If anyone else did this video it would probably take twice as long. Coach Mercadante is a high-energy, rapid-fire instructor who rattles off his tips at a machine-gun pace. I promise you won't be bored. Despite the speed, he is very precise, very detail oriented and not only says what to do but what not to do. He also has very good explanations for catching without framing, and he does an excellent job on the thrown-down footwork. - Richard Todd, WebBall
High energy, high level instruction from the Hurricanes
Joe Mercadante is the University of Miami Assistant Coach for catchers. and it's easy to see why. This excellent three-part instructional DVD highlights receiving, blocking and throwing techniques but begins begins with unique stretching and flexibility exercises, clearly steps which Coach Mercadante believes are big parts of developing good catchers.
Coach Mercadante then presents his receiving philosophy for catchers... the elements of a good foundation, balance and target. Drills for receiving, including the bare hand drill, ball-in-hand drill, quarter turn and side-to-side drills, are illustrated. To develop good blocking fundamentals, Mercadante discusses blocking the 5 hole and throwing the hip to block. To develop these fundamentals he shows the side-to side drill and the five-ball drill. The third element is throwing. When the ball is caught, players are taught to work it back to his left shoulder, which aids their footwork. Mercadante dissects the jab step - the first movement forward after the catch. Exploding out of the blocks and keeping the weight over the feet are other keys he covers. The fundamentals, skills and drills presented in this DVD lay the foundation for successful catchers.
35 minutes. 2006.
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