5 Reasons to Get a Custom Baseball or Softball Glove

If your child plays baseball or softball, you’ve probably browsed rows and rows of gloves in sporting goods stores – and you might have even felt a bit overwhelmed by the options. Building a custom baseball or softball glove could be a great option when you”re not sure which glove will work best or if you want a unique, personalized mitt. We’ve made custom gloves for everyone, from youth players to MLB superstars, so we know how to get the most out of your child’s gamer. And while there are many great off-the-shelf glove options, building a custom glove offers clear advantages, especially for younger players.

Here are five reasons why a custom glove might help your ballplayer for years to come:

1. You know you’re getting quality, durable materials

That glove you see in the store with a marked-down price tag might be tempting, but there’s no guarantee that it won’t fall apart before the season ends, especially with certain brands. Choosing a custom glove allows you more control over the materials of the ball glove. For example, our custom glove builder lets you choose between four leather options: Heart of the Hide, Pro Preferred, Liberty Advanced, and Gamer XLE. Heart of the Hide and Pro Preferred use high-end leather featured in most MLB gloves. Liberty Advanced features full-grain leather and patterns designed specifically for softball and is the choice of many pro fastpitch players. Gamer XLE leather is a bit softer and designed for youth players, but it’s still tough enough to hold up over multiple seasons of use. Many players who build a custom glove for youth ball can play with it all through high school – you can’t get much better value than that.

2. You’ll be guided through the building process

There are a lot of factors to weigh when buying a ball glove. What web type do you want? What position are you playing? How do you want your fingers to fit in the glove? (These questions don’t even get into cosmetic features!) Building a custom glove gives you a guided process for your decision-making, helping you make the best decision for your child in every feature. For example, one of the first steps in our custom glove builder is choosing a position. If you know your child will primarily play infield—you’ll be guided to patterns specifically built for infielders. The same goes for outfielders, catchers, first basemen, and pitchers. A guided building process allows you to make educated choices for your child – so you know that when you do move away from the norm, you’re doing it for the right reasons.

The Official Glove of the MLB® We’ve been customizing gloves for big leaguers for over a century, and we like to think we’re continuing to improve at it. If you’re looking for a big-league experience, head into the Custom Glove Builder and start making new memories with your dream glove. Customize your glove

3. You can ensure the glove will be comfortable

Every ballplayer is built differently, and nobody wants to play with a glove that doesn’t feel quite right on your hand. When you design a custom glove, there are many ways to modify your design for the most comfortable feel possible. One of the choices you’ll have to make is for the hand-opening size. Our custom glove builder allows you to select from multiple different size options to ensure the wrist won’t be too tight or loose. If you’re worried about the weight of your child’s glove, you can incorporate specialty materials that are lighter than traditional leather. (And they look pretty slick, too.) Some patterns have other customizations, like Fastback or Wing-Tip designs. You can also get special finger stalls that accommodate a “finger shift,” where you move your ring finger toward your pinky. Our builder even allows you to modify how broken-in you want your glove to be upon delivery.

4. Your ballplayer can use their creativity

Now you’re getting to the fun stuff. Building a custom glove means your child can create a glove that looks like nothing else on the field. Our custom glove builder allows you to choose the colors of your web, outer shell, palm shell, inner welting, outer welting, binding, lacing, stitching, palm liner, palm pad, patch, custom embroidery, and trim. Phew! Whether you’re looking for something classic-looking, like Gleyber Torres, or something bold and bright, like Byron Buxton, you and your child will be able to customize every detail when you build their gamer. Be sure to put the icing on the cake when buying a custom glove with some personalized embroidery, too. You can add an MLB team logo, a flag, special script, or just roll with your name or number!

5. You can make a special memory together

The perfect glove is about more than making slick plays across the field; it’s about the memories you put into it. The hours and hours of catch in the backyard, the long tournament weekends, maybe even throwing it up in the air as you head to the dogpile after a big win – all of these feelings will stay with a ballplayer for years to come. You can make sure those memories are even more special with a custom baseball or softball glove. Building a perfect glove together is a great way to teach your young ballplayer more about the game, to share passions and ideas, and to have a tangible reminder of your shared love for baseball or softball.

Why should you build a custom glove?

A custom glove is an investment in your child’s game: get it right and you’ll reap the benefits for seasons to come, with a glove that ages perfectly alongside their game. We’ve been customizing gloves for big leaguers for over a century, and we like to think we’re continuing to improve at it. If you’re looking for a big-league experience, head into the Custom Glove Builder and start making new memories with your dream glove. Customize your glove now