Valle Eagle 975SWT Weighted Infield Training Glove
The Valle Eagle 975SWT is the weighted 9.75 inch infield trainer, the middle of the Eagle range and the model most infielders end up on. It uses the same I-web, Japanese steerhide shell and adjustable strap wrist back as the standard 975S, and adds roughly eight ounces, so a player trains glove speed on a pattern that is undersized without being extreme. It suits baseball and softball infielders.
Why 9.75 Inches Is the Popular Size
The 8 inch Eagle is uncompromising. A 9.75 inch pattern is still well under a game glove, which is around eleven and a half for a middle infielder, but it leaves enough surface that a good fielder catches most of what they should. That makes it the size a player can use for a full round rather than a punishing few minutes, and volume is where habit actually changes.
It is also the size that transfers most directly. The I-web with double lacing behaves like the web on a real infield glove, so what a player learns about presenting the glove and working through the ball carries straight into a gamer.
What the Added Weight Trains
Roughly eight ounces over the standard 975S. Weighted work is glove-hand strength and, more importantly, timing: the extra mass forces the glove to start toward the ball earlier, which is the difference between reaching and receiving. Valle's unweighted trainers sit around a pound and the weighted around a pound and a half, so the delta is real without being a novelty.
Used in short blocks it also exposes technique. A fielder who catches with a stiff wrist or lets the glove trail the body finds out quickly, because a heavier glove will not tolerate either.
Japanese Steerhide, I-Web, Strap Back
Japanese steerhide shell, leather welting and USA-tanned leather lacing, with an I-web laced double for stiffness. The palm has added padding and the thumb cushioned support, and there are two index finger pads so the pad sits right whether a player uses one finger per stall or doubles up in the pinky.
The wrist back is the adjustable Velcro strap, which every S-Series glove uses. With weight in the glove that strap does real work: it keeps the mass tied to the hand instead of swinging on the wrist, which is both better training and easier on the forearm.
Who the 975SWT Is For
High school through professional infielders, and any programme running a fielding progression. The sequence most coaches settle on is the standard 975S to build the catch, then the 975SWT for speed and strength, with the K47 or an 8 inch model when they want to make it harder again.
It is also the most sensible single weighted glove for a team bag. At 9.75 inches it works for middle infielders, third basemen and outfielders taking pregame, where an 8 inch glove is really an infielder's tool.
How to Use It in Practice
Short blocks, then take the weight off. Ten to fifteen minutes of weighted reps, then a round with a gamer while the feel is still there. Work short hops in front of the body, backhands, and quick transfers, and let the weight do the teaching rather than adding effort on top of it.
For pregame, some coaches run the first round of infield with weighted gloves and the last two with gamers. Players report the game glove feeling like nothing, which is the intended effect and also a reason not to overdo the weighted portion.
Caring for the Glove
Play catch to break it in, and skip everything else. Steaming, soaking or baking a steerhide trainer defeats its purpose and voids the warranty. Air dry after wet sessions, store with a ball in the pocket, and keep it out of hot cars.
Valle covers the glove with a one year limited warranty against defects in materials or workmanship, running from the date you receive it. Worth knowing: the warranty is void if the glove is steamed, soaked, microwaved or baked to speed up break-in. Playing catch with it is the method that keeps it intact.
Valle Eagle 975SWT Weighted Infield Training Glove Specifications
- Type: weighted undersized infield training glove
- Series: Valle Eagle S-Series
- Size: 9.75 inch
- Weighted: yes, roughly 8 ounces heavier than the unweighted 975S
- Web: I-web with double lacing
- Leather: Japanese steerhide shell with leather welting and USA-tanned lacing
- Wrist back: adjustable Velcro strap
- Padding: added palm padding, cushioned thumb support, double index finger pads
- Hand: right hand throw
- Sport: baseball and softball
What Is Included
One 975SWT training glove, right hand throw. Valle does not supply this model in left hand throw.
Frequently Asked Questions
How much heavier is it than the 975S?
Roughly eight ounces, which puts it around a pound and a half against about a pound for the standard glove. Those are approximate figures from Valle rather than measured weights.
975SWT or 8SWT?
The 975SWT if you want a glove you can use for a full round and that transfers directly to a gamer. The 8SWT if you want the hardest version and already field well with a small pattern.
Is there a left hand throw version?
No, right hand throw only.
Will weighted training slow my hands down?
Not in short blocks. The risk with any weighted work is doing so much that mechanics deteriorate, which is why ten to fifteen minutes then a round with your gamer is the standard pattern.
Can outfielders use it?
Yes, for pregame and transfer work. Outfielders wanting an outfield pattern should look at the Eagle 1050S.