CATCHING

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• CATCHING
• Trojan Baseball
• Simsbury High School
• Simsbury, CT

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What makes a good catcher?
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Priorities

1. Receiving the ball
2. Making a pitcher look good
3. Taking command of the field
4. Offense

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Stances

• Emphasize all three

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Stances
Signal-Giving
Primary
Secondary
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DetailsPrimary/Receiving Stance

• glove arm outside or above left leg about 90
  extended with index finger pointed to 1 oclock
• eyes look just over the top of glove w/ head
  erect
• be careful not to step w/ right when going right,
  and vice versa, use the mix or hop step once in a
  while
• position is one of stability (slight lateral
  mobility) and force absorption (air bag)

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Receiving

• What a good catcher does in addition to
• catching the pitch that forces the umpire to
• get a good look at a pitch
• have to decide on ball/strike
• call all pitches in the zone strikes
• call as many borderline balls strikes as possible
• If there were no umpire, wed call this section
  CATCHING and be done with it, but because the
  umpire plays such a large part in the game with
  balls and strikes, we must have a system of
  receiving to help him do his job.

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Aspects of Receiving

• CATCH THE PITCH
• with the 1 oclock to 12 oclock rotation, the
  trigger for the catch is done
• body sway will help glove get to position for
  one-handed catch
• bring the pitch with soft hands without doing the
  egg toss take-away or the vacuum funnel

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Aspects of Receiving

• 2. FRAMING(THE BODY)
• begins with stance (belly button on corner
  without giving away location or pitch)
• only on pitches less than 6 inches off the black,
  or lt6 above or below the zone
• starts with the body sway (try to catch every
  strike with belly button behind ball)
• head must also be behind ball

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Aspects of Receiving

• 3. TURNING, BRINGING STICKING (the glove)
• must beat the ball to the spot with the glove
• in and out, thumb up/thumb down
• thumb is last part of hand to touch ball except
  on low pitch
• turn the glove as catching the pitch (takes
  practice)
• palm faces zone always except on low pitch
• bring pitches with soft hands, dont funnel
  in,out, or down and always try to stick the low
  one inside midline of left knee, shake hands with
  it outside midline (no broken thumbs)
• Cliff notes
• OUTSIDE stick it
• UP roll wrist forward
• Down roll wrist up/bring fingers to you
• In bend elbow, bring in zone

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Aspects of Receiving

• 4. GRAVITYs INFLUENCE
• barely high and barely low pitches must be framed
  too
• get on top of high and catch deep (let gravity
  take it and make it a 63 foot pitch)
• get below low pitch with web and extend through
  it to stop gravitys influence (make it a 59
  footer)
• sticking or push action and the in-between
  pitches (out and in)

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DetailsSecondary/Block-Throw Stance

• This stance is used with man or men on base, or
  with no men on base and two strikes on batter
• 1 duty is to stop and change direction of the
  ball
• target must be as low as it was in primary, lean
  forward, head is same height
• feet parallel and slightly wider than shoulders,
  toes slightly flared
• knees are also wide with butt now slightly below
  parallel with knees
• flat back, more of a lean for balance and low
  target
• glove arm above left knee, bare hand closed
  behind glove or behind back (more difficult)
• target in middle of body with index finger
  pointed to 1 oclock (target is always in center
  of mass)
• eyes look just over top of glove w/ head erect
• position is one of greater mobility and
  anticipation

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Aspects of Secondary or Block/Throw Stance

• 1. CATCH THE PITCH
• presentation with slight sway still, pull back
  bare hand out of foul tip line of fire
• center ball

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Aspects of Secondary or Block/Throw Stance

• 2. BLOCK THE PITCH
• takes heart and reps anyone can do it, but they
  have to love it (not many love it)
• be an athlete, knees inside feet lateral
  movement from hips and knees, not feet
• plug the holes (glove in five hole, barehand
  behind glove, arms are extensions of blocking
  surface chest, gut, and face)
• soft, exhale
• gain ground on 55 footers, drop on fastball

