Choosing the right baseball glove can make or break your fielding game. If you aren't comfortable with the glove that you have, it could result in a lot of problems when the ball is hit your way. Here are a few things that you should consider:
Size
Size is the most important aspect to consider when choosing your next glove. If the glove doesn't fit your hand comfortably, it won't be helpful in the field, specifically with botched ground balls and drop pop flies. The size of gloves goes by age, with ages 4-6 needing a 10" glove, ages 7-9 needing an 11" glove, and ages 10 and up needing a 12" to 13" glove. Make sure when choosing a glove, you choose the correct size.
Throwing Hand
This may seem a bit obvious to some but others will make the mistake of using a glove that goes on their dominant throwing hand. It is important that if you are a right-handed player that you choose a glove marked "regular" and if you are left-handed, you select a glove marked, "all right".
Pocket Size
The size of the pocket on your glove can make a big difference depending on what position you tend to play. For example, if you are an outfielder, you most likely will want a larger pocket to make it easier to catch fly balls. As for infielders, they would likely want a glove with a smaller pocket so they can field grounders and throw across the diamond easier.
Webbing
There is a multitude of options when choosing the webbing of a glove. The webbing can be fully closed, partly closed, or even loose and open. Fully closed webbing will make it easier to catch and trap a ball in the glove but a looser, more open webbing will allow for a ball to be snagged and thrown across the field a lot quicker, without picking up large dirt clumps. Webbing should be chosen by what is best for the player's comfort.
Padding
Baseball gloves are made with a large amount of padding to protect players from possible injury. For example, catcher's mitts are bound to be the most padded because they are tasked with catching pitches for an entire game at a high velocity. So, when choosing a glove, padding will be important depending on how often the ball is coming in contact with the glove.
Wrist
Changes to wrist adjustments have become popular in recent years. These adjustments are mostly made for comfort. This comfort can come from adjustment straps that will allow for a tight fit of the glove on your hand but can also increase padding on a vulnerable part of the glove hand.
Material
Material is the last big thing to consider when choosing a new baseball glove. Gloves can be made of many different materials, most often leather, mesh, and synthetics. The most common glove used is the leather glove because they are comfortable and durable but mesh gloves provide a lightweight alternative while synthetic gloves are made for younger players. The material you choose for a glove is up to the comfort preferences of the player.
