G-Form Making Quick Inroads into Baseball

From extreme sports to the baseball diamond, impact protection company G-Form has made its foray into team sports at all levels of the baseball world, from Perfect Game partnerships to Red Sox agreements.

G-Form, based in Providence, R.I., signed a three-year deal with the Red Sox earlier this season and now has players such as Hanley Ramirez to Royals second baseman Whit Merrifield wearing the unique style of protection gear.

The streamlined protection gear uses a proprietary and patented molding rate-dependent technology process dubbed Reactive Protection Technology to create protective padding that allows athletes to move with flexibility. The molecules in the molded composition slightly repel each other for a soft, wearable feel. But when the padding gets hit with force, the molecules bind together, turning rigid and protecting similar to a hard shell. The molecules then redistribute energy from the impact and as the energy dissipates, the garments return to the soft and flexible state.

Introduced in the action sports world, G-Form moved into baseball in late 2016 and now features a handful of baseball-specific products. The Pro Sternum Shirt  is designed for protection on the chest, whether a batter facing a lively pitcher or an infielder protecting against bad hops. The sleeveless compression shirt allows for full range of motion. The Pro Sternum Shirt with Back option adds protection on the back of the shirt and has protection for the lower spine, kidney and ribs.

The moisture-wicking, UPF 50+ compression fabric can also get tossed in a typical washing machine for easy cleans.

The Pro Sliding Shorts offers protection from impact and abrasion with padding placed at the hips and sides of the thighs. G-Form uses silicone grippers in the elastic on the thigs to ensure the shorts stay in place.

The Pro Wrist Guard is meant to protect from pitches without limiting swing mobility.

“G-Form provides the ultimate impact protection gear across multiple sport categories and the Red Sox will assist us in having a major influence in the game of baseball at all levels,” G-Form CEO Bob Burbank said. “The Red Sox are fully committed to keeping their players safe and in top condition and we couldn’t be more excited to be partners.”

Along with the Red Sox agreement, G-Form this year agreed to a partnership with Perfect Game.

— Tim Newcomb covers gear and business for Baseball America. Follow him on Twitter at @tdnewcomb.