Did you know that there is this one small accessory in the game of softball that can help you win the game? If you haven’t guessed it, we are talking about softball gloves here. With the latest technologies, there are hundreds of varieties sold out there in the market. Accordingly it can sometimes be difficult to choose the best one.
Fortunately, after extensive research, we have made a list of the best slow pitch softball gloves available out there. So, without wasting your further time, effort and money to search for the best ones you can keep reading our article and finally choose the best one for you in the list that we recommended.
Top 4 best slow pitch softball gloves with reviews
Our top 4 best slow pitch softball gloves includes gloves from top brands like Wilson and Mizuno. For your convenience we have compiled the features, pros and cons of these top 4 gloves.
1. Wilson A360 Series 14″ Slowpitch Softball Glove
Wilson A360 is made up of leather. It has a hook and loop strap design. It includes a fully leather made palm and a split hinge web. Wilson is best for recreational purposes. To give you an edge over others, this glove is constructed with an oversized pocket which helps you in catching in a better way.
A good thing about this glove is that you can use it in any direction that is it does notrequire a specific hand orientation like other gloves in the market.
Pros: Great padding withhigh quality leather, reasonable price, nice fit.
Cons: requires breaking in, stiffer in the beginning.
Check More Customer Reviews on Amazon.com
2. Rawlings Worth Mayhem Series Slowpitch Glove, 15
These mayhem series gloves from worth constructed using all leather material. They have a shell design with an oversized palm area. The pattern on the gloves helps players to adjust the glove according to their hands. This glove has a right hand orientation.
Sadly, these mayhem series gloves are discontinued (as provided at their website). You can purchase the last few pairs left from amazon.com
Pros: No breaking in time needed, optimal pocket
Cons: Durability issues
Check More Customer Reviews on Amazon.com
3. Mizuno Adult Franchise GDP1354B5 13.5″ Diamond Pro Series Softball Utility Glove
This 13.5 inches adult glove from Mizuno can be used in both slowpitch and fastpitch softball. It is fabricated using full-grain leather as well as tartan web. Engineers at Mizuno have focused a lot on the inner palm area of the glove. The palm has butter-soft lining and an additional para shock pad for better feel, shock absorption and overall greater comfort.
In order to get a proper fit on every player’s hands this Mizuno Adult Diamond Pro Series glove includes Power lock closure. It has a right hand orientation.
Pros: Great Padding, Keeps your hand protected, Comfortable
Cons: Its unique design and net is initially uncomfortable
Check More Customer Reviews on Amazon.com
4. Nokona Classic Walnut Slow Pitch Softball Glove Ws-1300C Closed
Nokona is famous for producing high quality gloves in US. This walnut series glove is a 13 inches model made up of classic walnut tanned and crunched leather which is known for its lightweight, sturdiness and softness.
It has a closed web and back design with pinky and thumb loops for greater control and hand movement.
Pros: Great quality glove with adequate flexibility
Cons: Requires breaking in
Check More Customer Reviews on Amazon.com
Top 4 best slow pitch softball glove brands
Manufactureskeep in mind these attributesin order to produce a wide variety of these slow pitch softball gloves. For the convenience of our readers we would like to list Top 4 best slow pitch softball glove brands which are known for designing some of the most amazing slow pitch gloves.
Although the market for slow pitch softball gloves is quite big and is expanding with every passing day, yet there are a few favorite brands that are able to gather most of the market share and retain their customers.
Many famous players are loyal to their specific brands like Wilson and Rawlings when it comes slow pitch softball gloves which in turn encourages their fans to buy softball bats from these brands as well.
1. Wilson slow pitch softball gloves
Wilson is one of the most famous companies known for producing high quality sporting goods including slow pitch softball gloves.
The company sells its gloves at a very low price as compared to its competitors. This low price sometimes discourages players from buying these gloves and creates an impression that they might be of bad quality.
But in reality every player using Wilson glove claims that these gloves are definitely worth the price. They are made up of high quality genuine leather. They are generally recommended for starters who are new at the game.
Wilson A360 and A2000 series slow pitch softball gloves are amongst the most renowned ones currently available in the market.
2. Rawlings softball gloves
Established in 1887, Rawlings Sporting Goods Company, Inc. is one of the oldest slow pitch softball gloves producing company in United States.
These gloves are comfortable and durable. They are considered one of the high end slow pitch softball gloves in the game of the softball. Rawlings Heritage Pro Series and Mayhem Series softball gloves are the favorites out there.
3. Mizuno slow pitch softball gloves
Mizuno is a Japanese sports equipment company that specializes in producing a wide range of sporting equipment and sportswear. Their slow pitch softball gloves are quite famous. Their Mizuno Premier GPM Series gloves are the most talked about and highly recommended gloves.