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Aspects of Secondary Block/Throw Stance

• 3. THROW THE BALL
• same mechanics as everyone else, just a
  Cincinnati Reds C
• from the feet up, gain ground, center ball, and
  stay back
• anticipate and load weight
• be an airplane, not a helicopter
• three types of footwork replace feet, rock and
  pivot, jab (jab is only one that is pitch
  specific)

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BLOCK THE BALLThe Details

• A high school catcher must have the ability to
  BLOCK the ball with consistency.
• Block in front
• Drop to knees
• Glove drop straight down between legs
• Chin to chest
• Roll shoulders forward
• Back of arms on thighs

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Blocking details cont.

• Block to the side
• Throw hip
• Drop to knees
• Glove straight down (thru the ball)
• Chin to chest
• Elbows in (arms on thighs)
• Roll shoulders forward, round on to keep ball in
  fair terriotory)
• ONCE BLOCKED
• Scoop ball if rolling
• Drive two fingers down thru ball if dead
• Be ready to throwget body/feet in position

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Fielding Your Position

• Once the ball is in play by the hitter then the
  catcher must be able to react and make a play.
• Down 3rd baseline
• - Scoop ball with glove
• - Square to base
• - Make throw, overhand if possible to ensure you
  wont hit runner
• Down 1st Baseline
• - Scoop ball with glove
• - Get an angle (inside or outside call)
• - Make throw
• In front around plate
• - Never lose sight of base
• - Round offmake good throw

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Fielding Your Positioncont.

• Pop Ups
• BACKSPINa ball hit behind home plate will have
  backspin and will drift towards the field
• Remove mask and find the ball
• In position to make catchthrow mask clear of
  your feet and to allow two hands on the catch
• Careful not to overrun ball

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Fielding Your Positioncont.

• Plays at the plate are about getting in the right
  position and doing one thing at a time, being
  aware of the situation that follows.
• Force Play
• In front of the plateleft foot on the top
• Body in position to where the throw is coming
  from
• Catch and be ready for throw (turn DBL play, etc.)

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Fielding Your Positioncont.

• Tag Plays _at_ the Dish
• Set up in front of the platemust allow the
  runner access to home if you do not have the ball
• Left foot should be pointed towards 3rd
  baseshoulders turned to where the throw will be
  coming fromKEEP foot in place
• As the ball is received, catcher steps across the
  plate to take away the back half while dropping
  his knee across to block home plate from the
  runner
• TWO HANDS on the ball
• Immediately look for another play

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Drills

• Receiving
• Tennis Ball (catch bare hands w/fingers)
• Short Distance (Quiet bodystrong hands)
• Normal Distance
• High Velocity off machine
• Quick hands (rapid fire glove on every ball
• Framing

• Blocking
• Basketball Block
• 3 Ball Block
• Glove side (coach down 1B line0
• Arm side (coach down 3B line)
• Half Half (some regularsome in dirt)
• Goalie drill (rapid fire block reset FAST)
• Fungos (coach at mound)

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Drills cont.

• Past Balls
• Overhead (from stance block position)
• Communication (yell ONE, THREE or BACK
• After block (down the lines)

• Pop Ups
• Fair/Foul (tennis racquet or fungo)
• Communication (yell ONE , THREE or BACK
• Pitching machine (for height)
• Bunts (short- quick)

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Situation Drills

• Force _at_ HOME
• Force _at_ HOME w/less than two outs
• Force _at_ HOME, look 1B, fire to 3B
• Picks in dirtuse fungo
• Tag playsuse fungo
• Squeeze plays
• Trucked

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Throwing Drills
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A SHS CATCHER

• Understands the game
• Communicates
• Gives 100 effort
• Receives the ball effectively
• Blocks the ball effectively
• Throws the ball effectively
• Fields the position effectively
• Helps the umpire do his job
• Takes command of the field
• Plays without fear