Buy a bottle of conditioning oil to use on your glove. Squirt a dime-sized amount of the oil into a washcloth or applicator sponge and rub it into the palm area, fingers and stitching of the glove. Glove oils serve to soften the leather, and, once they’ve had a chance to set in, can protect it from hard impacts, dirt, scrapes and other elements of hard play.It’s important to treat the stitching and webbing of the glove with oil, as these parts absorb most of the strain from catching and gripping and need to be pliable.
Go easy on the oil. Use just enough to lightly coat the glove, and wipe away any excess oil that’s beading up on the leather. Too much oil can oversaturate the leather, making it heavy and susceptible to cracking., Place a softball firmly in the pocket of the glove, fold the glove around the ball and then secure it with thick rubber bands, twine or a set of unused shoelaces. Stretch or tie the bands in an “X” shape so that the glove is constricted at both the top, near the fingers, and bottom, at the base of the palm. Store the glove overnight, letting it rest around the ball. With time, the glove will relax and begin to take the shape of the ball.Since you’re breaking in a softball glove, make sure you don’t wrap the glove using anything smaller than a regulation size softball.
 If you don’t have anyone to play catch with, and don’t feel like slapping a ball into the glove repeatedly on your own, you can use a ball mallet, baseball bat or other similarly shaped object to simulate the impact of the ball. Use the striking surface to beat the glove in the center of the palm and in the space between the thumb and forefinger where the ball will rest. Oil the glove when you’re not using it to safeguard it against continual impact.In professional baseball, this is known as “manhandling,” and can be used to break in new gloves or keep them supple between games.Grip the striking implement firmly as you make impact to get used to squeezing around an object, the way you would when catching a ball. This will also give the stitching a bit of stretch.
 Anytime you’re not using the glove for games or practice, place a full-sized softball in the pocket and stash it away. If you make a habit of this, the glove will eventually conform permanently around the ball. This is a basic way to break in a new glove, but doubles as a form of maintenance, as the leather of a glove tends to change shape and texture over time.You can choose whether to wrap the glove and ball with bands when you put it away. Once the glove is mostly broken in, there won’t be much of a need to wrap it anymore. Just keeping a ball in the pocket will be enough to help it hold its shape.
Apply oil to soften the glove.
Wrap the glove tightly with a band.
Strike the glove with a mallet or bat.
Leave a ball in the glove when you’re not using it.
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