3 Important Features That Make Best Baseball Gloves

Baseball gloves are supposed to fit the player’s hand, abilities and even position to ensure that better play is achieved with every game. The grab really matters in a baseball game and you therefore cannot be a complete player without the best baseball gloves. When looking at the gloves available in the market, you will find different sizes, fast pitch softball gloves, slow pitch softball gloves and even left handed gloves. The glove design will determine whether they are suitable for infielders, outfielders, catchers or pitchers.

But whereas most of the baseball gloves happen to look very similar, there are major design elements that make them unique one from the other. These are the features that give the baseball gloves the different field abilities that they have. When you start by understanding the three main features, then you will have an easier time choose the most suitable gloves for your position, size and age as a player. Remember that your choice of gloves can determine the individual performance that you have when in the field.

1. The pocket

The indentation in glove palm is what is known as the glove pocket. This is where the ball rests with every catch. The baseball gloves can either have deep or shallow pocket and the depth determines how easy it is for the transfer from the glove to the throwing hand takes. This is the feature that will determine the ball hold of the player. Shallow glove pockets are best for fast plays and make the perfect choice for fielders who need quick ball grabs and even faster throws to plate the ball. Deeper pockets on the other hand, are best for hard hit shots and snagging fly balls, hence are most suitable for outfielders.

2. The webbing

Baseball glove webbing connects the glove thumb to fingers to help players in catching and holding the ball. Most gloves come with highly specialized patterns on the webbing so that ball retrieval is improved but generally the webbing can either be closed or open. Closed web patterns offer strong and solid web thanks to the leather patterns that are tightly woven. The result is sturdier style for added catching support. The closed webbing is perfect choice for pitcher, catchers and fielders. Open webs on the other hand offer quicker ball transfers and come in handy in catching pop flies because they offer better visibility. Infielders and outfielders prefer this type of webbing.

3. The back

Baseball gloves have either open back or closed back. For the open back, the open space is above wrist closure on the glove back and the design offers quicker turnaround and mobility to infielders especially. The closed back gloves offer more support and strength and are therefore preferred by outfielders; those with a finger hole are even better because they offer added support catching flies. But when it comes to the glove back design, it is usually a matter of player preferences and nothing more.

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