How do pro's break in their gloves?

[stock07 1]

Besides the fact that they use them in pratice and such.....I have noticed that all the pro used gloves I have gotten, whether they are leather or nylon that they seem to be softer and worn down more than I can get my gloves through years of use?...Do they heat them up, use glove conditioner?....I used to bake my new baseball gloves then soak , then work in glove oil a few times and they would soften up nicely would this work on gloves?

[db88 0]

probably, or they are made with different materials...

[CTK30 0]

I'd imagine they are little bit different because they aren't that concerned about durability

But I've heard of some people baking their gloves on here

I may try it, I'm not too crazy about my team gloves and could use them a little softer

[DarkStar50 679]

Your average NHL player has hand strength ten times greater than most MSHers. If he shook your hand, he could break it without trying. So, just like their skates, they don't break in gloves, they break them down.

[db88 0]

i dont know how entirely true that is about the gloves and the hand strength

[roller to ice 0]

Your average NHL player has hand strength ten times greater than most MSHers. If he shook your hand, he could break it without trying. So, just like their skates, they don't break in gloves, they break them down.

although that makes total sense i would also think that they would like them broken in a little bit at least (not as much as us b.c of there obvious strength advantage) i would also think they get gloves made of softer materials because of less of a durabilty need as well

[DarkStar50 679]

Have you ever played against someone who on a stick check to your stick just physically overpowers your ability to control your own stick? That is what every NHLer is capable of doing when they stick check each other for the puck. Their hand strength is tremendous. Also, the size of their hands is like a boxing glove. They call them "paws" for a reason, that's how big they are.

Pros do not want gloves of softer materials. That would increase their risk of injury to their hands.

[CTK30 0]

Have you ever played against someone who on a stick check to your stick just physically overpowers your ability to control your own stick? That is what every NHLer is capable of doing when they stick check each other for the puck. Their hand strength is tremendous. Also, the size of their hands is like a boxing glove. They call them "paws" for a reason, that's how big they are.

Pros do not want gloves of softer materials. That would increase their risk of injury to their hands.

Stick checking really isn't hand strength

This is insane hand strength

[Wolfpack_1986 154]

the answer is: they wear them.

[stock07 1]

Either way..I think forearm strength has alot to do with the stick work as well...ANYWAY this is getting a bit off topic anyone have any real advice on how to softin the gloves up a bit?

the answer is: they wear them.

Read the post...I ask other ways besides "wear them"...but thanks for stating what I already knew...

[DarkStar50 679]

Hand strength is the foundation of stick checking. I am talking about either tieing up your stick by keeping you from lifting your stick or keeping your stick over another player's stick to prevent him from playing the puck. Imagine how strong A-Rod or Manny Ramirez's hands are to grip a bat and smash a baseball 475'. Now imagine the how strong an NHLer grips his stick when he is ripping a slapshot.

[sdcopp 1]

ANYWAY this is getting a bit off topic anyone have any real advice on how to softin the gloves up a bit?

go get a can of Barbasol for .99, lather up your hands like you're washing them and wear the gloves for a bit, flexing and gripping a stick. It'll help some, but time is the real key

[stock07 1]

Hand strength is the foundation of stick checking. I am talking about either tieing up your stick by keeping you from lifting your stick or keeping your stick over another player's stick to prevent him from playing the puck. Imagine how strong A-Rod or Manny Ramirez's hands are to grip a bat and smash a baseball 475'. Now imagine the how strong an NHLer grips his stick when he is ripping a slapshot.

That makes perfect sense....but still bud Im looking for suggestions on how to soften them up, as many mitts as you have I know you know some kinda trick...lol.....

ANYWAY this is getting a bit off topic anyone have any real advice on how to softin the gloves up a bit?

go get a can of Barbasol for .99, lather up your hands like you're washing them and wear the gloves for a bit, flexing and gripping a stick. It'll help some, but time is the real key

thank you...this is what Im looking for....

[RadioGaGa 162]

Have you ever played against someone who on a stick check to your stick just physically overpowers your ability to control your own stick? That is what every NHLer is capable of doing when they stick check each other for the puck. Their hand strength is tremendous. Also, the size of their hands is like a boxing glove. They call them "paws" for a reason, that's how big they are.

Pros do not want gloves of softer materials. That would increase their risk of injury to their hands.

Stick checking really isn't hand strength

This is insane hand strength

If the gloves that Warrior had at the MSH skate are any indication (they said they weren't his actual gloves but were done to the same specs) his 'paws' are HUGE! And his forearms are about the size of my calves *L*

[Wolfpack_1986 154]

Read the post...I ask other ways besides "wear them"...but thanks for stating what I already knew...

read the other posts... what makes you think there are other ways?

