EvoShield Thumb Guard Review: ‘Catcher’s Best Friend’

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Baseball catcher is among the most-difficult positions in all of sports. The pounding the hand and body take, pitch after pitch, is intense and causes a variety of injuries. Particularly troublesome is the thumbs, which can break, dislocate, or otherwise get seriously banged up as they are struck by high-velocity balls.

Some catchers turn to small devices for protection, and with this in mind, let’s take a look at EvoShield Thumb Guard reviews and specifics. Products that can be effectively protective are a boon for any catcher. In fact, they can become a must-have piece of gear — a catcher’s best friend, so to speak.

Baseball just cannot be played without properly working thumbs, namely for throwing, but especially for hitting. Some thumb injuries can last a lifetime and threaten baseball careers. Hence this close look at a small but worthy protective piece.

Performance

The EvoShield baseball catcher’s thumb guard is custom-fitted using a unique technology that is air-activated, meaning the process begins as soon as you rip open the packaging. The player wraps the thumb area with the product, and in about 30 minutes the guard is custom-molded.

Young or new catchers can experience thumb pain fairly quickly, and it can become recurring and concerning. Once the catching-hand thumb is injured, it can take weeks to fully heal, and even then could remain prone to re-injury.

The human hand and wrist area is just not designed to withstand the pounding that hard-thrown 5-ounce objects provide. This is particularly true for the thumb, which can be easily bruised or, worse, bent backward awkwardly with an unusual impact.

Designed as a Thin Energy-Dispersal Tool

The guard then serves as a quarter-inch buffer between the thumb and interior of the catcher’s mitt. The thin profile is attractive to catchers who can be finicky about gear that gets in the way of properly catching balls. The lighter, the better.

The small tube-like item is designed to last through a season of catching thousands of hard-thrown balls. The lightweight composite material gives, unlike hard plastic protectors, and is technologically designed to disperse the energy of impacts.

Using the EvoShield Thumb Guard

Be prepared to sit for a half-hour before opening the EvoShield package. As soon as the package is opened, exposure to air initiates the molding process, and it’s best to remain still for about 30 minutes.

Slip the EvoShield over the catching-hand thumb, and maneuver it into the proper place. Then let it harden.

Once fitted, be sure to slip the guard over the thumb before inserting the hand into the catcher’s mitt. It’s pretty simple and self-evident.

EvoShield Thumb Guard Product Features

This tube-like contraption is a quarter-inch-thick protective piece made of light and relatively flexible material. Official sizes are Large (4.5” x 4.5”); and Small/Youth (4.25” x 3.25”).

The manufacturer lists the product dimensions as 1” by 6” x 8” and weighing 1.76 oz. Hand-washable, air-dry only.

Pros

“Gel-to-Shell technology” to transform a soft gel pad into a hard guard in minutes, for a customized fit.

Customizable to mold around a player’s thumb, ensuring the best fit possible in a tricky area of the hand.
Provides a hardened, thin, small layer of protection for the sensitive areas of the thumb and thumb base.
Engineered to hold out against high-impact, rough conditions — like 90 mph-plus fastballs.

Designed to be very thin and light along with strong, to last “all season long.”
Removable for hitting, as opposed to taping.
Manufacturer states “Official MLB Authentic On-Field Collection gear” used by all MLB clubs and “elite” college baseball programs.

1 Year Manufacturer’s Warranty.

Cons

Once hardened, cannot be remolded. This is not an off-the-shelf, one-size-fits-most piece of baseball equipment.
The customization means that if the item is lost, replacing it probably won’t be fast. Consider this if you’re very dependent upon finger-protecting gear.

Perhaps could use a string or something to connect it with the glove to prevent loss while pulling the hand out of the mitt. (If not, catchers must remember to be aware when taking off the mitt, so the guard does not fall off and get lost).

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Final Words

Since the invention of mitts, baseball catchers have sought additional protection for their vulnerable hand areas, particularly the thumb on the glove hand. The EvoShield Thumb Guard (shop now) is an advanced piece of protective equipment designed to mold around an individual’s thumb on the catching hand, and then fit snugly inside the mitt. EvoShield Thumb Guard reviews by users for the most part indicate solid performance.

The product appears lightweight yet plenty strong, and ultimately beneficial to protect the player’s thumb and therefore his ability to continue playing the game. In short, it truly could become “the most important accessory a catcher can have.”