Baseball has never been more popular in America. Heck, over 25 million people play either baseball or softball nowadays!
If you’re baseball mad too, then you’ll need some high-quality equipment to make the most of it next ball season. And, assuming you have a bat already, baseball gear doesn’t get much more important than your batting gloves!
The tricky part’s choosing the best ones for the job. For help with the task, check out this comprehensive guide to picking batting gloves.
Size Matters
Of all the considerations to keep in mind on your hunt for new batting gloves, sizing is arguably most important. Too tight and they’ll be uncomfortable; too large and you could impact your performance! You have to get it just right.
Find the right size by measuring the length of your dominant hand, from the base of the palm to the tip of your middle finger. From there, you can take that number and compare it to a size chart (find these online by searching “batting glove size chart”) to find your size.
Material Considerations
The next factor to think about is what material you opt for. There are two main options here, each with its own unique pros and cons: synthetic and leather.
Choose leather batting gloves and you’ll enjoy the natural feel, inherent durability, and first-class grip. Yet they’re also harder to clean! By comparison, synthetic varieties offer high levels of comfort and easier maintenance.
Can’t decide? Don’t worry. Some manufacturers now also make gloves with both leather (for the palms) and synthetic (for the fingers) materials.
Wrist Design
Many people overlook the wrist style when choosing new gloves. Don’t be one of them! The wrist can have a significant impact on both the feel and practicality of the glove, so it’s an important feature to take note of.
Velcro is popular because you can adjust it easily. However, its effectiveness can wane overtime when it gets wet or dirty. Other wrists have a high profile to add extra support, while others keep things low-profile to boost their range of motion.
It’s up to you to decide which works best for you and your batting style!
Special Extras
Not all gloves are made equal! Aside from material differences, many options you see in stores like thebaseballdiamond.com distinguish themselves with clever additional features that increase the glove’s practicality. Here are a few examples:
- Articulated thumbs make the gloves more mobile
- Pre-curved fingers reduce the amount of fabric bunching beneath your knuckles
- Extra palm-padding to protect your hands
- Molded shields to protect the back of your hands from the pitch
Time to Buy Some Batting Gloves
More Americans are playing baseball than ever before, which speaks to the fun-filled nature of the sport. Like any game, though, the gear you wear makes a big difference to how you perform!
If you’ve been searching for some first-rate batting gloves to take your game to the next level, then we hope this guide has helped. To gain more insights on this topic and others like it, browse the rest of our blog now.
