Baseball Tips - Catchers and Catching

By Chico Reese

Every so often I get a request from a parent who tells me that their child is a catcher and that they would like me to help their child “learn some catching things”, or “give them some catching tips” or something along those lines. Sometimes I know the player and have seen him catch before. Sometimes I’ve heard that the player catches. Sometimes the parent says that the child catches and thinks he’d be a lot better with a little help. This last one can be a little scary because I’ve been told this by parents and once I start working with the player I immediately realize that he has never caught before, or only caught a few times…probably just batting practice a few times.

When I get a request like this from parents, here’s what I do:

I first assess what the player has really done or what he can really do. This is important, mainly from a safety point of view. Inexperienced catchers, especially young ones just starting out, can easily get injured by the baseball. So I really try to figure out what I’m dealing with, no matter what mom or dad has told me.

I'll also just talk to the young catcher and try to find out how much he’s caught so far in his little career, what he likes about catching and what he doesn’t like. You can kind of tell if a player has a real interest in catching or if his parents decided it was a position that he should like. I actually had a nine year old flat-out tell me that he hated baseball. He liked football and golf. He said his dad ( who was the coach) made him play. Catchers need to be motivated kids who truly like, or at young ages, don’t mind being a catcher.

I find out more of what I need to know by simply watching how the player reacts to me throwing the ball at him. A young player with very little experience or none at all will almost always have more fear of getting hit by the ball than a catcher who has "been there, done that." This will stand out in his actions when you actually start throwing some balls in the dirt at him, even real slow pitches.

I have the player get the catching gear on and then I get a few baseballs and tell him that I’m going to throw some balls in the dirt and that I want him to block them. Of course, I’m not going to just start whipping balls at him, I’m just looking at the reaction he has when he thinks a ball is coming at him in the dirt.

I have him get down in his stance and I motion like I’m going to just whip one at him in the dirt. I do a full pitching motion, like I’m going to throw the ball. However, I don’t release it. What happens next is that you’ll most likely get all of the answers that you need to determine where the player is at as far as catching ability and what you should do next to help him improve. True, he might be able to stand up and throw the ball to second base well, but that in itself is not proof that a kid has caught a lot.

Observe the player carefully and note things like the following:


After the player gets the equipment on, does he look like he's used to wearing it, or is he fidgeting with it, pulling at it and trying to figure out how to wear it? Does it appear that it feels "weird" to him? A catcher that is used to wearing this stuff usually will just throw it on in a few minutes and be done with it.
When the player gets down is his receiving stance, does he look relaxed, comfortable and stable? Is it basically a correct stance? Or does he look clumsy and uncomfortable and not sure how he wants to squat? A catcher that has done a good deal of catching will normally get right down in a stance that you can tell is natural to him and feels O.K., even if you think it's not an exactly correct stance.
When you are winding up, does the player appear ready, still relaxed and focused? Or, does the player appear pretty nervous, maybe a little scared at this point? Young catchers with experience at this point usually have a look of anticipation and focus. They are concentrating on your release and the ball, not worrying about getting hit by the ball. Most of the time it is easy to see the difference.
When you actually do the fake throw, does the catcher flinch, turn his head, bring his non-glove hand around to protect himself, even though you haven’t even thrown the ball yet? If he does, he's probably relatively new at this and should be taught how to do things correctly, mainly to protect himself. Young catchers with innings under their belts won't flinch too much at the point when you are about to throw the ball. They are calm, stable on their feet and are focused. They are anticipating the ball and how to catch it or block it. They are not overly concerned with getting hit by the ball.

If the player that you are assessing appears like he does indeed have some of the "experience" qualities mentioned above and just needs work to improve, you're in good shape. Focus on fundamentals and repeat, repeat and repeat. That's what separates good catchers from mediocre ones.

BUT, if you see all of the signs of a "newbie", what do you do? Where do you start from here? How do you get the young catcher "catching?"

We'll look at this in a future article.

Chico Reese has been closely involved in youth baseball, softball and High School Baseball over the last twelve years and enjoys working with young catchers.

For excellent Catching instruction and training, consider the following sources:

Catchers Instruction, Training and Tips

http://baseballcatcher.baseballgloverestore.com

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