What's your technique?

We used the web gem and a lot of catch.  It is very good. 

My son has a WebGem as well, they are pretty good.

Watch a video by Aso, Wilson's glove guru.  He shows you exactly how he breaks in new gloves of pro players.  He's awesome.  No oils, creams, lotions, steam or anything - just beating the crap out of the glove.

Agree with smitty28. Got a wilson for the boy a year ago. We both watched the Aso video and followed his technique. The glove broke in perfectly.

Aso was the inspiration for this thread. My youngest boy came to me tonight and asked me if I could help him turn his new, vey stiff heart of the hide fielders glove inside out. What? He said that's what Aso did to Brandon Phillips glove. I remember seeing that same video sometime last year and thought if Aso can do it so can I. Actually worked pretty good. I was pretty proud of the kid for trying to take matters into his own hands and find a way to break in his glove.

I purchased first HOH this winter. Son is very happy with it so far.  I researched break in techniques as well and asked around.  While doing this, the boy threw a ball into it on his own everyday, kept a ball in it all times and played catch 2-3 times a week. Next thing I know it was essentially broken in and he didnt want to do anything more to it.

Talked to some older HS age kids and general consensus was to play a ton of catch, maybe a little dab of Nokena or oil in pocket only, a couple said Barbasol as well - but again just start using it. 

Did the Aso faithful dip it in water as well neating the crap out of it? I know it rains sometimes in baseball (or snow) but I was hesitant to do that for first big glove purchase. I figured Aso has a steady supply of inventory and those guys typically break in 2-3 gloves a yeat. Son's lone glove needs to last a little longer... Interested though if works and might try and less expensive glove

The initial dip in water breaks in the hand form quicker, as well as the overall break in.  I've done this with 4 pro preferreds.  Easiest way to break in, no damage, works great.  Warm/hot water.  I also unlace the heel and cut that pad out of them as well (just a ball ejector) and that breaks them in easier as well (like the Pedroia model).  wrap in a towel and beat on it with a small dumbbell (towel protects from beat marks).  Condition it and play with it.  Oldest glove is 5-6 years old and still in great condition except palm wear and replacing the laces.

Barbasol is old school, don't use it on nice leather.  HOH really break in very quick anyway. 

AZcoyote, the HOH is about 2 months old. Son has small hands. Would it be worth it to try the warm/hot water at this point or should I just leave it alone and continue au natural?

Gotta admit, I chickened out on the water dip. Massaged in some water to the hard to mold spots. Just did a lot of mashing. Every time I was just sitting around, I would grab the glove and go through Aso's process. Worked great!

My 2017 catcher's Rawlings Pro Preferred was so stiff (as it SHOULD be) that he could not close it. He wiped it down with a Rawlings gloveolium cleaning disposable wipe, sat on a bucket, and received a few hundred balls from the medium BP machine near where we live. Wiped it down again and put it in the webgem form. Did a few more sessions, always using the webgem. Then in practice then game use. Once it was well on the way to being broken-in, he stopped using the webgem as his catching coach wanted the glove and pocket to be stored "open." Glove is perfect. BUT, it is just starting to get a little "too perfect" and I got his replacement Pro Preferred when I saw a great price for it on Ebay. Need to start the break-in process anew... 

Seems like Web Gem popular on here. Curious which form for  MIF you prefer -have seen. Current glove pretty well formed so not sure I would do the glaze (if I understand it correctly). If it can prolong life of glove and can prevent floppy/breakdown might be worth the extra $

We always use Nokona's Classic Leather Glove Conditioner.  It's like thick Vaseline. Playing catch is how we broke the glove in.  The glove absorbs Nokona well and is not greasy.  I've always stayed away from some of the alternatives mentioned when breaking in a glove because I was told that they while they helped the glove feel broken in quicker, they would cause the leather to dry out (water, shaving cream, steaming) and not last as long.  We were also told a long time ago to store the catchers mitt open, once a pocket was formed.

Water.

I've done it for years on gloves for many players... Always dried properly, never had any mold, never removed pads, never removed laces, never had a glove wear out faster than normal...

