Discuss catcher-specific stretches (in particular, for the lower body) and exercises that can be performed at home
Lower-body stretches and exercises
High knees
Butt kicks
Side shuffle and cariocas
High kick
Hip cradle
Walking and side lunges
Caterpillar walk
Explosive block-to-jump exercise
Arm, shoulder and torso stretches
Throwing progression and long toss
Positioning and Stance
Placement behind home plate relative to the batter
Set up a couple of inches to the right of center of home plate – allows for more effective framing of the pitch
The catcher should be able to touch the batter’s back knee with his glove when in the crouch
Allows the catcher to receive the ball as close as possible to the batter’s strike zone, providing the umpire with the best view of where the ball actually crosses the strike zone
Puts the catcher in the best position to receive or block low pitches
Positions the catcher closer to the bases for throw-downs
Feet
Approximately shoulder-width apart with toes pointing slightly outwards, allowing the catcher to shift his weight easily
Weight slightly towards the inside front edges of the feet (never flat-footed), allowing the catcher to push off and move laterally quickly
With a runner on base, the catcher may place his ‘plant foot’ (on throwing-hand side) slightly behind the other foot, allowing for a quicker transfer into throwing position
Upper body
Shoulders squared to the pitcher with a relatively straight back, creating a well-defined target for the pitcher
With a runner on base, the catcher may position his throwing shoulder slightly behind the other shoulder, allowing for a quicker transfer into throwing position
Crouch
Backside should be below the knees but should not be resting on heels once the pitcher begins his wind-up
Allows the catcher to remain in a low, stable position, while giving the umpire a better view of the pitch and the strike zone
Creates an active, flexible position from which the catcher can react to the pitch
“Primary” vs. “secondary” position – once the catcher gives the signs to the pitcher, he should be in the “active” position described above, even if there are no baserunners
Better position to block low pitches and field bunts or short ground balls
With a runner on base, slight shift of weight towards the front of the feet
Placement of throwing hand
Beginners: outside of throwing-side ankle or shin
More advanced: tucked into belly, behind the glove
Most importantly, make sure that, when you are in your stance, you are balanced, loose and comfortable
DRILL: Two-player focus drill, with two players facing each other (about 8 feet away) in the proper catcher’s stance, and simultaneously soft-tossing a ball to each other
Receiving the Pitch
Goal: After the pitch is caught, the ball (and the glove) should move as little as possible
When giving the target, the catcher’s receiving arm should be relatively loose with a slight bend at the elbow
As the pitch is arriving, the catcher’s receiving arm should begin to straighten
Try to have the mitt beat the ball to the ‘spot’ (i.e., where the pitch will be caught)
Receiving arm in a strong, relatively straight position at the time that the pitch is caught
The more rigid the catcher’s receiving arm at the moment the pitch is caught, the less glove motion the ball will cause upon impact
Hold the ball in place to make sure that the umpire has a good view of the location – hold until the umpire makes the ball/strike call
The catcher’s mitt should have a slight ‘give’ at the moment of impact to avoid the ball popping out of the glove
Holding the glove
Pretend that you are making an “L” with your receiving hand
Results in the receiving arm beginning in a relaxed position before the pitch is thrown, with the receiving elbow near the thigh
The mitt should be wide open, giving the pitcher a large target
Where the glove is held depends on the game situation, but typically square the glove between your shoulders and slightly below the batter’s knee
With a runner on base, the catcher may want the ball to travel closer to his body
Brief discussion on pitch framing – framing is for borderline pitches
Goals are to (1) have as little movement in the mitt as possible after the ball is caught and (2) angle the ball back towards home plate by getting the mitt ‘around’ the ball
Slight ‘sway’ in body position to square the mitt with the catcher’s shoulders
Brief discussion on giving signs
Keep the signs high, using legs and mitt-side arm to block view of the base coaches and the runners on first and third base
