WebBall.com - Know Your Role

What catchers need to know and remember.

Use this page as a quick reminder of some of the specific skills required of every catcher. It's good to go through these notes once a week during the early part of the season, and refer when necessary to more detailed mechanics.

The Short Course

Be comfortable, take charge.

Prep...
- Signals - review with pitcher before inning, after warmup pitches
- Talk to pitcher after warm ups to check out his physcal condition, emotional state
- Check runners, fielders, and size up batter before each pitch
Stance...
- Signalling, Receiving Crouch or Runner-On Stride Stance as needed (see 3 Stances)
Catch...
- Nose on the ball (subtle body sway ahead of pitch)
- Soft hands, catch in the glove's crotch between thumb and forefinger.
- Frame the close ones, keep glove out front to help umpire (Selling Strikes)
- Deflect ball to throwing hand (don't rake back).
Blocking...
- Square to plate, get hips and feet over first
- Mitt to the ground then knees, curl body.

Practice Time

During team practices, find time to work on specific catcher routines...

No Blink Drill... Soft-toss balls into the mask.
Progressive Blocks... Dry blocks for position, then no hands body curl, then glove block, then block and throw.
Pop Up Progression... No look drill, then from knees, from on hands and knees, from stomach, with a spin.
Long toss... To stretch out shoulders.
Post Stretching... Lean back on quads, do cross-over lat pulls.

Drill Work

All drills help all players, but these are especially important for catchers, so give it your all.

Bunt Loops.. this works on instincts, legs, arm.

Cut-Two is great for working on your communications skills.

Pre-Game Warm-Up and the Goal Post drill are two other opportunities to work on lining up fielders (communicaton) as well as taking throws.

Special Situations

Runner Stealing...
- Deflection transfer to bow-and-arrow throwing position.
- Try jump turn, step-back pivot, and stride throw - (see Throwing page)
- Deflect the ball to throwing hand, don't rake mitt back.
- Pitch out to the left, get behind it to line up throw.
Runner to third...
- Throw from behind RH batter. Pull right foot back first. (Knee throw with LHB)
Bunt defense...
- Communicate with fielders.
- Soft bunt - charge it, two hand scoop, head over the ball.
- 3rd base - do a blind side pick up, continue turn and throw. (see 'on Bunts')
Ball at the fence...
- Feel for fence with throwing arm, or slide catch.
- Test the warning track before the game - count the running strides.
Tag plays...
- Glove down, runner comes to you.
- Left foot points towards 3rd, never across the line.
- Show glove-side daylight then take it away.
- Swipe tag - don't freeze.
Coverage...
- Infield and outfield grounders, you still have a responsibility to back up the plays.
- With nobody on,move down the first base line in case of overthrow.