What Is A Fastback Baseball Glove?
Do you know what a fastback baseball glove is? If not, don’t worry. You’re not alone. In fact, I didn’t know what one was until I did some research for this blog post. This article provides all of the information about fastback gloves in the market. If you are looking forward to knowing what a fastback glove is and why fastback gloves are not popular amongst baseball players anymore, read on and find out for yourself. So,
Table of Contents
What is a Fastback Baseball Glove?
Fastback baseball glove is a glove that has two pieces of leather instead of three like most gloves do. This design gives the player more control over the ball and makes it easier to catch fly balls.
A fastback glove has a very specific design that sets it apart from other baseball gloves.
Fastback gloves allow players to take their hands out of the glove quickly. This makes them ideal for infielders as well as outfielders, who need to catch the ball more often and then throw it back. The way these gloves are cut out permits the player to keep his/her hand close to the ball while catching it. This makes Fastback Gloves one of the most appropriate kinds for throwing and catching balls.
Related Read: How to flare a baseball glove?
Why Are Fastback Baseball Gloves Not Popular?
Fastback gloves are not as popular as they once were around the 70s and 90s. There are many reasons for the same.
- One of the most obvious reasons is that they are more expensive than other baseball gloves. The higher cost is due to the design of the glove. The production of such gloves is also more time-consuming. This leads us to conclude that they have a lower production quantity and a higher marginal production cost.
- Secondly, once the “pro-sleeves” was introduced, fastback gloves were not the talk of the town anymore. The former provided additional support for the index finger, which the latter was not designed to do.
- As the game developed, infielders found new techniques and styles that were better supported with loose-fitting gloves. Fastback gloves are padded and a bit more fitted. This is why this kind became lesser popular amongst infielders.
Things To Consider While Buying Fastback Baseball Gloves?
A baseball glove is a piece of equipment used by players. Generally, it is worn on the non-dominant hand. It consists of a webbed fabric cage that protects the player’s hand and provides flexibility to catch balls.
Size
The first thing you should consider when you are buying a new pair of gloves is the size. Baseball gloves are classified as small, medium, and large, with small being 9 inches in circumference and large being 11 inches in circumference across from one finger to another.
Padding On The Inside Of Gloves
Pay attention to how much padding there is on the inside of the glove. The more padding there is, the better protection it will offer to your hands while catching hardball. But, at the same time, it may be uncomfortable for you to keep it on during longer innings.
Unfortunately, extra padding will hamper your ability to grip the ball with more pressure due to its soft nature.
Note: It may take some time getting used to but eventually, you will be able to figure out how much padding works the best for you!
Read More: Can you use baseball batting gloves for football?
Position Of Fingers
Make sure that you check where exactly your fingers are positioned when you wear the glove. the particular reason behind the same is that different brands have different positions made for the fingers. Some brands/gloves may be uncomfortable for some people. For instance, if your fingers are too close together or too far apart from each other, you may have a hard time wearing the gloves.
Over the years, such developments and transformations of the game caused the popularity of fastback baseball gloves to wane. Nonetheless, fastback gloves still remain the OG!
Interesting Read: Is there a difference between softball and baseball gloves?
Conclusion
Fastback baseball gloves are not as popular as traditional baseball gloves now, they were loved a lot in the old times. Baseball players who have strong throwing arms or those who prefer the feel of a baseball glove with a lot of padding; may still consider getting a pair of fastback gloves.
