Catching and Catchers discussion Catchers Gloves

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How many girls in fastpitch use a baseball catchers mitt? Curious because I thought about buying one for my daughter but didn't know if this would be off the wall. Reason being is that some girls throw pretty hard now. I always told my DD to **** it up when she said it hurt but I caught one of our girls the other day with her softball catchers glove and it hurt my hand. I just dont think there is enough padding in the softball mitts for when girls get more advanced. Comments?

 

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That's the route I may be going. I've heard several went that route and they don't feel anything.

 

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Beware, the pockets on those gloves are very small. I've seen MANY softball catchers drop alot of balls with those gloves. I would suggest catching it in the pocket of the glove and not in the palm. If you are catching the ball in the proper place on a softball catchers mitt, you shouldn't feel anything. They also sell padded batting gloves specifically for catchers to wear for extra padding. It is all where the ball hits the glove, not the padding in the glove.

 

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Did not know about the less padding. Below is from the Softball Glove Buying Guide: http://www.hitrunscore.com/softball-glove-buyers-guide.html

Catcher's Mitts
Softball catcher's mitts usually have a thick pad around the circumference of the mitt with thick padding in the finger area and less padding in the palm area. The pocket in a modern catchers mitt is somewhat larger but more shallow than it used to be with the modern catchers glove being more flexible and evolving towards a first base mitt look alike as the quickness of the ball to hand transfer for a catcher is critical. Catchers mitts range in circumference from 31 inches to 34 inches with .5 inch incremental sizes in this range. Youth catcher mitts most typically are in the 31 to 32 inch range and if made specifically for youth players will have a smaller hand opening and finger stalls with some type of wrist adjustment.

 

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Beware, the pockets on those gloves are very small. I've seen MANY softball catchers drop alot of balls with those gloves. I would suggest catching it in the pocket of the glove and not in the palm. If you are catching the ball in the proper place on a softball catchers mitt, you shouldn't feel anything. They also sell padded batting gloves specifically for catchers to wear for extra padding. It is all where the ball hits the glove, not the padding in the glove.

Walmart sells padded batting gloves. Get a pair and cut the fingers off so all you have is the padding in the palm that she could wear inside the glove.

 

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Dunhams has pads to slip on your thumb and index finger that provides padding for the upper palm of your hand. I had to get one because my DD kept bruising my upper palm area (basically the palm side of your knuckles) when I catch for her.

 

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Our catcher had one a few years ago, she ended up getting a softball catcher's glove.

 

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What a catcher's coach will tell you is to work on the receiving technique of the player. Now it may be that a different glove is ALSO needed but make sure you are addressing the receiving technique as well.

 

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Beware, the pockets on those gloves are very small. I've seen MANY softball catchers drop alot of balls with those gloves. I would suggest catching it in the pocket of the glove and not in the palm. If you are catching the ball in the proper place on a softball catchers mitt, you shouldn't feel anything. They also sell padded batting gloves specifically for catchers to wear for extra padding. It is all where the ball hits the glove, not the padding in the glove.

You all know as well as I do that have any catching experience of your own that it is virtually impossible to catch it in the web all the time and most pitchers pitch very fast all the time so only takes one mistake to catch a big bruise and pain. But... I like the ideas from all and will look into the padded glove specifically made for that as well as maybe a larger catchers glove. I will stay away from the baseball catchers glove, thanks.

 

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A Louisville Slugger womens Fastpitch glove model FPS204F $65.00 from www.Betterbaseball.com works very well. Have purchased 3 of them over the years and the DD's keep wanting that style for the web and padding. Don't buy a baseball one!

 

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Thanks for that info Hilliard!!!

 

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You all know as well as I do that have any catching experience of your own that it is virtually impossible to catch it in the web all the time and most pitchers pitch very fast all the time so only takes one mistake to catch a big bruise and pain. But... I like the ideas from all and will look into the padded glove specifically made for that as well as maybe a larger catchers glove. I will stay away from the baseball catchers glove, thanks.

