What College Coaches Look For In Their Search For The Ultimate Catcher
MYTHS FROM THE RECRUITING TRAIL • Must have a cannon to be an effective “catch and throw” catcher • College teams keep a specific number of catchers • Catchers do not need to be good hitters if they are solid behind the plate • Once a catcher, always and only a catcher • A catcher must have a certain body type • Catchers do not need to work on improving speed • Catchers do not need to be leaders in order to be great • Catchers that block well, throw well and hit well, but do not receive well can expect to catch in college • Receiving is overrated
LEADERSHIP • The catcher is the backbone and the pulse of the team • A commanding, “take charge” presence on the field—vocal leader and chief communicator on team • LOVES TO CATCH, LOVES TO WORK, NEVER COMPLAINS • Field General—closest thing to coach on field—must always know where ball must go—crucial link for team • goal of allowing NO EXTRA BASES—EVER! • Team Psychologist—understanding different personalities/backgrounds of teammates—particularly pitchers!! • Most well-conditioned athlete on team • Enthusiasm through adversity
RECEIVING • Receive, do not frame! Catchers should not have an over-active glove hand • Quiet body, soft hands, subtle sway • Stance= toes outside heels; knees inside feet • Steady head, flexible ankles—sway rear end • Always beat the ball to a spot—never let it beat you= lazy! • Catch everything four fingers up! • Work thumb below ball on low pitches • On inside pitch, glove outside knee—DO NOT FAN & NEVER TAKE A STRIKE AWAY FROM PITCHER! • Receive outside of the baseball • Know strike zone—do not stick pitches more than 2 ball widths off the plate or you will make the umpire angry and lose future calls • Catching bullpens= GAME PREPARATION
THROWING • Balance is underrated, quickness is overrated—Need quick efficiency= short footwork • Footwork is key! Stay low rather than high by keeping “butt beneath shoulders” • Gain ground toward 2B, but very little and don’t step on plate • Fingers on top of the baseball, thumb beneath=BACKSPIN to throw through target!!—Sidespin not OK & often caused by overly horizontal lead arm action that pulls C off of linear path to 2B, forcing early rotay • Clean exchange—transfer ball at midline of body—thumbs down break of hands; Over-rotating with glove or pulling glove back to shoulder before exchange is common flaw—takes time & hurts footwork • Economy of body movement= Accuracy & Efficiency
BLOCKING
• Pride—never allow a free base & BE RELENTLESS!! • Expect to block 100% of balls in dirt= Anticipation • Blocking position= curled shoulders, tucked chin, bent elbows/wide arms for big blocking target • Glove down first—Cover Daylight!! • Block with “soft” body—not hard aggressive but passive blocking= do not drive chest into ground • Center ball in chest by angling body around it • Shoot knee and hand in direction of ball for optimal lateral movement—lower body must make strong, quick move to ball or you will fall over yourself by throwing upper torso at ball • Increased blocking range promotes confidence with pitcher
CATCHING DRILLS
RECEIVING Shuffle Drill—catch & push back as you shuffle-keep elbow and thumb proper-bring ball back into zone Dry Drill Box location 2 Hand Surprise Feeds No glove- off bounce—tennis balls No glove- rapid fire—tennis balls or whiffs Side to side slow & rapid fire—work subtle sway and beating ball to a spot Glove- rapid fire—baseballs 45 degree angle receiving to work sticking breaking pitch/outside pitch BALL/STRIKE/BORDERLINE Drill CATCH PENS!
THROWING/ TRANSFER 2 ball exchange for clean transfer—Cronk to give visual Paint a half of a ball—use to work on backspin Catch, Quarter Turn, Throw—2 knee & standing Rapid fire drill from 1 knee—work backspin Balance Drill from crouch-hold for 3 seconds—Huge! Handcuffs= footwork only on clap Line Drill- feet finish parallel to work on linear path to 2B Line Drill- feet finish perpendicular to work on gaining little ground (C’S start 3 inches behind line) Rolled Ball Line Drill- partner rolls ball that you can’t catch until it passes line in front of you- then begin footwork—work on staying low and through throw—keep butt beneath shoulders Quick Feet/ Live Transfers from crouch position RECEIVE OR THROW Drill—coach yells “going” if he wants footwork after the pitch Long Toss—allow for larger arm circle and shorten to catcher’s arm action as you move in
BLOCKING Lineman Blocks (verbal right, middle, left command) Scramblers—block, pop and recover 3 ball drill—rapid fire—coach point to ball, C blocks and recovers to center Handcuff Blocks—move body to block ball but don’t bury ball into ground with chest Block or Catch Drill—work on only going to knees when ball in dirt Hula Hoop Target Blocking Fungo Blocks Jedi Blocking Drill Sit and Get Hit Drill Short Block Drill—coach throws from 10 ft. away Iron Man Drill—C starts 90 ft from coach and blocks ball thrown at him. C immediately runs toward coach to block next ball and so on until he reaches coach
MISCELLANEOUS Catching Olympics—footwork over balls into catching stance (best drill!) Fielding bunts Candyman- see Cronk Agility Ladder Line Drills & Dot Drills Jumprope