How to Secretly Size Baseball/Softball Gifts for Christmas
How to Secretly Size Baseball/Softball Gifts for Christmas
The holiday season is now in full swing and folks are scrambling from store to store buying gifts for their friends and family. Those looking to gift baseball or softball gear for Christmas may be met with an additional complication in the process – finding the right-sized equipment for their loved one. At any other time of year, the best way to ensure that the bats, gloves, or other gear are the right fit is to have the player try it on or take a few practice swings. As a Christmas gift, having the player try on the gear or try out the equipment can ruin the fun since surprises and the anticipation of unknown gifts are part of what make this season so special. While exchanging items is always an option, the joy of an unexpected gift received on Christmas day can be spoiled by having to send the gift back and begin the waiting process all over again. Luckily, there are ways to make sure you have the right gear for each player without him or her knowing what’s waiting for them under the tree. Here’s everything you’ll need to know to surprise your loved ones with baseball/softball equipment this Christmas.
Bats There are two main variables for selecting a baseball or softball bat: length and weight. Luckily for the stealthy Christmas shopper, the right metrics in those two factors can be determined with fair accuracy by the player’s height, weight, and age. Essentially every league has regulations for weight drop, so if you identify the proper bat length, the weight will pretty much be decided for you. Just discreetly find out your loved one’s height and weight, and come Christmas morning, they’ll surely be surprised to find a bat under the tree that is perfectly sized for them!
Batting Gloves When picking out this gift, all you’ll need to know is the player’s hand size. If you can find a way to measure the length of the hand, — middle fingertip to base of palm — then you can accurately buy the correct-sized batting glove. One idea for acquiring this information is to use an existing pair of gloves — batting or regular. It’s important to sure you actually measure them; don’t just look at the size because those can vary from brand to brand, especially when it comes to the difference in size of batting gloves and normal gloves.
Fielding Gloves There are a lot of factors to consider when buying a player a baseball or softball mitt beyond just getting the right size. Different materials have varying levels of comfort and durability, which are two things that should be taken into account. As far as sizing is concerned, the main determining factor is the player’s position. For youth leaguers, simply finding out if the player is in the infield or outfield will suffice. For those in high school, middle infielders will need different sized gloves than players on third base. All you have to do is ask the recipient where they play and you’ll be able to pick the right glove from there.
Hats and Helmets You need to know the circumference of the player’s head when picking out the right hat or helmet. Of course, they may become a little suspicious if you place a tape measurer around their head; so to keep it a surprise, use a tape measurer on the inside of one of their hats. Try to measure the hat they wear most often as it is likely the most accurate representation of their head size.
Catcher’s Gear Specialized equipment needs more atypical measurements in order to properly size. For the chest plate, you need to measure top of breast plate to the waist; for the leg guards, ankle to the center of the knee cap. A subtle way to get this information is to using the player’s clothing; you’ll likely be able to approximate the measurements with a pair of pants or a shirt.
You’ll have to determine the proper size that your loved one needs based on the measurements you collect. Luckily, we have sizing charts and buying guides provided in the links below. When paired with professional help, these guides will give you the best chance of choosing the right size the first time around.
