Catchers!
It is just a few months away however the spring baseball season will be here before you know it.
Here are a few tips for those who are going to be catching this next season..
Catchers are able to use a couple of different stances. The first one is used when there are no runners on base, the catcher will position themselves where they have their weight on the instep of their foot.
The other stance is used when there batter has two strikes or runners on base; each stance is similar to the other. The difference will allow the catcher to prepare to block pitches at times.
When the bases are empty and less than two strikes on the batter, the catcher should have their weight on their instep of their feet. This prevents the catcher from falling forward and or lunging at pitches. They should be well balanced with a strong center of gravity. The left foot should be slightly forward of the right foot if they are right handed. This stance will allow the catcher to move in any direction with ease.
The catcher’s elbow should be resting slightly outside the knee. The fingers should be pointed up and relaxed along with the glove arm. The fingers in their glove should never be horizontal. The most important aspect of their throwing arm is to keep it protected. When there are no runners on base, keep the throwing hand behind the back or the leg. Even without runners on base, they must keep their intensity for a whole game. Catchers must be ready for all situations, without a lapse in concentration.
When there are two strikes on a batter, or runners on base, the throwing hand must be moved to behind the glove. There will be no change in weight, foot placement or throwing arm placement. Put the throwing hand into a fist behind the glove. Their hand is safe behind the glove as all foul balls will change directions and miss the hand. Keep the hand closed behind the glove as you catch the baseball, this will also protect the hand. The biggest benefit of keeping the hand behind your glove is being able to begin a quicker exchange to the ball when they need to throw out a runner. Keeping the throwing hand behind the back hinders a quick throw, and could affect a balanced position.
A common mistake young catcher’s make is to move up into a more athletic position when runners are on base. Moving up into this position also raises the glove into a higher position. This higher more athletic position actually creates more openings for the baseball to get by the catcher. This higher target also encourages the pitcher to throw the ball up in the strike zone, which may produce unwanted results. To keep balls from getting past the catcher, the rule should be stay as low as you can.
Stay focused and intense, stay low, be ready to block all pitches, and be ready for any situation. Young catchers also like to take too many steps when they throw to bases. They feel they do not have the arms strength to get the ball to second base. A quick accurate throw by using proper footwork, is often more beneficial and productive than a late strong inaccurate throw. It takes practice for a catcher to believe that a simple drop step, and foot shift, will provide everything they need a strong accurate throw.

One area in baseball that receives little attention from coaches is teaching proper catching techniques. In general, there is not enough practice time devoted to it and the result is a lack of quality catchers at all levels. The reasons for this can be attributed to a number of things, but mainly, the blame falls on coaches for not setting aside practice time and a coach’s lack of catching knowledge.

 The following guide is for beginning and experienced catchers and coaches. Visual aids are provided to clarify key concepts and provide examples of correct techniques. A list of key terms and phrases is also provided at the end of each section to review the important points covered in that section. You will find some advanced tips here as well. For your convenience, a glossary of terminology is also provided.

Job of the Catcher

The catcher has the most thankless job on the field, but yet, is the most important position besides the pitcher. As a catcher you are involved in every single play. You are the conductor of an orchestra and the players on the field are your instruments. A catcher has a number of responsibilities, each one just as important as the other; signaling pitches, relaying plays and bunt coverage, blocking wild pitches, and Throwing out runners attempting to steal are only a few.

As a catcher, you need to be aware of everything on the field and you need to know what to do in every possible situation. For example, you need to know: What is the score? How many outs are there? What is the count? What type of hitter is up (his tendencies…can he hit a curveball)? Who’s on deck and what type of hitter is he? What pitch should I call next? Is the defense set? What about base runners? Are they fast? If the ball is hit to the gap where is the relay supposed to go? Is there a possible play at home?

These questions and others need to be answered on every single pitch. This may seem like a lot to think about, especially to players just starting to learn the position, but with practice, experience, good coaching, and this tutorial, the answers to these questions will become second nature.

To be a good catcher it is fundamentally important to have a good stance. There are 2 basic stances that you must learn, the relaxed stance and the ready stance. Relaxed Stance The main stance used by most catchers with the bases empty and less than 2 strikes is called the relaxed stance. The relaxed stance is performed by squatting with your feet shoulder-width apart. Hips and shoulders are square to the pitcher with feet slightly staggered or straight across, while being comfortable and low. Relax your catching arm (glove hand) and point palm at the pitcher mound. Place the throwing hand behind your back or shoe. Give the pitcher a good low target. Ready Stance The ready stance is used with runners on base and/or two strikes on the hitter. Both situations require that you be ready to block a wild pitch or throw out a base runner. The ready stance is simply a raised squat with the body weight on the balls of your feet with butt slightly raised. Keeping your shoulders and hips square to the pitcher, relax your catching arm, and point your palm at the pitchers mound. Place your thowing hand in a fist behind your glove. Give the pitcher a good low target.

I suspect the title of this article might have got your attention. It would seem that I am advocating having catchers stop doing something that catchers have always been told and taught to do.

Actually I am advocating having them use proper receiving techniques, and avoid some of the techniques that have become common place in catching over the years that do not increase the number of strikes called.

I advocate using techniques that keep strikes looking like strikes. I see so many students come for instruction with the idea that "Framing" is a technique that will fool an umpire into thinking a pitch that is a ball is really a strike. I ask all new students what they believe framing does, and that is almost always their answer, regardless of the age of the catcher. This technique is widely used and I believe actually contributes to close strikes being called as balls.

