How to Wear a Softball Glove: The Complete Position-by-Position Guide for Fastpitch Players

Published: Sunday | Category: Gear and Performance

It sounds like the most basic question in softball. How do you wear a glove? You put it on your hand and catch the ball.

But ask any experienced fastpitch coach and they will tell you that glove fit, glove orientation, and position-specific glove selection are among the most commonly misunderstood equipment decisions in the sport. Players wear gloves that are too big because a parent bought them to grow into. They wear them on the wrong hand because nobody explained the right-hand throw versus left-hand throw labeling system. They use an outfield glove at shortstop or an infield glove trying to play center field, not because they chose wrong but because nobody told them the difference.

This post covers everything a fastpitch softball player and her parents need to know about how to correctly wear a softball glove, how to tell if the fit is right, what the position-specific differences are, and what the most common glove-wearing mistakes actually cost on the field.

The First Thing to Understand: Which Hand Wears the Glove

This is where confusion starts for new softball families and it starts with the labeling.

According to Academy Sports' softball glove buying guide, a softball glove is always worn on the non-dominant hand. If your daughter throws with her right arm, the glove goes on her left hand. If she throws with her left arm, the glove goes on her right hand.

Here is where the labeling gets confusing. The glove that fits on the left hand, worn by a right-handed thrower, is labeled a Right Hand Throw or RHT glove. The glove that fits on the right hand, worn by a left-handed thrower, is labeled a Left Hand Throw or LHT glove.

The label describes the throwing hand, not the glove hand. A right-handed player buys a right hand throw glove that goes on her left hand. Read that carefully before purchasing because this is one of the most common buying mistakes in softball equipment.

The vast majority of fastpitch softball players are right-handed throwers and will wear a right hand throw glove on their left hand. Left-handed throwers are significantly rarer in fastpitch, particularly among pitchers and infielders, and will wear a left hand throw glove on their right hand.

How a Softball Glove Should Actually Fit

A properly fitting glove is one of the most important fundamentals in fastpitch softball and one of the most frequently gotten wrong, according to the Alliance Fastpitch's complete glove guide published April 2026 and written in collaboration with Julia Luciano, Senior Engineer at DeMarini Research and Development.

The most common mistake: buying a glove the athlete can grow into. Alliance Fastpitch addresses this directly: a glove that is too large is harder to close, harder to control, and makes fielding fundamentals harder to develop. The instinct to size up so the glove lasts longer almost always backfires because the athlete spends the season fighting her equipment instead of developing her skills.

According to the Underground Bats fastpitch glove buyer guide published November 2025, you know a glove fits correctly when the athlete can close it fully and her thumb touches her last finger after the glove is broken in. Players often pick the wrong size glove because large gloves make catching and gripping hard while tight gloves limit movement. The right fit is snug, controlled, and comfortable without being restrictive.

Here is the fit checklist from the research:

The fingers should fill the finger stalls without significant empty space at the tips. If the finger stalls have an inch or more of empty space, the glove is too large for the athlete's hand.

The glove should close with reasonable pressure. If the athlete has to strain to squeeze the glove shut after catching a ball, the glove is either too stiff and needs more break-in time, or it is too large for her hand strength to control effectively.

The wrist opening should be snug but not so tight that it restricts circulation or movement. According to Softball.com's fastpitch glove buying guide, many youth fastpitch gloves have adjustable wrist straps that allow the athlete to customize the fit at the wrist regardless of glove size. Fastpitch-specific gloves are also designed with smaller wrist openings and tighter finger stalls to better match the dimensions of a female athlete's hand compared to baseball gloves.

The athlete should be able to open and close the glove comfortably with one hand while tracking a ball in flight. If she needs to use her throwing hand to assist in opening the glove, the fit is wrong or the break-in is insufficient.

According to Baseball Monkey's fastpitch softball glove guide, a fastpitch softball glove should have a snug fit but also be comfortable. The glove should fit at the time of purchase, not at a future size the athlete will grow into. Revisit sizing every season as athletes grow, because the glove that fit correctly at 10U may be too small by 12U.

How to Put the Glove On Correctly

The mechanics of putting on a glove matter more than most families realize, particularly for catchers and players who use adjustable wrist straps.

For a standard fielding glove: slide the fingers into the finger stalls individually, making sure each finger is fully seated with no fingers crossing or doubling up. The thumb and pinky finger should reach the ends of their respective stalls comfortably. The palm of the glove should sit flush against the palm of the hand with no significant gap between them.

Secure the wrist strap at a tension that keeps the glove stable on the hand without restricting circulation. The glove should feel secure enough that it does not shift during a diving play or when reaching overhead for a fly ball.