These gloves do not require any break-in and provide great performance from the very first use. Reviews from players around the world reveal that Mizuno gloves have a nice fit and are great for the price at which they are sold.
4. Nokona slow pitch softball gloves
Nocona Athletic Goods Company is dedicated to producing softball and baseball gloves. Nokona gloves are made up of premium quality leather that renders them durable and stiff. They are usually considered heavy weight and sadly they require a break-in as well. Nokona Walnut Series gloves have gained a lot of fame amongst slow pitch softball players.
How to buy the Best Slow Pitch Softball Gloves
Every player wants to lay their hands on the best slow pitch softball gloves. But while looking for the best ones you need to consider some of their important features. We have discussed these features in detail below.
Before going out in the market to look for the best slow pitch softball gloves you should be aware of the construction and design of a basic softball glove.
Structure of a Slow Pitch Softball Glove
Basically, a slow pitch softball glove consists of fingers connected with a thumb via a knitted leather piece known as webbing, a padded palm and a heel.
A glove is further classified on the basis of the type of webbing it has. There are primarily two types of webbing; open and closed. As the name suggest, open webbing includes loosely woven leather for faster throws whereas the closed one has tightly knit leather strands which allow for greater control and stability. Webbing also has many sub-types including Dual Post Web, I-Web and Trapeze web etc.
The palm of the glove is padded and indented to give a feel of a pocket. This pocket can be shallow or deep depending upon the construction of the glove. Deeper pockets are preferred for catching while shallow ones are used for quicker throwing.
Things to look for when buying a slow pitch softball glove
Although the kind of glove you are looking for depends on the position you play at, yet there are other important factors to consider as well while purchasing a slow pitch softball glove.
You should remember that when it comes to a slow pitch softball game, men are the ones usually playing this game, these gloves are made for fit in a male’s hand and are therefore wider and large sized.
Material Used
The price of a glove is mainly determined by the material it is made up of. Gloves made out of full grain leather are highly priced. These gloves are stiff yet they offer great performance and durability.
Synthetic leather gloves are also available in the market. They offer great performance and are reasonably priced as well. So if you have a budget constraint then you might want to go for these synthetic ones.
Right Hand or Left Hand Glove
So here’s a simple logic that you need to keep in mind before purchasing a slow pitch softball glove. A right handed player should wear a glove on the left and a left handed player should wear one in the right hand.
You obviously don’t want the glove to create a hindrance while throwing so you should keep your dominant hand free. Also the names of these gloves are also reversed. It is usually that a glove that is made for fit in the left hand is called a “right hand thrower”.
Size, Length and Fitting
Interestingly you will find slow pitch softball gloves in a variety of sizes and lengths. Your position and hand fit are both important here. As an outfielder, you require longer gloves than other players.
A typical slow pitch glove is made for men and is therefore wider and with longer fingers. You need to be careful with the fit if your hands are smaller in size.
Slow pitch Softball Glove by the Position of the Players
So if you like playing at a certain position or you are assigned one by your coach, you need to buy a slow pitch softball glove by keeping in mind the requirement of your glove.
Outfielder: Open webbing gloves that are longer and larger. Gloves with better visibility are preferred.
Infielder: Infielders should go forgloves having shallow pockets and open backs. The classification of gloves in this category is also done on your position as a first, second or third baseman.
Pitcher: Closed webbing gloves with lesser padding are preferred. You don’t require any specific kind.
Catcher: Catcher’s mitts with no fingers, extra padding, deeper pocket and thinner on the sides.
Finally, you might want to consult your coach before buying a certain type of glove so that you don’t face any issues while playing. We suggest you to give the glove a try in order to check whether it’s the right fit or not.
Conclusion
We believe that after reading our reviews you will be able to purchase the best gloves for you. We further have a few suggestions for you that you should keep in mind before buying your slowpitch softball gloves.
Remember to find a glove that fits your hand properly. To find the best fit you should keep in mind the sizing guides provided by shopkeepers and try the gloves on. As slowpitch is mostly played by men, the gloves made for these leagues are usually bigger in size with more space for fingers.
In case of the hand orientation, if you throw a ball with your left hand, then you should purchase a glove that is made for right hand. This way you can quickly throw the ball back in no time.
Finally, you want your glove to be on the stiffer side in order to properly catch the ball without hurting your hands. We suggest you to avoid going for the gloves that feel too soft as this might not be useful during catching.
We hope that these additional guidelines will serve as a cherry on top and that you will make no mistake while investing in a slowpitch softball glove.