Catching and Catchers discussion Catchers Hand placement with runners on base

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Pertaining to transfer in the video clip, I teach our catchers to bring the glove up to the side of the ear during transfer (the actual tranfer starts at the beginning of the move) so the glove hand elbow is pointing in the direction of the throw. The throw tends to be stronger (more muscles elongated in the back, shoulder, and tricep to compress) and more accurate without losing precious milliseconds.

The young lady in the video clip uses what I call a back slide step and is a very good direction and a quick move for a plant foot. I teach my dd to pivot on her plant foot, but sometimes she back slides about 6 inches, which is still okay in my book. The one thing you do not want your catchers to do is to take a forward step with their plant foot. Valuable time is lost and many times the catcher will step on home plate, which is also not what you want your catcher to do.

Len

Agree!!

 

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Posada is frequently getting his hand hit. He has a horrible habit of letting it hang out there.

 

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We all teach our players to do it like the pros, because they are so into fundamentals??? NOT

 

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the video posted is poor catcher mechanics.... She has steped forward toward second base as the throwing hand came back to her ear, and she even stoodup. You could not waste more time then that, and she has not even thrown the ball yet, which by the way her forward throwing motion has now stopped.

As a catcher myself when the front foot hits the ground the ball is already released.

I will try to explain a fast an outstanding way to do it.

RT Handed catcher:
#1 from squating postion give sign, then bring LT foot straight forward so LT heel is even with RT foot toe, raise the butt up so the thighs are parallel to the ground, this is the recieving stance.
#2 Catch ball, then bring catchers mit to RT ear as the RT hand/throwing hand meet glove by the ear to recieve the ball, this is happening as you push forward from RT foot and stride with your LT foot towards second base. As LT foot hits the ground or within milliseconds of it hitting the ground you are releasing the ball. Catcher never stands up, all movement is toward second base.

Remember MBL catchers have different ways and styles, but have MONSTEROUS arms that can and do makeup for lack of quickness in motion or form..

 

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If you watch the legend Johnny Bench with a runner on base... he always went to back of the catcher box as far as he could go legally. When the pitch was three quarters of the way in he started his momentum forward out of the crouch position.

Never had a hand up front of him.

He used the position as well to pick off players at first or at third.. as for the third base throw he was behind the batter and more or less told them that if they step back... he'd put it in their ear for them. The throw to first base was usually a side-arm throw.

 

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the video posted is poor catcher mechanics.... She has steped forward toward second base as the throwing hand came back to her ear, and she even stoodup. You could not waste more time then that, and she has not even thrown the ball yet, which by the way her forward throwing motion has now stopped

We must be watching different clips. Throwing hand is behind ear before front foot touches ground, and her kneess and waist are flexed therefore she is not standing straight up. Also, this is not a complete follow-through drill, this is a quickness drill....and she's fairly quick.

As a catcher myself when the front foot hits the ground the ball is already released

So, are you saying you teach to throw off your back foot and release the ball before the front foot hits the ground? I would like to see a video of that.

I will try to explain a fast an outstanding way to do it.

Go for it!

RT Handed catcher:
#1 from squating postion give sign, then bring LT foot straight forward so LT heel is even with RT foot toe, raise the butt up so the thighs are parallel to the ground, this is the recieving stance.
#2 Catch ball, then bring catchers mit to RT ear as the RT hand/throwing hand meet glove by the ear to recieve the ball, this is happening as you push forward from RT foot and stride with your LT foot towards second base. As LT foot hits the ground or within milliseconds of it hitting the ground you are releasing the ball. Catcher never stands up, all movement is toward second base.

Not excatly how I, also a former catcher, would do it.

1. In primary stance, give sign.
2. Set up secondary stance based on location of given pitch. Feet square to very slightly staggered, thighs parallel to ground, meat hand in a loose fist over thumb and behind glove near glove hand's wrist.
3. Upon receiving ball, turn glove towards meat hand and grab ball out of glove as both glove and hand come towards ear, pivoting on plant foot with flexed knees and waist, elbow ultimately pointing towards base.
4. As soon as ball is behind ear start forward momentum by pushing off with plant foot, landing lead foot, then releasing ball and following through. The entire process should take less than 0.5 seconds.

Len

 

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Not exactly how I, also a former catcher, would do it.

1. In primary stance, give sign.
2. Set up secondary stance based on location of given pitch. Feet square to very slightly staggered, thighs parallel to ground, meat hand in a loose fist over thumb and behind glove near glove hand's wrist.
3. Upon receiving ball, turn glove towards meat hand and grab ball out of glove as both glove and hand come towards ear, pivoting on plant foot with flexed knees and waist, elbow ultimately pointing towards base.
4. As soon as ball is behind ear start forward momentum by pushing off with plant foot, landing lead foot, then releasing ball and following through. The entire process should take less than 0.5 seconds.

Len

Sounds perfect

This will be my DD's fist year catching full time. She started catching last year and was a backup. She has a strong arm but is slow with the feet so with a runner on 1st she staggers her feet a lot to give herself a head start on throwing out a steal. As she gets stronger legs we will get her feet squared to slightly staggered like you say.