For catchers specifically, the Discuss Fastpitch community identifies a critical technique detail: put the mitt on with the wrist strap intentionally loose, then squeeze the mitt closed before securing the strap. This allows the mitt to close more completely and naturally on every pitch. A wrist strap that is too tight before closing the mitt limits the flex of the back panel through the hinge, which restricts the mitt's ability to fully receive pitches.

>>Try FASTPITCH FUEL Today! Use code FUEL10 for 10% off!

Position-by-Position Glove Size and Fit Guide

Different positions require different glove sizes, different pocket depths, and different webbing patterns. Using the wrong glove at a position is not just a preference issue. According to Alliance Fastpitch's April 2026 guide, equipment fit is quiet when it is right and loud when it is wrong. The wrong glove at the wrong position costs plays.

Middle Infield: Shortstop and Second Base

Middle infielders need the smallest and most lightweight gloves on the field because their job demands the fastest possible transfer from glove to throwing hand. Every fraction of a second matters when turning a double play or throwing across the diamond to first base on a ground ball.

According to Akadema's fastpitch glove guide and Baseball Monkey's size recommendations, middle infielders typically use gloves between 11.75 and 12 inches. The Softball Buyers Guide PDF published by a national softball organization confirms that nearly all middle infielders prefer 11.75 to 12.5 inch gloves with 12 inches being the most common choice for adult players.

The pocket on a middle infield glove should be shallow, allowing the ball to sit near the top of the glove where the throwing hand can reach it quickly without digging into a deep pocket. The webbing for shortstops and second basemen is typically an open web pattern that allows for faster transfer by giving the throwing hand a clear path to the ball immediately after the catch.

When wearing a middle infield glove, the athlete should focus on keeping the glove low and in front of the body on ground balls, fielding the ball out in front of the throwing side foot, and practicing the transfer motion as a separate skill from the catch itself. The glove's smaller size and shallower pocket make the transfer faster when the athlete uses the glove correctly.

Third Base

Third base has the most demanding catching requirements of any infield position. Hard-thrown line drives, sharply hit ground balls, and bunts that require barehanding: third base sees it all. The glove needs to be slightly larger and more protective than a middle infield glove while remaining manageable enough for quick transfers on slow rollers.

According to the Akadema fastpitch position guide, third basemen typically use gloves between 12 and 12.5 inches. The webbing at third base is typically a closed web pattern, which provides more support for hard-hit balls and reduces the chance of a ball punching through the web on a line drive.

The fit at third base should feel slightly more substantial than a middle infield glove. Third basemen absorb more impact per play than any other infield position, and a glove that is too light or too small at this position gets punished over the course of a tournament day.

Pitcher

The pitcher's glove has one function no other position requires: hiding the grip. College coaches, advanced scouts, and savvy opponents look for grip tells in a pitcher's glove before and during the delivery. A pitcher who exposes any view of her grip through the web is giving away information that experienced hitters will use.

According to the Akadema position guide and Baseball Monkey's fastpitch recommendations, pitchers use gloves between 11.5 and 12.5 inches with a fully closed web pattern. The closed web is non-negotiable for competitive pitching at any serious level. An open web glove at pitcher gives opponents a view of the grip on every pitch.

The fit for a pitcher's glove should be slightly more relaxed than an infield glove because pitchers do not need to transfer the ball quickly after receiving it. They grip the ball inside the glove before the pitch, so the glove's primary job is concealment and secure ball placement rather than fast transfer. The glove should close fully with natural pressure to ensure no grip is visible from any angle.

First Base

First base is the only infield position that uses a mitt rather than a glove. Like a catcher's mitt, a first base mitt has a single padded unit rather than four individual fingers, which creates a larger catching surface for scooping throws out of the dirt and stretching to receive high throws.

According to the Underground Bats fastpitch buyer guide, first base mitts have deeper pockets than fielding gloves by design, which helps scoop balls from dirt on low throws. First base mitts run between 12 and 13 inches.

The fit for a first base mitt should allow the athlete to reach and stretch fully at the bag without the mitt shifting on her hand. First basemen spend significant time reaching across their body for throws from third base and making low scoops in the dirt, both of which require the mitt to stay secure through an extended range of motion.

First base mitts also require their own break-in process separate from fielding gloves. The padded single-unit construction is stiffer than a fielding glove and needs dedicated mallet work and catch sessions to form the pocket and develop the flexibility needed for low scoops.

Outfield: Left Field, Center Field, Right Field

Outfielders use the largest gloves on the field because their job requires catching balls at full run, often with the arm fully extended, at distances where a ball arriving at the edge of the glove needs to be secured rather than trapped by a smaller barrel.