DRILL: Soft-hands drill using a tennis ball, with the catcher using his bare hand to catch and cushion the pitch
DRILL: Short-toss drill using baseball and glove, focusing on glove placement, cushioning the pitch and getting the glove to the ‘spot’ with a strong arm
The catcher must track the pitch from the moment that the ball leaves the pitcher’s hand to the moment that the ball is caught
‘Soft focus’ on the pitcher’s release point rather than focusing intently on the ball during the pitcher’s delivery motion
For pitches that are far off the plate, the catcher should take a jab-step toward the direction that the ball is traveling rather than trying to over-extend by reaching for the ball
DRILL: ‘Rapid toss’ drill from about 15 feet away
Blocking
Goal: Keep the ball in between your body and the pitcher’s mound
Blocking motion
(1) Drop mitt perpendicular to (and in contact with) the ground to cover the catcher’s ‘five hole’, with the throwing hand positioned behind the mitt and (2) drop to your knees
The mitt and hands lead the knees
Do not pinch knees together – create a larger blocking area
Get to your knees as quickly as possible, and focus on weight moving forward to cut the ball off closer to the point of impact if the ball will bounce in front of the plate
Other points to remember
Thumbs should point out towards the dugouts, exposing the biceps and forearms (rather than the elbows and wrists) to the ball
Torso should be in a semi-upright position with shoulders slightly rounded
Toes should be pointed towards the dugout, and your backside should rest on your heels
Chin tucked into the chest
Watch the ball into your body, and try to absorb the ball into the belly of the chest protector
Lateral motion
(1) Use the foot opposite the direction that the catcher is moving to propel lateral blocking motion, (2) touch down on the knee opposite the direction that the catcher is moving and (3) angle hips and shoulders ‘around’ the ball
For a pitch that is far outside the strike zone, step out (and slightly forward) with the foot closest to the ball, and let the opposite knee drag towards that foot
DRILL: (1) Stationary three-ball form drill, (2) rolling ball drill, (3) live blocking drill (no hands) and (4) live blocking drill (hands)
Retrieving a blocked ball
Use both arms to push body back into a standing position, with momentum moving towards the ball
Approach the ball as if you were approaching a bunted ball
General rule: Anticipate having to block the ball on each pitch, and try to avoid ‘picking’ balls in the dirt (exception is when the backstop is not deep and there is a baserunner on first or second base)
Throwing Out Baserunners
Lower body and footwork
Goal: No more than two short, quick steps before releasing the ball
Throwing to second base
In the crouch, mitt-hand foot should start slightly in front of the throwing-hand foot
Throwing-hand foot replaces the mitt-hand foot with a quick jab step, and the mitt-hand foot steps directly towards second base
Allows for momentum to continue towards the target
Can initiate the movement before the pitch arrives
If the pitch is not in the strike zone, then may need to take an initial step towards the ball with the foot that is closer to the ball
“Jump-pivot” motion – both feet move at the same time, with the throwing-hand foot being positioned below the backside and the mitt-hand foot approximately where the target was given
Not ideal for pitches outside of the strike zone
Throwing to third base
Right-handed thrower
For balls over the plate or inside on a right-handed batter, cross the right foot behind the left foot, and step towards third base with the left foot – forces the catcher to stay behind the batter
For balls outside to a right-handed batter, jab stab with right foot towards the left-hand batter’s box (and slightly forward), and then step towards third base with the left foot – forces the catcher to stay in front of the batter
Left-handed thrower
Use left foot as a pivot, and step towards third base with the right foot
As an alternative, drive the right knee towards the third base line and into the dirt, and throw
Throwing to first base (pick-off)
Right-handed thrower
Use right foot as a pivot, and step towards first base with the left foot
As an alternative, drive the left knee towards the first base line and into the dirt, and throw
Left-handed thrower
If a right-handed batter is up, drop the right knee to the ground and throw
If a left-handed batter is up, cross the left foot behind the right foot towards, and step towards first base
