| T O P I C R E V I E W |
| Maxwell82 |
Posted - 04/25/2018 : 09:26:21
I'm curious what you guys think is to young to buy your kid a solid high quality glove.
My son is 7 and if somebody has the means to spend $200-300 on a glove is it really that absurd for a 7 yr old considering the glove is used 10 times more frequently than a bat? I see alot of kids with $200 bats but use cheap and stiff $30 gloves they can barely close.
What do you guys think....is it elitist for a 7yr old to have a $200 glove? |
| 14 L A T E S T R E P L I E S (Newest First) |
| BlueDevilBaseball |
Posted - 05/17/2018 : 12:11:39
Nokona is the only glove my kids have ever worn. Since they were 3/4 years old... My 5 year old is still wearing the first one that my 9 year old had when he was 4. It's been on a field for 5 years... it's so worth the money. IMO that buffalo leather holds up better, and personally, I think the ball sticks in the glove better too. Ive seen them make diving grabs where the ball shouldve easily popped lose, but didn't. |
| Crazyforbball |
Posted - 05/08/2018 : 09:23:45
I know we are "serious" about baseball..the key for such a young player isn't so much about cost or quality as it is about what feels good on that little hand and what he can make great plays with (can he squeeze it)..as others have pointed out..high end gloves stay stiff for a long time and are heavy...the $300 model may look great, but if it results in the catch and drop in a clutch play since it's too stiff/heavy you may find yourself wishing you'd gone with the $75 mizuno or something he can close firmly around the ball in those "beyond routine" plays..even a well broken in A2K will not do the job as easily as a cheaper softer model...there's a lot more sting in the big boy gloves too! Just my advice after years of watching the exact clutch plays vs the catch and drop I describe!!! |
| Zachsdad |
Posted - 04/28/2018 : 17:08:42
If you want a top of the line glove I recommend you find a well- used A2K Pedroia fit. Otherwise, a 7/8YO isn't going to be able to close it until they are teens. The leather is very stiff and takes lot of work and play time to make it game-ready.
I bought my son a Nakona Walnut series the summer he was 11 (almost 12YO). It was a great glove with beautiful leather. I used glove bat and spent two evenings getting it ready. The problem I had with the glove was the weight. It was noticeably heavier than the nearly-new A2000 I bought for a song. Once the Wilson got broken in the Nakona was sent down the road. |
| Trusty |
Posted - 04/27/2018 : 10:21:19
quote:
Originally posted by Hurricane22
My younger son is 9 and has a Wilson 1000 I picked up new at Play it Again Sports for $60. It was my older son's glove for awhile too before being passed down. It's a great, quality glove for younger players. My older son got his first A2000 Custom and will be the last glove "I" buy for him....should last him through HS, if it doesn't its on him.
Gloves are a bit personal. Lots of great ones, but to each his own. In my family we've had Wilsons, Rawlings, Mizunos. Hard to go wrong nowadays.
My 7 yr old has a Wilson 1000 also from Play it again. We got it used already broke in and he loves it. My advice is do the same, go to Play it again and find a glove that has been used and broke in real good. |
| Maxwell82 |
Posted - 04/27/2018 : 09:06:06
Thanks for all the feedback. I think personally what draws me to Nokona is
#1. Quality
#2. Made in USA
#3. Break in time compared to a HOH or A2000 which has much stiffer leather
I make ok money and the $200 glove is not a big deal to me just like a $200 bat isn't either. I'm not filthy rich and expect my son and teach him to respect and care for what he has. We oil and care for his glove every couple of months. So we don't treat our gear in a disposable manner.
I guess more than anything I just wanted to get some thoughts from folks who are as serious or maybe even more so than we are on Baseball.
Thanks all! |
| ballsandbats |
Posted - 04/26/2018 : 09:36:45
I largely agree with everyone. A Nokona type glove is a huge investment for such a young player, given that it won't significantly impact his performance. That said, I bought my eight year old a Nokona three years ago. Over the years, I had purchased him a number of reasonably priced gloves, which were fine...until they weren't. With some care (but not a lot), the Nokona has largely retained its shape and is very playable. And unlike the other gloves, it is not floppy and can still catch and retain the ball. I bought the glove because I liked the brand and quality and it's truly withstood the test of time. I got him an approx 10.5 inch model (Nikona's measurements aren't exact) for infield play. Now, he wants a larger glove. I will get him another Nokona for Christmas. Good luck. |
| morrsco |
Posted - 04/26/2018 : 08:11:53
My concern with spending that sort of money on a glove for a very young player is the break in time. The top end gloves start out much stiffer than the cheaper gloves. You will have to spend a good deal of time breaking in your boy's expensive glove. By the time that sucker is game ready, he may need a larger model. Cheaper gloves will not last nearly as long as a top shelf model, but a cheap glove will break in much faster. I recommend one of the $70-$80 models as they represent a good mixture of quality/price while having a fairly quick break in time. |
| CaCO3Girl |
Posted - 04/26/2018 : 07:18:26
The thing is, when that 7 year old throws the $300 in the dirt, or leaves it out in the rain, because that is what 7 year olds do....will you be ticked? Or will you just buy him another $300 glove? That is the line of elitist in my opinion, that when expensive things get broken or damaged, you just buy your kid another one. |
| Clearwater42 |
Posted - 04/25/2018 : 21:28:54
quote:
Originally posted by Maxwell82
He's been using a Shoeless Joe for the last 3 years and maybe 60 games plus practices it is a great glove for $100 but is starting to get to loose for him.
