If you drop the fly ball, don't blame the glove!
Written: Jul 02 '04 (Updated Jan 09 '06)
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Pros: High Quality. Nice padding and fit.
Good Appearance.
Cons: Needs to be broken in.
The Bottom Line: The Mizuno MFR-1302 is a great softball glove for the once a week player.
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| trailhound's Full Review: Mizuno Softball Glove Mfr 1302 |
When I was looking for a new fielding glove for adult slow-pitch softball, I had to make quite a few decisions before selecting the best glove for me. In the end I chose a Mizuno MFR-1302 “Franchise Series” outfielders glove, and have been very happy with this product. Choosing the proper glove depends on which position you are playing, how big of a glove you want, quality of materials desired, some design characteristics, appearance, and how much you are willing to spend.
Position Playing
Since I was playing the outfield, I needed a glove with a deep pocket, which enables an outfielder to snare those fly balls without the ball popping out - not that I would know about that! Also the outfielder’s glove has closed webbing, which provides additional strength to the pocket.
In contrast, infielders prefer a shallow pocket and open webbing so they can grab the ball quickly for infield plays.
Glove Size Matters
In general, a glove used for softball is larger than one used for baseball, due to the ball size. An outfielder’s glove is usually 12-13”, which is quite large, but is better for catching high fly balls.
The drawback is that the ball cannot be quickly removed from the pocket. But with me, just catching the ball is quite an accomplishment.
An infielders glove would be 1-2” shorter than this.
Quality of Materials
If you want a glove of decent quality, but do not intend to play more than one night per week, choose an all leather untreated glove. A treated leather glove already has liquid materials worked into the leather for faster break-in time and more durability.
Some gloves are made from synthetics, and are best for Little League players, a person on a very limited budget, or if you ride the bench every game.
Design Characteristics
The back of the glove, which covers the top of the left hand, (for right handed players) is either open or closed. I prefer the closed design for more hand support. An open design is good for infielders that need a more flexible glove.
A finger hole is also preferable for outfielders. It allows the player to rest his or her index finger outside of the glove for more support when fielding a ball.
The color may or may not influence one’s buying decision, but I liked the orange-tan color of the Mizuno MFR-1302 with black lacing up the sides and top. Some gloves are lighter tan, brown, and even black.
Cost
The average cost of a decent softball glove was about $50 - $60 when I bought my glove in 2002. I recently looked at glove prices again and found that they were about the same.
Selecting the MFR-1302 Glove
Once I knew which characteristics I wanted in a new softball glove, I was able to quickly choose the best glove for me.
The Mizuno MFR-1302 is a deeply pocketed glove with generous padding. The ParashockTM palm pad gives extra padding to prevent a stinging hand when catching deep fly balls.
It’s a 13” model, which is perfect for hauling in those towering flies that could easily go over your head. And the MzOTM finger lining provides a comfortable fit.
I had wanted a good leather glove that was untreated, and the MFR-1302 fit the bill. The leather appears to be of high quality and it is stitched together well.
When playing with this glove I have found it to be light weight, comfortable on my fingers, and provides the support I expected when fielding a ball and catching a pop up.
As for other design characteristics, I wanted a closed back, a finger hole, and a nice color.
Again, this particular glove had been designed with the features that I wanted. I don’t believe there is any quality factor associated with color, and as I stated earlier, I
liked the orange-tan color of the MFR-1302 with black lacing.
The price of MFR-1302 was $53 (plus tax), which is reasonable. As mentioned above, I also liked the appearance of this glove – it looks professional!
Final Decision
There are comparable gloves manufactured by Wilson, Rawlings, Louisville, Easton, and others. But when I compared quality, price, comfort, and appearance, I chose the Mizuno MFR-1302 and have enjoyed playing softball with this glove ever since. I’m especially pleased with the overall comfortable feeling of the glove and its high quality.
Warranty
Mizuno, a Japanese sporting equipment company, provides a 1-year warranty on this glove, as they do on most of their products. This glove was manufactured in The Philippines.
Final Note on Glove Care
When breaking a glove in, it is best to wipe it down with petroleum jelly or shaving cream. I know it sounds crazy, but this moisturizes the glove. Stick a softball in the pocket and wrap a few big rubber bands around the whole glove to form a nice round pocket. After each season you should moisturizes it again to prevent it from drying out.
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© trailhound. 2004.
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