What Size Baseball Glove For 7 Year Old Fits Good? Expert Defines

Last Updated on January 15, 2023

The new equipment for a young baseball player always brings joy and confidence to start pushing up the career. Baseball gloves are one of the most essential and first impacting equipment as well. But do you know what size baseball glove for 7 year old fit most?

It is important when choosing youth gloves for your kids. Do you know how to measure the size?

There are several facts that you should consider. They include measuring the child’s hand size, fielding position, and size of baseball gloves that match your kid’s hand. Considering all positions, a 7-year-old child would fit a glove size ranging from 10.25 inches to 12.5 inches.

By the way, there are many facts to explain before just picking the mentioned sized gloves. Let’s discuss them to clarify everything about picking gloves for your 7-year-old boy.

Dissection Of Baseball Gloves: The Construction

Parts of baseball gloves
Figure 01: What size baseball glove for 7 year old – different portions of the glove

A baseball glove has several parts constructing. First, let’s see how they connected with each other and their functions.

Heel

Heel is the starting side from where the player enters his hand into the glove. It gives protection to the hand and determines the breaks of the gloves.

Palm

The padded part of the softball glove or baseball glove gives comfort and takes the shock of the ball. Also, spread the shock impact across the glove.

Pocket

The pocket is the part beside the palm. Pockets are formed to hold the ball inside. The pocket also helps to connect the fingers and thumb in attaching them.

Webbing

Web or webbing is the most discussed part of baseball gloves. It is the key part of controlling the ball. Webbing attaches the thumb and fingers by the index finger side.

Webbing has basically two types: closed web design, and open web. The fielders basically prefer to use the open web, and the pitcher prefers a closed web to hide the ball from the hitter.

A tightly woven piece of leather is used for webbing. Fly balls, line drives, pop-ups, etc., balls are caught directly into the web.

Finger Stalls

The opening part for the fingers in the gloves.

Lacing

Lacing is made of leather. It shapes the gloves by swinging them all around the glove.

Hinge

The hinge allows the gloves for opening and close. The hinge stays all around the palm sides.

Back

The back is for the index finger. It stays behind the palm and allows comfort for the index finger and wrist flexibility.

Wrist Adjustment

Wrist adjustment is for adjusting the glove in your hand for comfortable wear. There are many options that come for wrist adjustment including the buckle, hook-and-loop, D-ring fasteners, etc.

The wrist adjustment is common for all baseball gloves including softball gloves, fastpitch, and slowpitch, youth gloves, tee-ball players, and others.

Baseball Gloves Understanding By Position

Baseball gloves are basically designed based on the different positions of fielders. Whether adult baseball gloves or young players, glove sizing is determined based on the position.

However, the following multiple positions are considered for the glove design. Let’s try to understand them.

Infield Gloves

Generally, infield gloves are the most miniature gloves designed for baseball. These gloves have a shallower pocket. Because the shallower pocket helps to the quick transfer of the ball from the glove to the out baserunners.

Many people think the infield gloves must be larger. But it is a misconception. Professional players prefer smaller gloves for infield positions.

Aside from this, the glove sizes range from 10.25″ to 11.50″ for younger players.

Outfielder’s Glove

As expected, outfield gloves are larger gloves with a deeper pocket. It is because they need to cover a large area and track down the fly balls. The deeper pocket secures the hold of the ball inside.

Young age group players are preferred to pick the glove size for the outfield position ranging from 11.5″ to 12.25″. The position is an important factor that impacts the glove size.

Pitching Gloves

The gloves for the pitching are almost the same as the infield gloves where the closed-webbing is implemented. The pitching gloves have shallower pockets for quick release of the ball. On the other hand, the pitchers prefer the close web pattern to hide the player’s grip from the hitter.

Generally, the size of the pitching gloves for the tee ball players ranges from 9″ to 10.5″. On the other hand, the size for the younger ages ranges from 10.75 inches to 12.5 inches.

Utility Gloves

Utility-size baseball gloves are specially designed gloves. The players who play in multiple positions will be needed utility gloves. Because utility gloves can fulfill the need for both the infield and outfield.

