Baseball is one of the sports that truly tests an athlete's ambidexterity. Throwing a fastball with your right hand and then being able to switch and easily throw a curveball with your left hand is something that not many people can do.
Most gloves are designed for right-handed throwers, so they don't always fit left-handed throwers well.
If you're one of the fortunate ambidextrous individuals out there, you most likely have a difficult time finding baseball gloves that fit your style. That's why when it comes to baseball gloves, even players who can throw with both hands just stick to using one glove.
But what if you could use a baseball glove that was designed specifically for your ambidextrous throwing motion?
The number of players attempting to throw a baseball with both hands at an earlier age has increased in recent years. This has led to a new trend in the baseball glove industry: ambidextrous baseball gloves.
Pat Venditte is a Major League Baseball pitcher who not only can throw with both arms, but can do it so well that the MLB had to create the "Pat Vindette Rule." This rule prevents pitchers from switching arms without signaling to the umpire beforehand.
One of the most distinctive things about Venditte is the glove he uses on the mound, which contains a central pocket and a sixth finger to the middle of the glove. He can wear it on both wrists without any adjustments.
The unusual 6-fingered design is beginning to sweep across the glove industry and manufacturers are adopting it because there is a genuine desire for it. The distinctive design of the sixth finger in the center allows the glove to be readily switched from one hand to another.
Some of these gloves lack a web, which can make using them in the outfield difficult. There are a few manufacturers that have built the sixth finger in the middle, with the appearance of webbed fingers. This style with webbing throughout all of the fingers is an extremely unusual (and useful) design.
When looking for custom baseball gloves, be sure to see if you can request an ambidextrous style glove. But beware: not all ambidextrous baseball gloves are created equal.
Remember that some lack the webbed design while others have a more traditional design. If you can't find what you're looking for, keep searching until you find the perfect glove—forboth of your hands.
Finding a quality baseball glove that fits on both hands can be difficult, but it's definitely not impossible. With a little bit of research, you can find the perfect custom baseball glove for your unique throwing motion.
And who knows? You could be the next ambidextrous Major League Baseball pitcher.
Just be sure to let the umpire know beforehand which arm you'll be throwing with.