Hello! This is Sato, a staff member at ShuSpo!
In this blog, the baseball-loving ShuSpo staff will be sharing information related to baseball.
It's been getting hot these past few days, hasn't it?💦
In Yamaguchi Prefecture, the spring prefectural high school baseball tournament has ended, and the Chugoku regional tournament is now underway!
Surprisingly, my alma mater won the spring prefectural tournament this year and is now participating in the Chugoku tournament (・∀・)hehe
It's always a joy to see my alma mater do well, no matter how old I get.
I hope they keep up the momentum and do well in the summer tournament too.
Now, this ShuSpo blog post is about:
Why do we use steam shaping for baseball gloves?
That's the topic we'll be discussing!!!!
When selling gloves in-store, about 98% of customers say, "Please do steam shaping" or
"I came back to buy another glove because the last one was shaped so well," and so on.
We receive many requests from our customers!
That's how confident ShuSpo is in its steam shaping!!
By the way, do you know who first started steam shaping?
That manufacturer everyone who plays baseball knows...
"Kubota Slugger"!
Mr. Shigetoshi Egashira from Kubota Slugger apparently started it in 1968!
From there, it gradually spread, and now many sports shops offer steam shaping.
The store manager and Maruyama, who are in charge of steam shaping at ShuSpo,
trained under Mr. Egashira, and have thoroughly mastered his know-how (・∀・)hehe
So, why do we recommend steam shaping???
There are only good things about it!!
Many people often say things like, "Steam shaping causes wrinkles on the catching surface" or "It gets too floppy and breaks easily."
But!!!!
That's actually not true!
Both of these photos show the Kubota Slugger "KSN-24MS" infielder's glove.
One is before shaping, and the other has been steam-shaped.
Can you tell which is which?
The answer is...
The red glove on the right has been steam-shaped.
You must have thought the same thing...
"The steam-shaped one doesn't have wrinkles!"
Wrinkles often form around the circled area when a new, stiff glove is forced to catch the ball.
Therefore, not steam shaping can actually make wrinkles more likely to appear.
Stretch what needs to be stretched, and don't stretch what shouldn't be stretched.
If you follow this, you won't get wrinkles!
During the steam shaping process, the internal core material of Slugger gloves is processed.
At that time, the wrist lace is removed to form the shape, making it moderately soft and allowing for a bare-hand feel♪
~Reasons why ShuSpo's steam shaping is chosen~
Reason 1: We listen to all of the player's requests
Players who "love baseball" and "want to take good care of their gloves" are particularly particular about their gloves!
The more particular you are about your glove, the better your defense will become♪
A boy who bought a glove last year brought a memo filled with shaping requests and
illustrations.
When we receive such detailed requests, we also want to make the glove as close to their ideal as possible!
Feel free to provide your preferences, even if it's just a feeling or a video!
We will finish it into your ideal glove!
Reason 2: We conduct interviews to find the right shape for you
Many elementary and junior high school students say, "I don't know what shape is easy to catch with."
We talk about various things, such as how they usually use their glove,
how they actually want to use it,
and how they consciously use it, to determine the shape.
Since there are shapes that are suitable for a glove and shapes that are not,
we strive to ensure that you don't regret your purchase by, for example, suggesting "If you like this shape, this glove would be better" and reviewing from the ground up.
If you have any concerns when purchasing, please feel free to call our store.
Our staff will suggest a glove that suits you!
Reason 3: You can choose the stiffness
Many people probably think that steam shaping makes a glove floppy...
I even thought so myself... how embarrassing (*ﾉωﾉ)
But!!
At ShuSpo, you can choose from three levels of stiffness♪
Recommended for those who want to shape it themselves
"I'm worried about shaping it myself from scratch," but "I want to do it myself."
If this sounds like you, please choose this option!
You can set a rough direction and then continue shaping it yourself, so you can enjoy it without the shape getting messed up!
Soft enough for playing catch (can catch without having to firmly grip)
Recommended for those who "won't use it in a game right away" or "want to get used to it gradually."
Many customers choose this stiffness.
It's great because you can catch without much effort!
Can be used in a game quickly once you get used to it
Recommended for those who "want to use it right away" or "have weak grip strength!"
However, it's not just made mushy; the stiffness in the thumb, palm, and pinky finger areas is maintained,
making it incredibly easy to use!
~Summary~
For the actual stiffness, please check out the official Shunan Sports Instagram (@syunansports), where we post reels of glove shaping for customers who have purchased from us. We'd love for you to take a look.
When a shaping professional does it, it becomes incredibly easy to use!
Wataru Sato
The only ShuSpo staff member who enjoys playing recreational baseball.A man who is particular about baseball equipment.
A man who watches baseball games to see what equipment the players are using.
A man who participated in national tournaments in elementary school and high school.
シュースポ
周南スポーツ