Catching and Catchers discussion The 20 Most Wasted Minutes in a Catcher's Life

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It seems that many players and coaches recognize how little time is allocated during practices for catchers to work on their catching skills. Blocking, Exchange drills, Pickoff throws, Proper handling of pass balls with throw to pitcher covering plate, just to name a few.

Often times it has been said to me that there just isn't enough time to fit it in a practice. I would like to challenge that idea by pointing out the most wasted 20 minutes in a catcher?s life.

The time is called "Infield Practice". I've lost count how many practices I have observed where a coach is hitting infield practice with often times the starting catcher standing beside them taking the throw from the fielders and then handing the ball back to the coach. WHAT A WASTE!!!

Now I know that some of the items covered during infield practice do require the catchers involvement in a true game situation play. However I have seen at least 20 minutes go by when all they do is catch the ball and hand it to the coach.

I suggest that at the beginning of infield practice another player fill that role, and even maybe rotate with other infielders. During that time the catchers, all of the catchers if possible, are off to the side working on blocking, throwing etc.

When it is time to do the plays that involve the catcher, call them back over and run them all at one time.

I saw this next quote on a web site about how much we depend on catchers to get it right, but how little time we provide for them to practice the skills they will need to get it right in a game.

"It will take a dozen outstanding plays by the catcher to make teammates forget a single disastrous E-2 that could have been prevented by practicing catcher skills."

I know that scheduling a meaningful practice is always a challenge. But here is any easy fix that will provide at least 20 minutes every practice for your catchers to work on their skills.



Copyright ? 2007 New England Catching Camp, LLC. All Rights Reserved.
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Dave Weaver
New England Catching Camp
 
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Welcome to OFC Coach Weaver, you must have been reading my mind. ?I saw that you recently posted this on Yappi, and was going to comment to you to start posting on OFC. ?I have really enjoyed the info that you have on your site.
Shayne Yeater
Mid Ohio Lady Bullets 15U
Varsity Coach Northmor HS
 
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LADY_KNIGHTS said:
Welcome to OFC Coach Weaver, you must have been reading my mind. ?I saw that you recently posted this on Yappi, and was going to comment to you to start posting on OFC. ?I have really enjoyed the info that you have on your site.
Shayne Yeater
Mid Ohio Lady Bullets 15U
Varsity Coach Northmor HS

Coach Yeater,

Thanks for the welcoming!

I see lots of good posts on this forum. Look forward to some good discussion on catching.

Some of gthe other posts I have put online will have to be posted in 2 parts due to the lengh restriction on this forum but I think it will be okay.
 
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at first, i thought this was a tirade against a catcher taking infield grounders, but i guess i see your point...that catcher should be a bloated dad that wears john stockton shorts and embarasses his dd when she makes an error
 
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Statman Ray said:
at first, i thought this was a tirade against a ctahcer taking infield grounders, but i guess i see your point...that catcher should be a bloated dad that wears john stockton shorts and embarasses his dd when she makes an error


Ah............the 'John Stockton shorts' card. LOL! Classic! Been there,done that!
 
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Welcome Coach Weaver , I talked to this coach on the phone last year before buying his instructional DVD on catching . He was very polite and took 1/2 hour -45 minutes to talk catching with me over the phone. My DD ended up not catching but the girl who was our starting catcher sure liked the DVD . I was just glad my kid turned out NOT to be a catcher MD
 
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I can not agree with you more. Catcher's are expected to be perfect but so little time is spent honing skills. I have always thought it is a waste to have catchers catch the ball so the coach can hit another grounder to the infield. Did find a team this year that works on catcher's skills during practice. Very refreshing.
 
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To all that have responded I appreciate the warm welcome to your community. Feel free to send any questions regarding catching my way and I will be glad to share what we teach in our program.
 
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Surprised I havent seen this yet... ?Usually the "play" is over by the time it gets to the catcher for infield practice. ?So yes it appears to waste precious time.

What Ive done for a while now is when the "play" is done I have the catcher "in full gear" get into catching position and have the infield fire the ball home at the end of the play. ?Normally I have it thrown in the ground. ?The catcher is now getting pretty good practice catching short hops, ?moving side to side, etc...and is doing so in catching position. ? ?A couple of times I ve even had 2 catchers rotating. ?No different than 2 shortstops or second baseman rotating. ?Other times we always use asst coach or dad that we want to embarass.?:cool:
 
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I can ague with ANYTHING You say there Coach ! True and Great Point !
 
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Okay, I'll argue (not really).

The way we run infield, the catcher is often times the QB of the situation directing traffic, and often takes throw at home, and makes plays (bunts, etc.). For ground ball work for the infielders, we rapid fire through several opposing lines on opposite sides of the infield and EVERY player including catchers, pitchers, and outfielders grind out a large number of ground balls, hard & slow, good hops/bad hops - just can't get enough of those, and would not have the catcher (nor anybody) miss that.

Then when the infield comes together for positional & situational activity, we work on a LOT of things that REQUIRE that the catcher is very involved and ACTIVE in every play. We are not talking about the guy in Stockton shorts just hitting a few choppers, and the girl at 1st flipping it gently to the dad in the LeBron jersey trying not to break his glasses. Every throw is fired quickly as if a play is being made. The catcher gets a chance to take throws from everyone, good and bad throws, of various sterngth & accuracy, and she gets to work on receiving it and doing "something" with it (tags, blocks, throw downs to another base, etc.). The working communications and synergies between the players is important, and is more the focus of that portion of practice, after the individual core drills are accomplished.

Our catchers work with our pitchers a lot, in warm-ups, at practices when the pitchers are working on things and the catchers are getting experience receiving pitchers when they are struggling with new stuff (catchers get instruction during those times as well). Plus, some of the catchers go with the pitchers to their instructors, some of which know something about catching as well!!

Anyways, the points here are all good, just offering some counter points, and some additional thoughts. My biggest point is that I totally agree with the premise of the thread - don't waste the catcher's (not the pitcher's) time during infield - get them aggressively and actively involved in the play on the field (all plays). If you are not fielding a ball, you better be covering a base preparing for a throw, or backing one up somewhere (and talking).
 

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