 

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Len
As both of us are former catchers I would put my version against your version any day, and will bet i have the ball gone in a faster time.

I do not go up at all, its all out toward the base i am throwing to. And as far as the foot goes, when it is hitting the ground the ball is being released, or like I said within milliseconds of it. Again any movment up is movment away from where you want to go and is adding time to the time of release...

 

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Len
As both of us are former catchers I would put my version against your version any day, and will bet i have the ball gone in a faster time.

:lmao::lmao:

If we ever meet up we'll have a challenge.

Len

 

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:lmao::lmao:

If we ever meet up we'll have a challenge.

Len

Deal,,, and loser buys the beer for the winner and anyone else that is a adult that tries to beat either one of us..

 

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Tucking your thumb in your fist,hope they don't ever get hit. broken thumb for sure!

 

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Not excatly how I, also a former catcher, would do it.

1. In primary stance, give sign.
2. Set up secondary stance based on location of given pitch. Feet square to very slightly staggered, thighs parallel to ground, meat hand in a loose fist over thumb and behind glove near glove hand's wrist.
3. Upon receiving ball, turn glove towards meat hand and grab ball out of glove as both glove and hand come towards ear, pivoting on plant foot with flexed knees and waist, elbow ultimately pointing towards base.
4. As soon as ball is behind ear start forward momentum by pushing off with plant foot, landing lead foot, then releasing ball and following through. The entire process should take less than 0.5 seconds.

Len

I, also a former catcher, would do it this way too. Sorry Parma, I do not get how you could throw the ball and release it before your front foot comes down, at least not with any power. Count me in on that challenge!! :yahoo:

 

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Tucking your thumb in your fist,hope they don't ever get hit. broken thumb for sure!

Loosely wrapping fingers over thumb....big difference and less likely for a broken thumb as opposed to it being fully exposed.

Len

 

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I, also a former catcher, would do it this way too. Sorry Parma, I do not get how you could throw the ball and release it before your front foot comes down, at least not with any power. Count me in on that challenge!! :yahoo:

Parma....Klump wants in too. Klump might just clean the floor with both of us!

Len

 

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I, also a former catcher, would do it this way too. Sorry Parma, I do not get how you could throw the ball and release it before your front foot comes down, at least not with any power. Count me in on that challenge!! :yahoo:

I Release as the foot comes down or right after it hits the ground. In The video shown the hands were still going back or just reached the farthest point back as the front foot hit the ground. To much time going up.

Parma....Klump wants in too. Klump might just clean the floor with both of us!

Len

Awesome one will win, many get drunk...I like it

 

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And all the reason you stated are wrong positions for the catcher to put her hands. Who teaches that ? Hopefully no one. With the hand behind the glove... you leave open the whole arm acceptable to foul balls versus if the hand was behind the right leg... arm is protected..hand is protected and gear is covering the right shoulder for protection.

It's simple. Watch a professional game and see the positioning of the hand by catchers. Is it up behind the glove? Never !!! The mechanics are the same for baseball as it is for softball. It's all about protection and quick release. Positioning is the key for quick release.

You all get back to me if you see the professional catcher with his hand behind the mitt and leaving his arm and elbows acceptable to foul balls.

Hey Tim

Have you been watching any MLB games lately? Look where their throwing hand is when runners are on base. You asked for someone to get back to you if we saw a professional catcher with his hand behind the mitt.....well turn on the TV and see for yourself.

Len

 

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I noticed on the video tape (well now it would be a digital flash drive) that catchers with runners on that start out with their hand either behind their back or beside their knee will move their hand toward the glove as the pitch is coming in. This would seem to expose their hand to injury without any protection as it moves to a receiving/throwing position. I have not seen a single catcher that could hold her hand behind her back until the ball is actually in her glove.

I like the hand behind the glove and in contact with it as the ball is being received. The hand seems better protected and the transfer faster.

 

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I have always had catcher put it behind knee or protected by the body some way. Behind the glove imo is a bad idea. The better the eye hand the more likley you are to follow the ball with the glove and forget about the throwing hand, leaving it unprotected. Foul tip and she is out a game or more.

 

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Just for you, Lenski...DD has been doing this for one year now...went to the hand behind the shin guard for a couple of weeks and then went back to this. she's very comfortable with it and she is quicker on the release.

 

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I have always had catcher put it behind knee or protected by the body some way. Behind the glove imo is a bad idea. The better the eye hand the more likley you are to follow the ball with the glove and forget about the throwing hand, leaving it unprotected. Foul tip and she is out a game or more.

One of the reasons hand behind the glove is being taught is to increase protection not decrease. Very few catchers can keep their off hand behind the back or tucked under the leg for the entire pitch. Usually at pitch release the hand is creeping back into the zone from wherever it was and the more athletic a play they have to make the more likely instinctually they will be bringing the second hand into the frame and into a vunerable spot.