Also, the utility gloves often feature closed web, and sometimes open web. You can call a utility glove a bigger glove. However, as expected, the players who play specific positions will not be accustomed to the utility gloves.

By the way, the size of the utility gloves ranges from 11 inches to 12 inches for older children or young baseball players.

Catcher’s Mitt

Catcher's mitt
What size baseball glove for 7 year old – the mighty Catcher’s MITT

Catcher’s mitts are not the same as the regular rounded gloves. There are no separate finger stalls in the catcher’s mitts.

They are made of much more high-end leather, that is comparatively stiffer. As a result catcher’s mitts need more time for break-in.

The catcher’s mitts are featured with more padding and dense lacing to make the construction stronger.

The pockets of the catcher’s mitts are not shallower, but rather closed pockets. No fingers as well. They are designed especially because the catchers catch more frequent balls than other fielders. Due to this reason, the mitts must be tougher in making as well.

By the way, the size glove is differently measured for the mitts. The catcher’s mitt sizes range from 31 inches to 34 inches for both young players and adult baseball players.

First Base Mitt

First base mitt
What size baseball glove for 7 year old – MITT for the first base

First base is such a fielding position with high demand and more popularity. The first baseman also needed to be fast and need to catch well.

First base gloves are often called first base mitts are larger than typical gloves. They are featured with deeper pockets that ease the catching. Also, the first base mitts do not have separated fingers which helps in easy catching.

Like the catcher’s mitt, first base mitts also feature more padding to catch the ground balls.

The first base mitts range basically 12 inches to 12.5 inches for the youth age.

What Size Baseball Glove For 7 Year Old: Determining The Right Glove Size

Youth gloves are specially made keeping many entities in mind. Sometimes, synthetic materials are used for the youth gloves for a quick break in.

Aside from this, youth glove size is generally kept smaller than usual. The fingers, and wrist opening, are specially kept smaller for perfect fitting in little hands.

On the other hand, often youth-sized gloves come with a more oversized pocket for easy catching, which helps young players develop their catching ability faster.

By the way, baseball glove sizing differs for youth players and adults. That is why you need to follow some precise procedures to find the right-sized baseball glove for your 7-year-old kid.

Let’s check the measurement procedures.

Measuring Your Kid’s Hand Size For Baseball Glove size

The first procedure is to measure the size of your kid’s hand. Keep your child’s hand on a solid surface like a table, or floor. After putting the hand on a solid surface, take the length of the index finger.

Do it from the base of the finger to the fingertip. Keep it in your mind to take the measurement into inches.

How-to-measure-the-glove-size-for-your-kids
What size baseball glove for a 7-year-old – the measuring steps

After taking the length, add two inches more to the measured length. This is the final size of your kid’s glove.

Purchasing The Glove

After you measure and determine the size of baseball gloves, now it’s time to find out the best baseball gloves for your 7-year-old kid. You may check on the local sporting shops or online marketplace.

Match the measurement and purchase the right glove.

Try Out The Glove Size To Make Sure it Works Fine

Now, you have the gloves on your hand. let your kid try out the glove. See if he wears it easily. Make sure the index finger has two inches more space after wearing.

Also, make sure the glove is free to wear, and the fingers and wrist are easily wiggled. If your kid gets the glove comfortable, it’s ok to use. Now it’s time to break in the glove for making it game ready.

According to Rawlings Sporting Goods Company, there is a chart for the baseball glove size below.

Game LevelAge groupFielding PositionBaseball Glove size
Tee-ball3 to 6 yearsAll fielding positions8.5” to 10”
Youth Baseball7 to 12 yearsFirst base12” to 12.5”
Youth Baseball7 to 12 yearsInfield10.25″ to 11.50″
Youth Baseball7 to 12 yearsOutfield11.5″ to 12.25″
Youth Baseball7 to 12 yearsPitching10.75” to 12.5”
Youth Baseball7 to 12 yearsCatcher31” to 34”
What size baseball glove for 7 year old – best fitting chart

Baseball Buying Tips: Factors You Should Consider

I hope, now you know what is the perfect size baseball glove for your kids when you move to select the glove size. The one issue is solved for your kids with their favorite sport. But, there are things that remain when you go to purchase new gloves.

