pancake glove

[halfguard]

whats the opinion on the pancake glove? is this a good tool for infielders? im thinking of getting one for my 9yo.

[Chris O'Leary]

whats the opinion on the pancake glove? is this a good tool for infielders? im thinking of getting one for my 9yo.

I think it is. I have a Mizuno one.

[halfguard]

ive seen a few, the mizuno, the akadema (expensive) and the sklz one (cheapest, but looks cheap, not seen it in person).

[Jim W.]

It's a very good tool. Teaches "soft hands" and quick turns. We too use a quality glove instead of the cheaper foam gloves with elastic. We have many many years of use out of it.

[BallCoach06]

IMO, they have their pros and cons. I like using them for some DP transfer drills. Actually, I use the pancake gloves more with our catchers than infielders.

I don't teach a two hand approach to fielding, so I actually like using this product better for infield fielding drill work:

http://www.vallebaseball.com/Valle-Eagle-Lit-l-JEN-9-75-Training-Glove-p/valle_eagle%20975.htm

[PhilliesPhan22]

Tell him to close his glove and trap the ball against it.

[glovemedic]

whats the opinion on the pancake glove? is this a good tool for infielders? im thinking of getting one for my 9yo.

I like to use it for my groundball practice. My son (12U) has a Kelly he uses periodically. Its cool to buy one for your son, but make sure its use is all about him and his desire to work on groundball fundamentals, rather than your idea of what he needs to do to get better. My suggestion is for you to play with it and let him hit you fungos off the T. Encourage him to experiment while you give him some slow rollers and experience success. Eventually he will evolve to the point of asking you to hit him groundballs. I have seen too many kids standing in the infield while their dad punishes them with bucket after bucket of balls and the pancake glove because they don't field the ball out front, butt down and back flat.

I used to sell the Akadema glove on my website. It is a very nice glove and super comfrortable. I am thinking about picking up Valle Baseball's training gloves and offering them but just have not done it and posted the links yet. Mizuno makes the nicest of all the pancake trainers I have seen, and I think you can pick up a good one for a reasonable price from Baseball Express. I recommend them for older players who have the personal desire to work on their game and I never backed off from a sale to a kid who talked his dad into springing the cash for a purchase. I have, however, talked a couple of dads out of making a misguided purchase of a good glove just because I was felt like it would end up as another piece of unused equipment in the bottom of bat bag.

Good luck!

[glovemedic]

IMO, they have their pros and cons. I like using them for some DP transfer drills. Actually, I use the pancake gloves more with our catchers than infielders.

I don't teach a two hand approach to fielding, so I actually like using this product better for infield fielding drill work:

http://www.vallebaseball.com/Valle-Eagle-Lit-l-JEN-9-75-Training-Glove-p/valle_eagle%20975.htm

My son uses this glove a lot. We mix up the small and regular size baseballs in our practice sessions. The glove is really well made, and it is sized to accomodate both kids and adult hands. I fully expect him to have his through HS if he is still playing ball by then.

[halfguard]

the valle glove just seems like a small glove. i feel like i could get a small glove for much cheaper. as far as the practice with my son. he loves to play baseball. everyday when i get home he asks me if we are going to the field. i like to have lots of different things for him. i have what i call no throw days where he will just catch about 30 fly balls and a bunch of grounders. if it was up to him, he would throw everyday. ive got to keep him under control, not the other way around. i would for sure start him out with some slow rollers and go from there with the pancake glove.

[glovemedic]

the valle glove just seems like a small glove. i feel like i could get a small glove for much cheaper.

You can. My son's team started out by dragging out their old T ball gloves and using those for their small glove fielding drills. Sounds like you are on the right track. My son and I always make it about play in the backyard 1st. There is plenty of time down the road to make training serious work, at least 1 or 2 days a week.