Nokona NGM Nokona Baseball Glove Mallet

by Nokona

Product Features

• Speed up the break-in period of your glove
• Made of Nokona ash wood
• Leather hanging strap

Product Description

Buying Guide

Amazon.com Baseball and Softball Glove Guide
Playing the Field
Baseball and softball gloves are specially designed to suit the needs of a given field position, with each style of glove boasting unique features to improve a player's performance at his or her position. The following is a brief summary of each glove's characteristics:

• Catcher: No finger channels, with heavy palm padding and overall reinforcements to reduce the sting of repeatedly catching pitchers' throws
• First Base: Also lacks finger channels, but with less padding that a catcher's mitt, with added length to help catch infield throws and shallow pocket, enabling quick ball retrieval
• Infield: Five-fingered glove has shallow pocket for fast ball retrieval, with nine- to 10-inch youth sizes and 10.5- to 11.5-inch adult sizes, and softball infield gloves having a deeper pocket to accept the larger ball
  
  • Second base players require smaller gloves to balance control with the need to make quick throws
  • Shortstops use a mid-sized glove for ground balls and quick throws
  • Third base players need a larger glove for maximum catching power
• Outfield: Glove is longer to provide extended reach, with a deep pocket to handle high-lofting balls, and sizes range from 12 inches and up for adults and 11 inches for youth players
• Softball Gloves: The characteristics, by position, of softball gloves are typically similar to their baseball counterparts, with softball gloves having more length and deeper pockets to handle the larger ball

Anatomy of a Glove
Gloves are designed to perform a relatively simple task--catch a ball. The quality of materials and craftsmanship that can go into a building a glove, however, can be surprising. Below is an overview of a glove's components and how each helps optimize your defensive game:

• Pocket: Pocket depth is determined by player position, with shallower pockets helping infielders quickly retrieve and throw the ball, and outfielders' pocket depth aiding in capturing a ball on the fly. Softball players also need deeper pockets to catch the larger ball.
• Webbing: The preferred webbing pattern is partly determined by field position and partly by player preference. Generally, open webbing helps infielders quickly retrieve the ball, closed or tightly woven webbing gives outfielders and third basemen extra support, and closed webbing allows pitchers to hide the ball from the batter.
• Backs: The back of a glove, or the part that goes across the top of your hand, can either be closed or open, which is largely a matter of player preference. Some infielders find an open back to be more flexible and forgiving, while outfielders may like a closed back with finger hole for added support.
• Wrist Adjustment: Some gloves include fit systems, or wrist adjustments, to help keep the glove tightly affixed to a player's hand. The most popular closures are buckles, D-rings, lacing, and Velcro.
• Padding: How padded a glove's pocket is depends on position, with catcher being the most heavily padded. In recent years, many manufacturers have begun to add padding to other position gloves to reduce "palm shock."
• Materials: By and large, gloves are constructed using one of three materials--leather, treated leather, or synthetic--with the differences relating to feel and durability.
  • Leather: Most high-end gloves are made of leather, which offers optimal feel and durability, with leather quality being a significant cost driver
  • Treated Leather: Leather material is softened and strengthened during production for quicker break-in, better durability, and lower maintenance
  • Synthetic: A lower-cost alternative to leather that offers reduced durability and responsiveness, and is a good option for beginning players

Fits Like a...
As mentioned above, age and position are the most significant factors in selecting a proper glove size. Outfielders need larger gloves with deeper pockets for maximum "catchability," while infield gloves are smaller and have shallower pockets for optimal control and speedy ball removal. Some pitchers opt for infield gloves that are slightly larger than standard, yet small and shallow enough for rapid fielding and throwing. Most younger players will benefit from youth-sized gloves that help with control, and it's a good idea to resist the temptation to buy a larger glove the child will grow into.

The tables below offer a general guideline for proper glove size by sport, position, and age.

Baseball Glove Size
Age	Position	Glove Size
Under 8	Infield	9"
Under 8	Outfield	11"
9-13	Infield	9-10"
9-13	Outfield	11-12"
13 and older	Infield	10.5-11.5"
13 and older	Outfield	12-12.75"

Softball Glove Size
Age	Position	Glove Size
6 and under	All	9-10"
7-9	All	10-11.5"
10-14	Infield	11.5-12.5"
10-14	Outfield	12-13"
15 and older	Infield	12-13"
15 and older	Outfield	12.5-14"

Product Description

Glove Mallet

Product Details

• Shipping Weight: 9.6 ounces
• Shipping: This item is also available for shipping to select countries outside the U.S.
• ASIN: B001B80Z64
• Item model number: NGM
• Average Customer Review: 5.0 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (3 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #210,997 in Sports & Outdoors (See Top 100 in Sports & Outdoors)

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

4 of 4 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars MAJOR TIME SAVER, February 3, 2010

By 

EDHS COACH (GILBERT, AZ USA) - See all my reviews

Amazon Verified Purchase

This review is from: Nokona NGM Nokona Baseball Glove Mallet (Sports)

THE GLOVE MALLET IS VERY SOLID AND WELL MADE. CONDITION YOUR NEW GLOVE OR MITT AND START HITTING THE HEEL AND POCKET. VERY EASY TO USE AND BREAKS IN THE LEATHER MUCH FASTER THAN PLAYING CATCH ALONE. I COACH HIGH SCHOOL BASEBALL AND WE USE THE GLOVE MALLET ON ALL OUR NEW GLOVES AND MITTS. THE BEST $30.00 YOU'LL SPEND TO GET YOUR LEATHER GAME-READY IN A HURRY.

2 of 2 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Great product, December 12, 2008

By 

Ira Chaplik "Ike" (Highland Park, Illinois USA) - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

This review is from: Nokona NGM Nokona Baseball Glove Mallet (Sports)

No doubt the best way to break in a new mitt is to play catch. Before you spread a bunch of cream all over it, try the glove Mallet. It's heavier and denser than it looks and does the job. Helps create a nice wide pocket. Excellent product.

5.0 out of 5 stars Great Mallet. Wish I had found it sooner., May 25, 2010

By 

Love it Online "yoscott" (Cincinnati, Ohio) - See all my reviews

Amazon Verified Purchase

This review is from: Nokona NGM Nokona Baseball Glove Mallet (Sports)

I bought my daughter a new fastpitch glove last year and we had been unable to get it broken in. I was trying everything from glove oils to repeated catch playing to baking it in the oven to running it over with my car. Nothing was breaking in the glove as fast as we wanted it to.

I bought this mallet and the Nokona conditioner cream as well. The combination of the two has worked magic on her glove. Hindsight, I probably could have gotten away with just buying this mallet. The mallet is extremely well-built and heavier than it appears. It could literally double as weapon, it is that well constructed. The ball part of the mallet is basically right in the middle of a baseball and a softball (larger than a baseball, but smaller than a softball). So you could use this mallet for either sport. This mallet with its size and force allows you to break in a glove much faster than you ever could playing catch alone. Nokona makes world class baseball/softball equipment and this mallet is no exception. I highly recommend it.