Back foot – want the toe slightly in front of the heel and weight towards the instep, which assists in creating momentum towards the target
Upper body
Stay low and keep your head on the target
Do not over-close shoulders – mitt-side shoulder should be pointing directly at target
Ball transfer
Remove the ball from your mitt as you are bringing both your mitt and your throwing hand towards your throwing-side ear
Practice getting a four-seam fastball grip on the ball
Back of the throwing hand should be slightly behind (and facing) the throwing-side ear before throwing – avoid short-arming the throw, but do not reach back too far
Throwing motion
Before throwing, mitt-side elbow should be pointing at the target
Throwing arm’s arc should be straight at the target for as long as possible – this will keep the throw from tailing
Try to keep the mitt centered in front of your chest as you throw – this will prevent your shoulders from flying open
DRILL: Throws to second base and third base, with both a right-handed and left-handed batter
Bunts and Short Ground Balls
Approaching the ball
Right-handed thrower
If the ball is up the middle or up the first base line, come ‘around’ the ball from the left side – quick two-step motion towards first base
If the ball is up the third base line, come ‘around’ the ball from the right side – plant right foot and step with left foot towards the base
Left-handed thrower
If the ball is up the middle or up the first base line, come ‘around’ the ball from the right side – quick two-step motion towards first base
If the ball is up the third base line, come ‘around’ the ball from the left side – plant left foot and step with the right foot towards the base
Use the throwing hand to scoop the ball into the mitt when picking the ball up – helps the catcher get a grip on the ball
If the ball is spinning in place, push the ball into the ground with the throwing hand
Stay low during the entire motion
For balls that are close to the first-base line, the catcher (if time permits) should take a step back towards the pitcher’s mound to provide a clear lane for the throw
DRILL: Over-the-shoulder tosses to replicate bunts
Plays at the Plate
Force play
If no chance for a double-play, position yourself in front of the plate, with the right foot on the front-right corner of the plate – this will help avoid a collision at the plate
Shoulders should be squared to the position player throwing the ball
Use two hands to catch the ball
If the catcher plans to try for a double-play, start behind the plate, and meet the ball as it arrives, dragging throwing-side foot across the plate to provide the umpire with a clear view that the force out was made at home
Tag plays
Catcher should position himself in front of the plate, with his left foot near the top-left corner of the plate
Shoulders should be squared towards the person throwing the ball to provide a large target, and the catcher’s body should be low to the ground
As the ball arrives, make sure that the left foot is pointing up the third-base line, exposing the left shin (rather than the left-knee) to the baserunner
Drop the right knee towards the left foot in order to block the plate
Glove should be low to the ground, and the ball should be held firmly in the glove with the throwing hand (with the throwing hand ‘behind’ the glove in order to protect it from the baserunner)
Keep head down
The catcher is not permitted to block the plate until he has the ball, so remember to position yourself in front of the plate while awaiting the throw
Briefly discuss aligning the relay and calling “cut”
Most importantly, the catcher must make sure that he makes the catch before attempting to apply the tag
DRILL: Catcher taking relay from LF, CF and RF, and getting into the proper blocking position
Passed Ball Recovery
Approaching the ball
Approach the ball from the catcher’s throwing-hand side
Side on shin guards ‘around’ the ball, leading with the throwing-hand side
Recover the ball with your bare hand and make an overhand, knee-high throw towards the third-base side of home plate
DRILL: Passed ball recovery drill with the coach pitching and covering home plate
Pop Flies
Most importantly, step out in front of the plate and locate the ball
The catcher’s back should immediately turn towards the pitcher’s mound
Do not plant yourself directly below the ball because the spin of the ball is going to cause it to move back towards the pitcher’s mound
Use two hands – the throwing hand should be at the side of the open mitt, ready to trap the ball once it is caught
DRILL: Catching pop flies, beginning in the crouch
