Akadema is a great company that makes baseball and softball gloves, not only for the professionals but for the rest of us too. They build those pro features and qualities into all the ball gloves they make.
For years many professional and non-professional players alike have been trying to get the perfect fit and grip in their glove. They were trying to stuff 4 fingers into 2 finger slots. They did this to get better control of the glove and a better grip on the ball when trying to field it.
One of the founders of the company used to play a little ball and he noticed this. So when he started his glove company he got patents on several of these innovative designs. One that has really caught on is the Reptilian Claw. This is built into an outfielders 3-finger glove.
The Akadema APX 221 is that glove and man is it a sweet one. It is made of top line steerhide leather that is tanned to perfection. It is designed to be nearly game-ready right out of the box. Give it a week or two of good break-in and you are ready to play.
It has many traditional features like the modified trap web that many outfielders like, an open back with regular size finger stalls that will fit most men. Being an outfielders glove it is designed with a deep pocket. This makes it a great softball glove as well as baseball glove.
Don't be freaked out when you slip your hand in and find out the index finger is closed off. That is part of the design. You see, it really only has two fingers to it. The middle finger is standard, where you put your index finger. And there is an extra wide pinky slot that you can put 3 fingers into to make that patented Claw grip. It might take a little getting used to but it really is a novel idea and gives you that extra grip on the ball that you have been looking for.
Being a 12.75 inch pattern, it lends itself to baseball outfield and pretty much any position for softball fastpitch except catcher. If you are a slowpitch guy, it works for anywhere on the field. So you won't need a bag full of gloves to tote around with you. And they are priced to leave you money for beer after the game.
Fastpitch Softball Gloves for Men
True to the high quality of every Akadema glove, this one is laced up with thick 1/4 inch rawhide lacing. The leather is what they call ProSoft and is black all around with light gray piping for a nice contrast. They even add a second layer of lacing in the middle of the fingers to add stability in this long pattern.
