Reasons you probably need a new glove:
- The form is super floppy and simply doesn’t hold anymore. Whether your perfect break-in is gone of your glove feels like a pancake, the form going is the first sign the glove is on its last legs.
- There is a ripping or cracking: Whether it is in the palm of the back of the mitt, ripping and cracking are signs of severe deterioration of the leather. Of course, this is a telling sign the glove is done.
- It starts to feel very heavy when you use it: A build-up or tons of grime and dirt in the glove causes it to feel very heavy. This not only makes the performance of the glove worse, but depletes the quality of the leather, as well.
- The padding feels nonexistent: The felt padding thinning out is a key sign the glove is fully worn out. You’ll feel unusually strong pain after catches in the palm and pocket, which are both bad signs.
Signs you don’t need a new glove:
- You want a glove for a secondary position: Unless you play the secondary position as much as your main position, there’s little reason to buy a second glove (unless it’s a catcher’s mitt or 1B mitt).
- You just want a new glove: Unless you can buy 10 of them, don’t buy a new glove just because you want a new one. You’re better off saving your money for more necessary future expenses.
- Your glove is old but isn’t worn out: Some gloves will hold their form for longer than others, and just because your glove is old does not mean you need a new one. Older gloves are typically better built, somehow, anyway.