A baseball glove, also known as a mitt or catcher’s mitt, is an essential piece of equipment for any baseball player. It’s important to ensure that your glove is properly laced in order to ensure that you have the best grip and function out of the glove. While it’s possible to purchase pre-laced gloves, many players choose to lace their gloves themselves. This process can seem daunting at first, but with the right tools and a little patience, lacing your glove is not a difficult task.
The Materials Needed
The first step to lacing a baseball glove is to gather all the materials that you will need. The most important item is the lace. The size of the lace you need will depend on the size of the glove, but typically a ½ to ⅝ inch wide lace will suffice. You will also need two leather needles for threading the lace through the glove, and a pair of pliers to help pull the laces tight. Finally, you will need a pair of scissors to trim the lace to the desired length.
The Process of Lacing a Baseball Glove
Once you have all of your materials gathered, it’s time to start lacing your glove. The first step is to thread one of the leather needles through the eyelet holes on the thumb side of the glove. This is the side of the glove that is furthest from the wrist. Once the needle is threaded through the eyelet holes, you will need to tie a knot at the end of the lace to keep it in place.
The next step is to thread the other leather needle through the eyelet holes on the other side of the glove. This is the side closest to the wrist. As before, you will need to tie a knot at the end of the lace to keep it in place.
Once both needles are in place, it’s time to start lacing the glove. Start by threading the lace through the eyelets in an alternating pattern, starting with the thumb side of the glove. Once you reach the wrist of the glove, you will need to thread the lace through the eyelets on the wrist. This is the most difficult part of the lacing process, as the eyelets on the wrist of the glove are often very small.
Once the lace is threaded through the eyelets on the wrist, you will need to tie a knot at the end of the lace to keep it in place. Once the knot is tied, you can trim the excess lace with the scissors.
Final Thoughts
Lacing a baseball glove is not a difficult task, but it does require patience and attention to detail. It’s important to make sure that the lace is properly threaded through the eyelets in order to ensure that the glove is properly secured. On average, it takes around 40 to 50 inches of lace to properly lace a baseball glove. This amount may vary depending on the size of the glove, but in general, 40 to 50 inches should be sufficient.