You must follow some criteria and consider some essential aspects and attributes to purchase the best baseball gloves. Let’s check out what they are.

Factors You Should Consider before buying a baseball glove
What size baseball glove for 7 year old – Buying factors you must consider

Materials

Unlike adult and professional gloves, youth gloves use different materials. The materials include leather/cowhide, synthetic leather, hybrid materials, etc. Synthetic materials are less expensive and get broken in faster.

On the other hand, leather is more expensive, stiffer, and needs more time to break in.

The hybrid is made of leather in front, and synthetic in the back. So, decide which would be value for money as per your kids’ aspects.

Size of The Gloves

As we have been discussing the sizing of the youth gloves, it should get the most attention. Bigger gloves for little hands will not fit. So, learn the sizing of the youth gloves (already been discussed) and pick the suitable one for your little kids.

Pocket Type

Baseball gloves generally feature two types of pockets: shallow and deep. As the kids need to practice catching easily, the deeper pocket will give more advantages for proper catching.

This will also enhance the confidence of your kids. So, it is wise to purchase gloves with a deeper pocket. With age, they will be accustomed to the shallower pocket if needed.

Weight of The Gloves

The weight of the gloves is among the most important aspects. As a young player, having a fairly lightweight glove is important.

It is important for fast-moving as well as energy savings. With a heavier glove, your kid could be tired in a short time.

Breaking In

Synthetic gloves are broken in out of the box. But, if you choose leather gloves for your kids, they must be broken in before they use. Because naturally, kids don’t have stronger hands to break in the gloves naturally.

So, it will be struggling for them to break into the new stiffer leather gloves. Either you should help to break in the new gloves, or find something already broken in. Nowadays, broken-in leather gloves are found.

How Do My 7 Year Old Boy Break In His New Glove?

There are many ways to break in a baseball glove. Let’s have a quick look at them.

Play With The Glove

Practice catching with the leather glove. Do it until the glove breaks in. It will take a week if you do it several times a week. Though it takes a little time, this method is a natural way and the best way of breaking in a glove.

Warm Water Method

You can pour some warm water upside down from the finger side of the glove. After doing this, grasp the glove’s thumb and pinky finger. squeeze the glove back and forth. Also, stretch the glove after squeezing.

Open the glove, use a mallet to form the pocket, and soften the glove for game ready.

Oil and Conditioner

Using oil and conditioner is another way to break in the gloves. The Best oil for baseball gloves could help you in great ways to break in your new gloves and keep the old ones in pristine condition.

Bend and Bind

Another efficient way to bend your new glove with a ball inside it, and bind it with a rubber band. Rest the glove for a week.

For a better understanding of the breaking in of the leather glove in a detailed guide, please see the post “How To Break In Wilson A2000 Outfield Glove | Facts That A Baseball Player Must Know.

Frequently Asked Questions

Do you need a glove for Tee-Ball?

Yes, the younger players also need gloves for tee-ball. But, there is no need for an expensive one.

Can you use a softball glove for baseball?

Since softball gloves could be used in baseball, it’s not preferred and recommended. It could be just for fun, but not seriously in the professional games.

Conclusion

There are several things to determine what size baseball glove for 7 year old. It is important to understand what type of glove a little player will be comfortable with.

By the way, the younger players aged 7 to 12 years would be comfortable with the glove size range from 10.25″ to 12.5″ considering all positions.

But, you should consider which glove you will buy. The leather will cost more, the synthetic will cost less but game ready. On the other hand, the hybrid would a good choice for kids that balances the entire purchase and fulfill their needs. 

You May Also Like:

What Does RBI Mean In Baseball | The Common Statistic Credited To Batters Explained

How To Measure Hand For Baseball Gloves | Best Tips From A Professional

Learn How To Play Catcher In Baseball Like A Pro

How To Dry A Wet Baseball Glove | Easy 6 Steps

How To Use Vaseline On Baseball Glove? Experts Opinion.

Wilson A900 vs A1000 Gloves | Comparison With Precise Details

Baseball Helmet Size For 6 Year Old | Learn From Coach

Baseball Drills for 8 Year Olds | Fun Baseball Drills | Honest Baseball

Leave a Comment