Anyway, the process is really simple... I run warm-ish water over the glove until it has saturated the leather completely, and do it until the leather is really soaked, pliable and heavy with water (I will also sometimes clean the glove with some fast orange if the glove is over-oiled or really a mess)... I run the water in the finger stalls as well until they feel slippery... I then put a towel in my lap and start 'working' the glove, I'll flare out or in the fingers, adjust and tighten and properly tie all the straps and knots. Then start pounding the glove with my hand and or a baseball... Once I get the glove where I want it - most gloves are already taking their new shape and you can feel them drying at this point, I will sometimes, sometimes not, use some conditioner on my glove-hand and stick it in the finger stalls... I will then sometimes apply some light conditioner over the entire glove, sometimes not, depends on the glove and how it feels at this point... Once this is done, I will place the glove, back up (to dry the finger stalls), or on it's fingertips under a ceiling fan (approx 4 feet) on high for around 24+/- hours... I will check the glove periodically to see if it's where I want it, and either adjust by re-soaking or re-wetting some areas or doing some additional pounding, bending or stretching...

You can also definitely re-mold a already broken in glove to get it to close to what you want or even exactly what you want... It may take a few times to get it exactly right though...There are limits to everything of course... If you try soaking a glove that is about to fall apart or is damaged to begin with, or has cracked or torn leather (especially in the palm liner or finger stalls) you cannot expect good results. If the glove is new, or used, and in usable fairly decent condition you can have good results... Good luck.

It's fun, and it keeps my hands busy while watching games or TV...

Good luck...

Any unique ideas for catchers mitts.  Bought a Brett Bros Pro and it has Great leather but like the Pro-Preferred is stiff as a board.  2017 has received about 400 balls plus light oiling and flex work.  It is coming along but looks like another 1000 or so before it is game ready and reliable so if there is a safe shortcut I am all ears...anyone experienced with glove steaming?

Steamed an infielder glove in the Mizuno. Had to buy a $70ish glove close to season. Got what I expected. Aided in quick break-in, glove worked just fine. After spring/fall it was a floppy pancake. I am not opposed to the steam if time constrained or glove not expected to stay with player for more than 1-2 years. If buying high end, I would plan ahead and just put the time in. It seems to take awhile due to excitement/anticipation but results come quicker than think

We also use the pro preferred and found it was very stiff in the beginning. I was very surprised when my son just switched to it after a week or two of regular practice and conditioning the leather It broke in very quickly.  I really think it had to do more with the Nokona oil. We seem to have done a lot less than others and that glove broke right in.

MDBallDad. I shared my "secrets." My son can get 200 medium (70-75 mph) pitches in while sitting on a bucket in 30 minutes or so. The Webgem helps form the pocket correctly and probably aids in the break-in period. A bit.

Only thing I have to add is that I drilled a hole into a piece of wide doweling and also drilled a pilot hole into a baseball, then screwed a long stove bolt with threads at each end into them both, and gave that to the kid so he can bang on gloves while watching TV or whatever.  He's been using it for years.  I've replaced the baseball a couple times when it got loose.

Ohhhhh, I thought a Webgem was a really good play that made sports center and couldn't figure out how you were using it to break in a glove... I just Googled it so now I understand  Thanks!!!

Try the web gem.  Kid had the a2000 pudge model.  Very stiff to start.  24 hrs. with the conditioner and form and it was workable for catch.  We went from there between the form and catch. 

Many excellent ideas being shared... I have tried most.

I would add...

soaking the leather laces (catchers mitt) allows them to stretch rapidly, put softball in glove to keep stretched until water has dried.  Use a lacrosse ball when playing catch; its slightly smaller than a baseball but its mass works better (and you can do it alone throwing against a wall at a school parking lot or tennis court).  Periodic treatments with Lexol Conditioner spray to hard to reach areas (inside and out) and the laces works well.

I think it would be fine.  It helps to form the hand inside the glove.  Just make sure you go play catch (throw hard into the glove) for an extended period of time and then condition it lightly.  No worries.  I use a pitching machine to shoot balls at my sons to help break in quicker.

I should add:

the palm (actually heel) pad removal is a personal preference, not a break in technique, it just happens to speed up the process.  Laces wear out over time so they get replaced.