According to Baseball Monkey's fastpitch size guide, outfield gloves range from 12 to 13 inches for fastpitch players. Alliance Fastpitch's April 2026 guide illustrates the performance stakes directly: a fly ball that drops into shallow center because the outfielder's glove was too small to make the play comfortably is equipment fit failing at the worst moment.

The pocket on an outfield glove should be deep, designed to secure fly balls and line drives even on diving catches where the ball may rattle in the glove on contact with the ground. The webbing for outfielders can be either open or closed depending on personal preference, though many experienced outfielders prefer a modified trap or H-web pattern that provides a large catching surface while still allowing the ball to be seen through the web when tracking fly balls against sky.

The fit for an outfield glove should feel secure at the wrist because outfielders make catches with their arm fully extended above the head, over the shoulder, and while diving across the turf. A glove that shifts on the hand during a full-speed running catch does not stay in position to make the play.

Catcher

The catcher's mitt is covered in full detail in the companion post on this site. The short version for fit purposes: a catcher's mitt should fit snugly at the wrist with enough flexibility to close completely on every pitch. The cup should form a consistent deep pocket that holds the ball without requiring the catcher to manually squeeze the mitt after every catch.

Catcher's mitts range from 32 to 34 inches in circumference measurement, which is how catcher's equipment is sized differently from fielding gloves. For youth fastpitch catchers, a 32 to 33-inch mitt is the typical starting range. High school and older catchers typically use 33 to 34-inch mitts.

The Right Hand Throw Versus Left Hand Throw Check

Before leaving the store or opening the shipping box, confirm the glove is the correct orientation for your daughter's throwing hand. Put the glove on her non-dominant hand. The thumb of the glove should align with her thumb, the pinky of the glove should align with her pinky, and the glove should open naturally in the direction of her throwing side.

If the glove feels reversed, with the thumb on the wrong side, the orientation is incorrect and the glove needs to be exchanged for the correct version.

This check takes ten seconds and prevents one of the most frustrating and common equipment mistakes in youth softball.

The Signs a Glove Does Not Fit Correctly

Use this checklist after the glove is on the hand and the athlete takes a few catches.

The glove slips or rotates on the hand during catches. This means the wrist opening is too large or the wrist strap needs adjustment.

The ball consistently pops out of the glove after catches. This indicates the pocket is too shallow for the position, the glove is not yet broken in, or the glove is too large for the athlete to fully close on impact.

The athlete has to use her throwing hand to help open the glove between plays. The glove is either too stiff from insufficient break-in or too large for her hand strength to control.

The finger stalls have significant empty space at the tips. The glove is too large for her hand size. According to Alliance Fastpitch, a glove that is too large makes fielding fundamentals harder to develop, not easier.

She looks uncomfortable or distracted by the glove during plays. Equipment fit is quiet when it is right. Any attention the athlete gives to managing her equipment during a play is attention she is not giving to the play itself.

The Bottom Line

Wearing a softball glove correctly starts with the right hand, continues with the right size for the athlete's hand and position, and is confirmed through fit checks that most families never perform because nobody told them to.

The glove that fits correctly disappears into the game. The one that does not becomes the most expensive distraction on the field.

Get the orientation right. Get the size right for the position. Break it in properly. And then let the glove do its job while your daughter focuses on hers.

Take care of her equipment. Take care of her performance from the inside out. Fastpitch Fuel Elite Hydration for Softball Athletes.

Sources referenced in this post include the Alliance Fastpitch complete guide to fastpitch softball gloves including sizing, selection, and gear tips written in collaboration with Julia Luciano Senior Engineer at DeMarini Research and Development published April 2026, Baseball Monkey's fastpitch softball glove guide on position-specific sizing and snug fit standards, Academy Sports softball glove buying guide on right hand throw versus left hand throw labeling and non-dominant hand wearing convention, Dick's Sporting Goods Pro Tips softball glove buying guide on proper fit measurement and snug fit standard, Underground Bats fastpitch softball glove buyer guide published November 2025 on fit confirmation standards and position-specific needs including first base mitt scooping function, Softball.com fastpitch glove buying guide on adjustable fit options and wrist opening design for female athletes, the Akadema fastpitch glove position guide on middle infield, pitcher, and third base webbing and size recommendations, the national softball organization Softball Gloves Buyers Guide PDF on middle infield size preferences and webbing patterns by position, the Discuss Fastpitch community guidance on catcher's mitt wrist strap technique for optimal mitt closure, and How to Size a Fastpitch Glove resource on position-specific sizing preferences and common sizing mistakes in youth fastpitch softball.