I will explain my position on "Framing" by explaining the 4 Laws of Good Receiving that I teach all my students. I explain to my students that they need to go behind the plate with these 4 laws firmly imbedded in their technique to be the best receivers they can be.

Law #1
"The Size of the Plate is Determined by the Umpire"

I ask all new students this question. "How big is home plate??"
I will get all sorts of answers from possible dimensions; to the size I (the catcher) make it look. I guide their thinking to end up with the conclusion that the umpire decides how wide the plate is, the umpire decides how big the strike zone is. It is their job as a good receiver to figure out quickly how the umpire sees the strike zone and how he/she is calling the pitches. It is then their job to work with their pitcher to see that as many pitches as possible are in that zone, understanding full well that sometimes the correct place to put a pitch in certain situations in the count is low and away or maybe even in the dirt.

Law #2
"It’s a Catcher’s Job to Keep Strikes Looking Like Strikes"

This is where my teaching tends to go against the flow a little. I do not want to see my catchers catching a pitch that clearly is a ball and pulling, pushing, or somehow moving the glove to try and reposition the pitch at a spot they feel will get them a strike call. I don’t want them trying to "Make a ball look like a strike." The best way to keep a strike looking like a strike is to never do anything that would make it look like a ball. The next 2 Laws discuss ways to accomplish that.

Law #3
"Beat the Ball to the Spot"

My goal for my catchers is that their movements behind the plate when they receive are smooth, "quiet", and not hurried.

They set the target with their glove in the middle of their body. The goal is to have adjusted their position so that their glove is in position to catch the ball before the ball gets there. They want their glove to "Beat the Ball to the Spot." Have the glove already positioned at the spot they’ll catch it before the ball gets there.

This is accomplished as follows.

Just about all players and managers realize that little time is spent during practice by their catchers on the catching skills. Blocking, exchange drills, pickoff throws and proper handling of wild pitches and passed balls throwing to the pitcher covering home plate.

The catcher should be working on these skills instead of taking infield practice.

It may take many good plays by the catcher to erase the single E 2 error that could have been prevented by practicing catchers skills.

It is certain that no matter how good a catcher is, balls will get past him and roll to the backstop. You can call them wild pitches or passed balls, but it doesn’t make any difference at the time of the play. The important thing is that the catcher knows how to make the play correctly and how to minimize the damage.

There are two different game scenarios for a passed ball situation:

1. A lone runner on first or second
2. A runner on 3rd base

Both use the same technique for going to the ball and discarding the mask. The difference is in what the catcher does as he approaches the ball.

The Approach

Catchers should always turn to their left as they head back to the ball, as shown in the illustration. This means that the catcher will approach the ball from the right side regardless of where the ball is located.

As soon as the catcher has made his movement left, he should remove his mask and hold onto it until he has located the ball. When the ball is reached the mask should be tossed to the side and towards the backstop, away from the catcher.

Picking up the ball correctly is very important. Failure to do so may result in high throws to a fielder. A catcher should NOT just bend over, grab the ball, and throw it to make a play at second or third base, all in one motion. This often results in a high throw because the catcher bent over and then stood up straight as he was turning back to the field. All of his weight was on his back leg and his release point never moves forward as it should.

Getting The Ball

As the catcher gets close to the ball (having already discarded his mask), he should drop to his knees and slide to the ball.

The catcher is now in a better position to make a throw to the plate or a base and this technique permits him to attack more aggressively, especially if the ball is up against the backstop. A catcher’s shinguards and chest protector will take the impact, if there is one, rather than his body. It also lets the catcher approach the ball without slowing up as he nears the backstop, which save precious seconds.

A Runner On First or Second Base

Because this situation will seldom result in a play at home, the catcher should concentrate on the lone runner. As he gets to the ball he should rake it into his throwing hand with his glove and NOT grasp it with the glove.

The catcher will then pop up into his throwing ready position and quickly determine if there is a play to be made. If so, then the catcher should make his regular throw to second or third base in order to nab the runner.

A Runner On Third Base

As the catcher gets to the ball he should rake it into his throwing hand with his glove and NOT grasp it with the glove.

Instead of popping-up, the catcher remains on his right knee and lifts his left leg up so that his left foot is flat to the ground with his thigh parallel to the ground. The catcher then makes a hard crisp throw to the pitcher’s glove. It is important that the catcher throw to the GLOVE even if the pitcher has his glove too high for a good tag.

Too often a catcher will make the hard throw (from 20 feet away) to where the tag should be made and the ball just sails past the pitcher’s knees because he cannot react quickly enough to the throw. It is far better to hit a chest high glove and miss the tag than let an errant ball travel through the infield.

Practice between catchers and pitchers with both getting into the proper position (catcher on his right knee and the pitcher down low with his glove 18″ off the plate) will greatly reduce errors and increase tags at home on passed balls and wild pitches.

Pre-Game Routine

Catchers should have a pre-game routine, especially on away games. They should practice sliding in a few locations behind the plate and up against the backstop. They should walk along the grass or dirt line along the backstop looking for debris or things like sprinkler heads.

They should search for anything that will interfere with their game play. This also means looking at the bottom of the fence for holes and poorly maintained fencing that may pose a danger to them.

A few moments spent in pre-game assessing the territory (sliding around and examining) will make a big difference during the game.