Valle Eagle Pro 975 Infield Training Glove
The Valle Eagle Pro 975 is the Pro Series version of Valle's most versatile training glove: a 9.75 inch pattern in Japanese Kip leather with an I-web laced double and an open wrist back. It has the same undersized pocket as the Eagle 975S, small enough that every ground ball and every throw has to be caught in the center of the glove, but the Kip shell makes it lighter, quicker to break in and closer in feel to a professional game glove. Infielders, outfielders and pitchers from high school through the professional level use the Pro 975 as their everyday trainer and play catch with it year-round.
Kip Leather and an Open Back: the Pro Difference
The Pro 975 and the 975S share a pattern, a web and a pocket. Two things separate them. The Pro 975 is Japanese Kip leather, which is lighter and tighter-grained than steerhide, breaks in faster and gives the glove the feel of a pro-level gamer. And it uses an open wrist back instead of an adjustable strap, so nothing cinches the wrist and the hand moves the way it does in a game glove. Players who want their trainer to feel exactly like the glove they play in choose the Pro; players who want a strap for a smaller hand or a shared team glove choose the 975S.
A Trainer You Can Play Catch With
The Pro 975 is the one Valle glove serious baseball players keep out of the bag. Its pocket is deep enough to catch a thrown ball and take fly balls, so a round of catch becomes 75 to 100 reps of receiving in the center of the glove and transferring cleanly, without changing the fielding motion at all. The glove just leaves less room for error than an 11.5 or 11.75 inch gamer. Leather welting, USA-tanned leather lacing, added palm padding, cushioned thumb support and double index finger pads (over the index and middle fingers, for players who wear two fingers in the pinky stall) round out the construction, and the shell carries "Train Like A Pro" in red embroidery on Valle white.
Who This Baseball Training Glove Is For
The Pro 975 is for the infielder, outfielder or pitcher who wants one training glove for everything and wants it to feel like a pro gamer: high school, college and professional players, and any serious travel-ball infielder. Middle infielders use it for double-play feeds and short hops, third basemen for backhands, outfielders for drop-step and crow-hop work, and pitchers for PFP. Fastpitch softball infielders use it as well. If you want the same glove with a strap back in steerhide, that is the Eagle 975S; for pure ground-ball work with a smaller, softer pocket, look at the Eagle 8S or Eagle K47. A weighted Pro 975WT is made for glove-speed training.
How to Use the Eagle Pro 975
Start with catch: receive every baseball in the center of the pocket, transfer, throw. Move to rolled and then fungoed ground balls, working forehand, backhand and short hops, then double-play feeds or, for outfielders, fly balls with a crow-hop transfer. Pitchers take comebackers with it at full speed. Coaches running pre-game infield keep players in the Pro 975 until the last round and then switch to gamers. Ten focused minutes a day builds the clean-catch habit that a big gamer pocket hides.
Caring for a Kip Leather Trainer
Kip leather is the reason the Pro 975 breaks in fast, and it is also the reason to go easy on it. Play catch with a baseball to form the pocket; skip the steam, the oven and the heavy oil, all of which loosen Kip more than steerhide and shorten the life of a glove that is supposed to stay small and firm. A light conditioner once or twice a season keeps the leather supple, a ball in the pocket between sessions keeps the shape, and air drying after a wet practice keeps the lacing from stretching. Wipe the white shell with a damp cloth to keep it looking like a Valle. Players who train every day with the Pro 975 should expect the pocket to settle within a couple of weeks and then hold for seasons.
Not sure which Valle trainer fits your player? Our guide to choosing the right Valle training glove compares every model in the line by position and skill.
Valle Eagle Pro 975 Infield Training Glove Specifications
- Type: undersized utility training glove for baseball and softball
- Series: Valle Eagle Pro Series
- Size: 9.75 inch
- Leather: Japanese Kip leather shell with leather welting; USA-tanned leather lacing
- Web: I-web with double lacing
- Padding: added palm padding, cushioned thumb support, double index finger pads
- Wrist back: open
- Positions: second base, shortstop, third base, pitcher and outfield
- Throwing hand: available for right-hand throwers (glove worn on the left hand) and left-hand throwers (glove worn on the right hand)
- Color: Valle white with red "Train Like A Pro" embroidery
- Age range: 14 and up
What's Included
One Valle Eagle Pro 975 training glove in the throwing hand you select. Balls are sold separately.
Frequently Asked Questions
What is the difference between the Pro 975 and the 975S?
Same 9.75 inch pattern, I-web and pocket. The Pro 975 is Japanese Kip leather with an open wrist back; the 975S is Japanese steerhide with an adjustable strap back. The Pro is lighter and feels more like a pro gamer; the 975S is firmer and fits a wider range of hands.
Is Kip leather worth the difference?
For a player who trains every day and wants the trainer to feel like the gamer, yes: Kip is lighter, breaks in faster and has a tighter, smoother feel. For a shared team glove or a younger player, the 975S is the better buy.
Can I use it at any position?
Yes. The I-web pocket catches thrown balls and fly balls, so infielders, outfielders and pitchers all use it.
Does the open back fit a youth hand?
The open back suits high school players and adults. For a younger player, the strap back on the 975S holds the glove on more securely.
Does it need a break-in?
Kip breaks in quickly. A few rounds of catch are enough; do not steam or oil it.