So you’re getting ready to play baseball. It might seem at first glance like a simple sport, but there are so many intricacies to playing the game. If you’re a beginner though, you’ll need to get a few pieces of baseball equipment to get started and be successful. Here are five pieces of equipment that you’ll need when playing baseball.
It might seem obvious, but a high quality glove is the first thing you’ll need to play baseball. The big thing to know about gloves is they take a lot of wear and tear. After all, someone will be literally hitting or throwing an object at high speeds, and you’re expected to catch it with your glove. You need to be able to trust that when you’re going to catch the ball over your face, for example, your glove will not fall apart and let the ball hit you! It will also protect your hand from getting hit too hard. So, it’s a big protection and can help enhance how you play the game. The other thing is that a high quality glove can truly last for a lifetime. There aren’t many pieces of sporting equipment you can say that about. Here’s a video with a little more information about finding the right baseball glove for you.
When you’re choosing your glove, keep in mind that all quality gloves are made from leather. There are different grains of leather (harder, softer, etc.) to choose from, but it’s more of a personal preference in what you choose to use. Always buy good quality leather gloves unless the person playing ball is a young child. Children’s gloves are often made of plastic, and that isn’t as big of a deal at their level and age. However, older players should have leather. Gloves can also be position specific. So, there are catcher’s gloves, first baseman’s gloves, infielder’s gloves, outfielder’s gloves, etc. So, you’ll need to know what position you’ll be playing to know what kind of glove to select. In short, keep in mind the following when you’re picking out a glove:
You’ll be spending a lot of time with your glove, so make sure you love it and how it fits before purchasing.
As far as bats go, there are two basic types, metal and wooden bats. You don’t usually have a choice when it comes to the type of bat you use while playing in a league because every league has rules around the types of bats that are allowed. Most youth and high school leagues allow metal bats with specific specifications (weight, models, etc.) whereas semi-pro, AAA and pros have to use wooden bats. Other leagues and levels might be wood bat specific, so just keep that in mind as you shop. If you’re just buying a bat for personal use, it’s mostly about preference. Just know that metal bats need to be handled carefully as they can hit a ball really hard and can make things dangerous. Mainly, you need to just consider the following:
If you can, try going into a store to swing different bats and get a feel for them. This will help you get a better idea of your personal preferences.
Batting tape is an underrated piece of baseball gear that everyone should be using. If you purchase it from Lizard Skins, it is sold in three different thicknesses, including 0.5, 1.1 and 1.8. The one you should use is based on personal preference. Typically when you’re a beginner, you’ll usually want to go with the thicker tape as you’re learning how to grip. Bat grip tape is wrapped around the handle of the bat to give you better grip on the bat. It also absorbs some of the vibrations when a ball hits the bat, giving you a little more hand protection.
Lizard Skins batting grip tape is made from DSP Durasoft polymer material. If you need to learn how to wrap your bat, we have more information here and a video tutorial. It’s also important to acknowledge that some players use bat grip tape to repair their batting gloves, gear, etc. in a pinch. So, it is nice to have on hand for multiple reasons.
Batting gloves are a must when it comes to playing ball. Most baseball players wear batting gloves, and they wear them for more than batting. The biggest reason to wear batting gloves is that it protects your hands while batting, running the bases and sliding. They absorb some of the shock and can also help you with your grip. Some players even have two pairs of batting gloves. They’ll use a set for batting and then change them out for the second set for protecting their hands in case they need to slide to a base. Some baseball players also wear one under their fielding glove for extra hand protection. There are many uses, but the primary purpose of batting gloves is to protect your hands while batting. They help with gripping especially in colder climates.
This is the most obvious but it is the biggest need when it comes to playing baseball. After all, you can’t play the game without a baseball itself. When you’re shopping, you’ll see there are cheap balls and there are official regulation baseballs. For young kids, you’ll want a softcore ball so it doesn’t sting as much if it hits them during play. Otherwise, always buy the official baseball made with good leather. These balls will last much longer and are just better quality overall than the others on the market.