Before that we had very little success with Rawlings, Wilson, Mizuno as all were really hard to close and didn't break in very well or fit him real well.
Why is it silly to spend $200 on a glove but bats are same price or more and used maybe 3-4 times a game and need to move up in sizing every season?
Both are silly. But, like Punishers often points out, a $200-$300 bat may improve a kids performance by hitting harder or farther than they otherwise would and that’s important and worth the price to some parents. I don’t see how a $200-$300 glove would improve performance at 7 and he’ll grow out of it within 2 years so that is probably why people have said it’s a waste of money.
I wouldn’t spend anywhere near $100 on a glove for a 4 year old either(7 now, used 3 years), but maybe I’m just cheap. If buying a nice, expensive glove is where you want to spend your money then by all means, do it, and who cares if any of us think it’s silly. |
| Crazyforbball |
Posted - 04/25/2018 : 14:17:48
13 is a good age to buy a high quality glove. Then it should last through high school. 7 it's a TOTAL waste. We got the Mizuno gloves up to 13, they are inexpensive but durable, flexible and have good "shock proof" padding. |
| Maxwell82 |
Posted - 04/25/2018 : 13:51:17
He's been using a Shoeless Joe for the last 3 years and maybe 60 games plus practices it is a great glove for $100 but is starting to get to loose for him.
Before that we had very little success with Rawlings, Wilson, Mizuno as all were really hard to close and didn't break in very well or fit him real well.
Why is it silly to spend $200 on a glove but bats are same price or more and used maybe 3-4 times a game and need to move up in sizing every season?
|
| South GA Baseball |
Posted - 04/25/2018 : 13:34:00
I would be more concerned about the weight of the glove for a 7 year old than the price tag. One glove that I don't see mentioned too much is Vinci who has outstanding gloves for the younger guys that are constructed for smaller hands. If you do decide to get a higher end glove for your little guy look for features like Pedroia-Fit in the Wilson line of gloves or similar wording with smaller finger stalls in the other brands. Be sure that it is well broken in before you give it to him for game use since their smaller hands are not capable of squeezing a glove that is newer. Most don't realize that the high-end gloves like A2K or Heart of the hide are REALLY stiff when new and will take a LONG time to properly break in. Good luck with whatever you decide to get. |
| in_the_know |
Posted - 04/25/2018 : 13:29:40
Yes, it's silly to spend that much money on a glove for a kid that age. The most important thing for a kid that age is fit.
When you're talking about premium gloves and the increased cost, you're paying for premium leather (as well as brand/logo premium). Honestly, to get your value, then you're talking about very stiff leather that will take a large hand and strength to break in for proper fit. When you invest in a glove of that quality, you are hoping to get an extra year or two out of it. For this to happen, you must also take proper care of the glove.
A kid that age isn't going to provide the proper care, nor will he gain the benefit of the extra money.
My recommendation is to find the best fitting glove that gives the most comfort to your son in the $50-$80 range and hope to get a year or two out of it before it is either outgrown, breaks down or is lost/eaten by dog/left in rain/stolen.
When you son gets to high school, consider spending on an A2000 or Pro Preferred and get the benefits when the value can be derived. Anything more now is a complete waste of your money. |
| Hurricane22 |
Posted - 04/25/2018 : 13:08:49
My younger son is 9 and has a Wilson 1000 I picked up new at Play it Again Sports for $60. It was my older son's glove for awhile too before being passed down. It's a great, quality glove for younger players. My older son got his first A2000 Custom and will be the last glove "I" buy for him....should last him through HS, if it doesn't its on him.
Gloves are a bit personal. Lots of great ones, but to each his own. In my family we've had Wilsons, Rawlings, Mizunos. Hard to go wrong nowadays. |