[07srr 0]

I guess I will let the secret out of the bag.

Run your gloves through the washer a few times and you should notice a big difference in the softness from before and after. Make sure to air dry them and not put them in the dryer though.

[stock07 1]

Read the post...I ask other ways besides "wear them"...but thanks for stating what I already knew...

read the other posts... what makes you think there are other ways?

#1 I have heard people doing diffrent things to do so, such as heat guns, hair dryers, etc...

#2 Sugesstions such as sdcopp made.

#3 I have seen others ask this same questions, so I thought Id start a thread to help others out.

Thanks for your obvious, wear them sugesstion...Im didnt start this thread to debate, I started it to try and find tips on breaking in gloves, if you dont have anything more worthwhile to ad, please watch from the bleachers...

I guess I will let the secret out of the bag.

Run your gloves through the washer a few times and you should notice a big difference in the softness from before and after. Make sure to air dry them and not put them in the dryer though.

Thank you for the tip...

[db88 0]

man you guys blow that hand strength of pros out of proportion.

[GH_ID 0]

Baked...

[DarkStar50 679]

You might want to ask Todd Fedoruk what he thinks of Colton Orr's hand strength after Orr destroyed Fedoruk's face with one punch last season. I'm sorry, that's about fighting, not hand strength. It's so easy to get confused.

On topic, the lanolin in shaving cream only works to soften leather. That is why the old shaving cream trick is mentioned for baseball glove break in. For hockey gloves, I think good old fashioned sweat is what breaks in gloves the best.

[stuie7 6]

man you guys blow that hand strength of pros out of proportion.

Indeed, i think theres a little confusion as to what muscles acctually do what..

[Krev 86]

Read the post...I ask other ways besides "wear them"...but thanks for stating what I already knew...

read the other posts... what makes you think there are other ways?

#1 I have heard people doing diffrent things to do so, such as heat guns, hair dryers, etc...

#2 Sugesstions such as sdcopp made.

#3 I have seen others ask this same questions, so I thought Id start a thread to help others out.

Thanks for your obvious, wear them sugesstion...Im didnt start this thread to debate, I started it to try and find tips on breaking in gloves, if you dont have anything more worthwhile to ad, please watch from the bleachers...

I guess I will let the secret out of the bag.

Run your gloves through the washer a few times and you should notice a big difference in the softness from before and after. Make sure to air dry them and not put them in the dryer though.

Thank you for the tip...

Different things work for different people. The general consensus, and you can whine and moan all you want, is to wear your damn gloves.

man you guys blow that hand strength of pros out of proportion.

Wrong. Wait...maybe... Nope, still wrong.

You might want to ask Todd Fedoruk what he thinks of Colton Orr's hand strength after Orr destroyed Fedoruk's face with one punch last season. I'm sorry, that's about fighting, not hand strength. It's so easy to get confused.

On topic, the lanolin in shaving cream only works to soften leather. That is why the old shaving cream trick is mentioned for baseball glove break in. For hockey gloves, I think good old fashioned sweat is what breaks in gloves the best.

DarkStar, I love you.

[habsfan87 0]

I know where some are coming from with the hand strength and it is above an average recreational player, but that being said I've shook some hands on guys who have worked for 20-30 years that would put most NHLers to shame, I think it's a combination of wearing them and some other form. Product doesn't take as long to break in these days with alot of things, Burton has been pre-flexing their snowboards to extreme extents so that their boards are as broken in as far they will be, off the shelf.

[fastmiele 59]

I guess I will let the secret out of the bag.

Run your gloves through the washer a few times and you should notice a big difference in the softness from before and after. Make sure to air dry them and not put them in the dryer though.

for the "PRO PLAYERS" how exactly do they wash their gloves/equipment ? Do they wash it after every game ?

Also what what do they use ? regular washing, drying cleaning ? I think they use dry cleaning for team jerseys ?

I can't imagine with all the sweating they do, that their equipment aren't regularly washed. It would just stink big time ?

[xstartxtodayx 343]

I know in the past the best/quickest way to break in a pair of gloves was to get them re-palmed. But that was maybe 10 years ago when the palms that came on the gloves weren't anything fancy like some of today's palms. Back in college we had a retired NHL expert equipment repairman who helped us out and he would do some amazing work, his re-palms were a work of art and the second you put them on the gloves would feel completely broken in like you've been wearing them for years and years. Unfortunately he passed away a few years back at the age of 84 but his name and some of his work lives forever in the Hall of Fame.

So yea re-palm is my suggestion. But to be honest, most of these newer gloves today almost seem broken in off the shelf. I had to buy a new pair earlier this season and I was amazed at how flexible they were, I picked up a pair of Graf's and they're almost too broken in.