I caught all the way through college and I never owned or used a catchers mitt. All of our catchers used our fielding gloves and I assure you that if you practice receiving techniques you will be able to catch the ball in the pocket no matter how fast or hard they throw. Now that I'm older and more fragile , I use a first baseman's mitt and my hand very rarely gets stung. It is all in how you catch the ball.

 

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You all know as well as I do that have any catching experience of your own that it is virtually impossible to catch it in the web all the time and most pitchers pitch very fast all the time so only takes one mistake to catch a big bruise and pain. But... I like the ideas from all and will look into the padded glove specifically made for that as well as maybe a larger catchers glove. I will stay away from the baseball catchers glove, thanks.

You are not supposed to use the web to stop the ball, you should use the pocket of the glove. The pocket of the glove is above the palm of the glove and right below the web. Basically, the ball should hit the mitt in the area between thumb and index finger. If she keeps getting zapped in the index finger or the knucke of the index finger, or the palm of the hand, then she is not using the mitt properly, or the mitt is worn out and no pocket exists.

Len

 

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You are not supposed to use the web to stop the ball, you should use the pocket of the glove. The pocket of the glove is above the palm of the glove and right below the web. Basically, the ball should hit the mitt in the area between thumb and index finger. If she keeps getting zapped in the index finger or the knucke of the index finger, or the palm of the hand, then she is not using the mitt properly, or the mitt is worn out and no pocket exists.

Len

I think it is too small a glove to be honest. Nothing wrong with it and thanks for the glove layout Lenski.....:lmao:;&

 

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My daughter uses a palmguard inner catchers glove similar to this

http://www.dickssportinggoods.com/product/index.jsp?productId=1851552

Swears by it. Last year I borrowed it when warming up pitchers as well.

Proper catching technique will go a long ways but when you catch 400+ balls in 2-3 days, chances are you might catch a few outside of the pocket.

 

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A Louisville Slugger womens Fastpitch glove model FPS204F $65.00 from www.Betterbaseball.com works very well. Have purchased 3 of them over the years and the DD's keep wanting that style for the web and padding. Don't buy a baseball one!

What is breakin period for this glove. Is it pretty well broke in when you buy it or is it stiff leather?

 

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I think it is too small a glove to be honest. Nothing wrong with it and thanks for the glove layout Lenski.....:lmao:;&

Let's see.........you think your dd's softball catcher's mitt is too small, yet you're contemplating buying a baseball catcher's mitt??? You also think you should catch the ball in the web???? You're right, the problem is not the mitt, it's in the way it is received....but you probably don't want to hear that chstrahl......:lmao:;&

Len

 

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Pretty good, but you still need to do the usual ball and rubber band it, under the mattress for a night (the Mrs side, so you get a good night sleep) then throws but more flexible out of the box than most. Mine loved it, but as always its personal preference...

 

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Let's see.........you think your dd's softball catcher's mitt is too small, yet you're contemplating buying a baseball catcher's mitt??? You also think you should catch the ball in the web???? You're right, the problem is not the mitt, it's in the way it is received....but you probably don't want to hear that chstrahl......:lmao:;&

Len

I agree with you, just wanting to get peoples thought because I tend to over analyze everything. I didnt mean web... wish I knew as much as Lenski...:lmao: but web is part of glove so cant say I 100% agree with your terminology there. Base of web is all but top of pocket which in my opinion and everyone can disagree but is where the ball is caught. Been playing the game myself for quite some time so no real need to split hairs, just difference in the way each of us label the area...no hard feeling just prickin with you Lenski.

 

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Pretty good, but you still need to do the usual ball and rubber band it, under the mattress for a night (the Mrs side, so you get a good night sleep) then throws but more flexible out of the box than most. Mine loved it, but as always its personal preference...

Thanks Hilliard for your assistance.