Valle Eagle T28S Softball Catchers Training Mitt

The Valle Eagle T28S is a 28 inch catcher's training mitt built specifically for softball. It is undersized on purpose: a fastpitch game mitt runs 33 to 35 inches, so this removes most of the catching surface and requires the ball to be received in the pocket. Everything else follows the Eagle S-Series, with a Japanese steerhide shell, USA-tanned lacing and an adjustable Velcro strap wrist back.

Why Softball Catchers Need Their Own Trainer

A 12 inch softball needs more mitt than a smaller ball does, and that changes what an undersized trainer has to be. Size the mitt for the wrong ball and the drill stops teaching and starts frustrating. At 28 inches the T28S is small enough to demand a clean catch in the pocket while still being a mitt a fastpitch catcher can work a full bullpen with.

The other difference is pitch movement. Fastpitch pitchers work with rise, drop and screw movement arriving on a plane of its own, and receiving that cleanly is its own skill. Training it on a mitt that punishes an imprecise catch is the fastest way to find out whether a catcher is receiving the ball or chasing it.

A 28 Inch Pattern, Firm Leather

The shell is Japanese steerhide with USA-tanned leather lacing, built firm. Firmness is deliberate on every Valle trainer: a mitt that softens into a deep scoop starts catching the ball for you, which is the opposite of the point. This one holds its shape through a season of bullpens.

The adjustable Velcro strap wrist back keeps the mitt tied to the hand, which matters for a catcher more than for any other position because the same spot takes impact hundreds of times in a session.

Who the T28S Is For

Fastpitch softball catchers from roughly high school upward, travel programmes and college staffs, and instructors running receiving work. It is also useful for a catcher moving up a level, where pitch speed and movement both increase and receiving habits that worked in youth ball stop working.

It is a training mitt, not a game mitt. It is not legal or practical for games and is not padded for blocking drills, which should be done in a game mitt with full gear.

How to Train With It

Short, deliberate blocks inside a bullpen. Set early, receive in the pocket, and hold the mitt still through the catch rather than pulling the ball toward the zone. Work the corners on purpose: the mitt is least forgiving away from the middle, which is exactly where a fastpitch catcher earns strikes.

Ten to fifteen minutes is enough before switching back to the game mitt, and the switch is the part that makes it stick. A 34 inch fastpitch mitt feels enormous after a set with this, and that contrast is where the confidence comes from.

For volume sessions, the Eagle G-Pad sits in the index finger slot and absorbs the repeated impact that leads to bone bruising, which a smaller mitt concentrates into a smaller area.

Caring for the Mitt

Break it in by catching with it, and nothing else. Steaming, soaking, microwaving or baking a mitt softens what is meant to stay firm and voids the warranty. Air dry after a wet session, store it closed around a ball, 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 T28S Softball Catchers Training Mitt Specifications

• Type: undersized softball catcher's training mitt
• Series: Valle Eagle S-Series
• Size: 28 inch
• Weighted: no
• Leather: Japanese steerhide shell with USA-tanned leather lacing
• Wrist back: adjustable Velcro strap
• Hand: right hand throw
• Sport: softball
• Intended use: receiving and framing work in fastpitch bullpens and machine sessions

What Is Included

One T28S training mitt, right hand throw. Valle does not supply this model in left hand throw.

Frequently Asked Questions

Why 28 inches rather than smaller?

A 12 inch softball needs a bigger pocket than the smaller trainers in the Eagle range provide. Twenty-eight inches is well undersized against a 33 to 35 inch fastpitch game mitt while still receiving a softball cleanly.

Is there a left handed version?

No. Valle supplies the T28S in right hand throw only.

Can it be used in a game?

No. It is a training mitt, undersized by design, and not intended or legal for game use.

Can I block with it?

No. Blocking work belongs in a game mitt with full protective gear.

How often should a catcher use it?

Ten to fifteen minute blocks inside regular bullpen work, finishing in the game mitt so the feel transfers.