for outfielders.
Parts of the Baseball Glove for a Child
A baseball glove for your kid will have four major parts.
Webbing
Every baseball glove has a web that connects the thumb of the glove to the fingers. This allows your child to catch the ball with his fingers without getting hurt. The webbing on the gloves varies in style and size. You can choose them depending on your child’s playing position.
Palm
The palm of a baseball glove works with the webbing to ensure that the ball remains secure in the glove after catching it. Also, it provides padding on the palm to reduce the stings when you catch the ball directly on your palm area.
Fingers
The fingers of a baseball glove for your child are more of the same as the normal glove, except that they are longer. Besides, the player puts one or two fingers in the pinky hole. The index finger of your child helps to determine his appropriate baseball glove size.
Heel
It is the lower part of youth gloves that fastens the ties. It is the stiffest part of the glove and provides padding to the lower part of the hand and the upper part of the child’s wrist.
Look at this Video to Learn How to Size a Baseball Glove:
Position-Wise Baseball Gloves for a Child
The position in which your child plays in baseball affects the size and the type of glove they wear. Read along to understand the catcher’s, batter’s, pitcher’s, and fielders’ glove type.
Catcher’s Gloves for a Regular Player
Catchers use a mitt, not a glove. The mitts lack individual fingers, just like a mitten. Besides that, they also have extra padding and a hinged claw-like shape that helps them channel the fastballs into the pocket. Also, it helps them provide a suitable target for the pitcher who throws the ball.
You can buy your child a catcher’s mitt with a single or double hinge. Others buy catcher’s mitt with phosphorescent paint around the ridges to target the pitcher properly. Finally, the sizing of the catcher’s baselball glove is labeled by circumference.
Batter Gloves for a Newbie
A newbie batter in baseball requires stronger gloves more than the standard ones. Also, a little deeper-pocket-sized glove with close webbing suits their tasks. As a result, these batting gloves can hold the bat hard and also avoid slipping it off.
Stiffer Pitcher’s Gloves
In most cases, pitchers don’t have a specialized type of glove to wear, but a closed-web glove is preferable. Youth baseball gloves for a pitcher should also be opaque to allow you to hide the grip from the hitter while you still have the ball in your baseball glove. For a tee-ball player, the best glove size is 9 to 10.5 inches, while for youth, the right size is 10.75 to 12.5 inches.
Outfield Gloves
An outfield softball glove has a deeper pocket to help catch flying balls on a dive and also helps to prevent the outfielders from bending too low to field a ground ball. It allows the child to have an extra reach as he tries to catch fly balls. To get a fitting youth baseball glove size for an outfielder, go for 10.75-12.5 inches.
Infield Gloves
Infielders wear small gloves with smaller pockets to remove the ball easily and quickly throw it to the base. Also, these youth baseball gloves have an open webbing to allow the dirt to pass through easily and not hinder the outfielder from retrieving the ball. For your infielder youth, look for a baseball infield glove sized between 10.75 and 11.75 inches.
Sizing Guide
Before you buy a softball glove for your kid, you need to make sure it fits first. You can use this guide on how to fit a baseball glove for a child to make sure you find the perfect glove size for your young ballplayer.
Position-based Baseball Glove Sizing Guide
Here are the guidelines to use for a fruitful glove sizing moment depending on whether your kid plays fast pitch or slow-pitch softball.
For Fast Pitch
When going for a fast-pitch catcher’s glove, look for a more padded glove. It will provide support and protection to your kid’s palm while playing. If he is playing as an infielder, get a softball glove that ranges from 11 to 12 inches, depending on his hand’s size.
For a youth pitcher, his fast pitch glove size should be between 10.75 inches to 12.5 inches. Also, for the material of your gloves, look for strong leather gloves for a fast pitch. Finally, your child’s basic fast pitch ball should be around 11 inches in circumference. Therefore, you can consider this as you go for glove sizing.
For Slow Pitch
In a slow-pitch baseball game, catchers aren’t limited to any specific mitt. Your child can use a fielder’s or even a utility glove because he won’t be trying to catch a ball at high speed. Also, a basic slow pitch ball has a circumference of 12 inches.
You can choose a youth glove depending on this measurement. For the glove material to use in a slow-pitch game, you can use a synthetic leather glove for years without replacing it.
Check this video out!
Baseball Glove Material
Different materials make up baseball gloves. As you go for glove buying with your child, you can choose the right glove size with the following material types.
Oil-Treated Leather Gloves
Were you thinking I was talking about gloves with oil? Well, that wasn’t really what I was getting to.
Oil-treated leather gloves are soft. They are the best fit for youths of the age of 12 years to those in secondary school. A softball glove is made of soft leather. With price, they are more costly than synthetic leather gloves. Finally, they are easy to break in for your child because of their soft material.
Synthetic Leather-made Gloves
It is the best type of gloves for children below the age of 12. This is because they are made of gentle synthetic materials, hence are lightweight and easy to close. Also, they do not require a break-in period.
Synthetic leather-made gloves are also the best option for newbies in baseball games during the training session. Your kid will feel safe wearing them as they are easier to play with. The cost of these gloves for young baseball players is affordable.
Premium Pro Leather Gloves
It is the highest quality softball gloves you can get in the market today. The gloves come from high-quality leather and 100% cowskin with soft padding. They are durable, comfortable, and they conform better to your hand once you break in the glove.
Once your kid enhances his baseball skills, you can buy him these types of gloves. They are the ones you see baseball players use in the Major Leagues.
FAQs
You might have questions about sizing a softball glove for your child. Here are answers to some of your concerns.
What size glove should a 7 year old use?
When your child is at the age of 7, and you go to look for a fitting baseball glove size, search for a 10.5-inch glove. However, if your kid has a bigger body size, they may wear a glove up to 11.5 inches, while for a small body size, it may be a 10-inch glove.
How do you break in a baseball glove at home?
After purchasing the glove that best fits your kid, it is time to break in the glove at home. Follow these guidelines to break in your new baseball gloves safely.
1. Moisten your glove’s leather with a small amount of hot water.
2. Pour the water on any area of your youth glove to make it softer. You can also use a small amount of glove oil with a sponge to soften the leather.
3. Work out the most rigid parts of the glove: the thumb and the pinky back for proper drying.
4. Soften the glove using a wooden mallet to pound the pocket used to catch the ball.
5. Shape your baseball glove by putting a ball in the pocket and then wrap it with two or three rubber bands.
6. Allow the glove to remain this way for about five hours to have the shape you want.
7. Finally, have your kid play catch with his brand new glove. The more he uses it, the quicker the break-in period will be for the glove.
For a more comprehensive discussion, check this guide on how to break in baseball gloves.
Final Thoughts
Knowing how to fit a baseball glove for a child may be one of the best things you can contribute to his baseball games. To achieve this role as a parent, know their playing position and throw type. Also, be keen on the webbing style, durability, and comfort of the glove you want to buy. This is because, with a fitting and comfortable glove, your little one will enjoy the game and give their best.
Besides, he will love to engage in the game always, and who knows, they might become one of the best baseball players of tomorrow.
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