If you used to play similar team sports like football, basketball, you might be surprised by the amount of gear you need to purchase and wear. But baseball greatly differs from other sports. It gives players enough freedom, but they can collide with each other, get injured by balls, and so on. There is no activity that presupposes no injuries, and all physically active people know it. All that is left: either accept it or choose another sport. Well, if you’re reading this, you’ve made your choice. And this choice is right, for extra info check the exipure reviews.
Baseball is a national pastime, so we think each US citizen should try his or her hand at it. Students have plenty of opportunities to join this sport and play at a professional level. However, everyone can find a coach and join an amateur team first. Some students are afraid they won’t have enough time to devote to this activity, but no one prohibits placing a paper order and getting some free time.
Our article is a guide for all newbies in baseball. Let’s imagine that you’ve got acquainted with the rules and found a person who’ll teach you. The only thing that is left is to purchase equipment. We’ll tell you what gear you need.
- Helmet
A batting helmet is a basic piece of equipment for a baseball player regardless of the position, so we decided to cover it first. The rules of wearing the helmet depend on the league, but as we know, more and more leagues require all players to wear it to protect the head. They are usually made of firm plastic. Sometimes baseball caps with plastic inserts inside are also supposed to protect, but helmets are more reliable. It’s better to choose helmets with eye shields and other gear that protects the face.
- Sliding shorts
In general, you may play baseball in any comfortable clothes, but you’ll change your opinion as soon as you get injured. Sliding pants are more than just sportswear. Some players don’t think bruises, scratches, and other soft tissue traumas are serious and make a big mistake. The fewer injuries you get, the better for you. Nothing will worry you, and nothing will stun your motion. Sliding shorts can be worn alone or under other clothes; the choice is yours. Moreover, if you want to master sliding into the base, you won’t do it without shorts.
- Wristguard
This item isn’t required by any league, but a lot of pro players tend to wear it. They mainly help catchers and batters to save their wrists from injuries. The majority of models are designed this way: they start at the beginning of the wrist, cover it, and extend to the mid-forearm. Catching or throwing a ball sometimes requires players to make too sudden moves. Wristguard helps players protect the bones from breaking, dislocation, and other injuries that occur often enough.
- Sunglasses
This piece of equipment is mainly used to protect your eyes from the Sun. All guides on choosing the baseball gear mention various types of equipment, but completely forget about this one. Even if you wear a baseball cap, your eyes are still exposed to the Sun radiation. It’s easy to miss the ball if the Sun blinds you. We advise you not to wear the sunglasses you wear in ordinary life and buy baseball sunglasses in a sports shop. Don’t forget that sunglasses protect your eyes from the ball you may fail to catch.
- Chest protector
This piece of equipment mainly belongs to the catcher’s gear, but people who play in other positions also wear it. The feeling of the ball hitting your chest isn’t a pleasing one. Moreover, this part of your body is rather vulnerable to traumas. The full-length protectors are used not only in baseball but also in other sports, such as lacrosse and hockey. Choose light-weight models that ensure safety and let you move freely.
- Leg guard
You’ve probably seen this gear on baseball players. Legs are also vulnerable to injuries. Catchers often have to fall on earth to catch a ball, and other players also aren’t protected from falling accidentally. A good leg guard protects your knees, ankles, feet, shins, of course, if adjusted properly.
- Elbow protection
We hope the reasons to wear elbow guards are already obvious for you. Players also may suddenly move and hurt this joint, irrespective of their position. The elbow guard ensures the right movement of your hand. Pitchers wear them on the dominant arms.
We advise you not to order gear online and visit a specialized retail store. Since you aren’t so experienced, you have to consult a professional for the suitable size and the better model for you. There’s no need to purchase the most expensive gear if you don’t plan to play at the professional level. Choose the budget models with a good price-quality ratio.
