Training for the infield positions in the baseball game can be really tricky at first! It’s actually super complicated to try and find the best type of pancake gloves.
Well, if you have reached this article somehow, then your search finding did you right and you have landed at the right place, cause I’m here to tell you the best pancake gloves out there.
Getting right into it!
Why Pancake Baseball Gloves Are Good for Infield Training?
The Pancake baseball gloves are very essential for infield training. This helps you to focus on receiving the ball with your palms, prompting a soft and controlled catch. Pancake gloves are also known as paddle gloves because of their ability to scoop those balls out easily. This enables you to get trained to have good hand-eye coordination and enhances a player’s ability to handle various types of ground balls.
These gloves help you to improve your fielding techniques, this encourages you to use proper fielding mechanics. The gloves also promotes you to do quick transfers, the flat surfaces facilitate this process by eliminating the reason to dig the glove deep inside the glove. So honestly this glove is super good for infielder training.
Best Pancake Gloves for Infield Players
Rawlings Heart of the Hide Pancake Glove
The Rawlings’ Heart of the Hide series is one of the best in the industry. In terms of performance and even design the gloves shine in every possible way. That’s why you should definitely consider buying these gloves as they’ll be a really great investment.
The gloves will come in handy for those trying to grasp a beginner’s understanding of the basics of baseball. The gloves have a 28-inch circumference. The gloves are suitable enough to teach players the fundamentals of quicker ball transfer to their throwing hand. Therefore these are really ideal as pancake training gloves. So consider these pancake gloves on your next purchase.
Pros:
- Premium Quality
- Designed to train beginners
- Strong and durable
- Comfortable feel
Cons:
- Can be really pricey as a practice glove
Mizuno Training Paddle Glove
Next on this list is the Mizuno training paddle series another great glove to start your baseball career with. The gloves are catered to maintain the design and taste of the beginner players. So you can be sure to get the ultimate performance.
The gloves come in both hand orientations, and they come in a size 10, again really great to use for beginners, this will help you to hone your skills. The Glove specializes to make gloves that will teach beginners the basics of baseball. They have a smooth, natural feel of leather that will keep them durable.
Pros:
- Specializes in designing for beginners
- Affordable
- Size 10
Cons:
- Longevity compromised
Rawlings Great Hands Pancake Glove
We have another Rawling on the list, those being the Rawlings Great Hands Pancake Glove series, these gloves are designed solely to get down the basics in baseball.
The gloves are made in one size, so they are perfect, making them fit each person, who buys them. The gloves have a zero-pocket design which enables them to grab the ball quickly. They are constructed with top-quality leather, which you’d expect in any type of Rawlings glove. So if you are looking for another great affordable option to invest in, then these gloves are definitely your choice to go for.
Pros:
- Top quality leather
- One size
- Affordable
- Zero pocket design
Cons:
- Durability might be affected
Wilson Pancake Glove
Another very affordable option on this list is Wilson. I really didn’t think that Wilson would have pancake gloves. But, well I was wrong! These gloves are also a really good option you could try and use these gloves too, to train and hone your skills as a beginner.
The Wilson pancake gloves come with both hand orientations so that you can try and train on what you prefer. The gloves are made with a 27.5 inches size specification, so this is actually a really good option to work with as a beginner. They were designed to teach proper fielding techniques. The flat surface ensures, that you can use your two hands while playing. Has a full-grain leather construction and they work great for any infield position.
Pros:
- Full grain leather
- Flat surface
- 27.5 inches
- Works for any position
Cons:
- Not a lot of trial and testing done
Valle Eagle Pancake Glove
The Valle Eagle pancake gloves are good for practice purposes. These are good as baseball infield training gloves. The flat training gloves will help you develop your skills and help you also hone them simultaneously.
The gloves are designed to be ambidextrous so, you have the benefit of trying to develop how to play and with which hand to play or even play with both! The valle switch pancake mitt is constructed with top-quality leather which gives long-lasting durability. The glove sid designed to be flat to develop your hands to make quick and effective catches. So these are really worth their price, making them the best baseball training glove.
Pros:
- Ambidextrous
- Flat surface
- Lasting leather
- Affordable
Cons:
- Made specifically for adults, doesn’t cater to kids’ needs
- Not a lot of trial and testing
MacGregor Infield Training Glove
The MacGregor Infield training gloves are really a great glove to start with. These gloves can be even given to kids to start their baseball training and learn the basics. This glove helps to reinforce the handwork perfectly.
The gloves are quite affordable so you can really train very well in any position that you like, specifically infield. This will allow kids to throw the ball from the different positions present in baseball while also implementing various field techniques and providing immense mobility and flexibility. So, another great type of glove you could work with while also experimenting with other gloves
Pros:
- Great for youth
- Specific for infield platers
- Good leather quality
- Affordable
Cons:
- Not very long-lasting
Akadema Pancake Glove
The Akadema Pancake Glove series is another great series of gloves. The gloves are designed for beginners, so they are really great pancake training gloves. Akadema is really a great line of baseball gloves so it’s worth investing in them honestly.
These come in both hand orientations, and they are designed for infield training especially. They have a 30 inches circumference which is absolutely perfect to work with at the beginning of your baseball career because this allows you to scoop up things easily. Therefore the flat training glove is perfect to practice and therefore makes it easy for you to jot done the basics but also give you absolute control on the field.
Pros:
- Beginner friendly
- Affordable
- Good for developing field mechanics
Cons:
- Longevity may be affected
Common Pancake Baseball Glove Drills
You could start by standing 10 feet approx from the coach or the neighboring person, the partner will try and toos the ball towards you and you have to try and catch it with the pancake glove. This is a very simple, yet easy exercise cause it will help you gain a sort of finesse when playing catch.
Another method is you could try and practice it on a wall, by standing a few feet away from a wall. You throw the ball against the wall and catch it with the pancake gloves. This drill will help you try and focus on the positioning of your hand and how it’s supposed to be done exactly. Another great drill is trying to place a partner farther away from you, with a bucket of balls. They keep throwing these balls at you from different directions to test how quickly you respond to each throw.
Conclusion
Well in the end it’s quite simple you must be able to try and find the best gloves that will cater to your taste and preference. Technically the pancake gloves are meant for practicing so going for something cheap would be the ideal way.
But if you are coaching kids, or just trying to practice and perfect your play style as you advance in your baseball game then you should go for any expensive type of pancake glove.
