Catching Drills

WILD BALL DRILL

Keep a full bucket of balls on the pitchers mound, and throw every ball in the dirt in front of the catcher. Vary the pitches - some to the glove side, some right at the catcher, and some to the backhand side. After throwing all the balls in the bucket into the dirt (to practice keeping the ball in front of you) there are usually many balls behind the catcher, against the fence or whatever backstop exists. When the last ball is about to be thrown the pitcher must warn the catcher.

Once this ball gets by the catcher, they have to get every single ball as fast as they can. When the last ball gets by the catcher, the pitcher (usually the coach) must grab the empty bucket and run to home plate. The catcher must make accurate throws to home so the pitcher can refill the bucket. Any wild throws (throws past the pitcher covering home with the bucket) must be retrieved by the catcher. Try timing this event for increase in speed.

POP-UP DRILL

Here is a good catching drill that our catchers do at every practice.

The catcher is in ready position with all the gear on. The player/coach stands behind the catcher. The person in back tosses the ball high into the air and yells "ball" and the catcher immediately throws the mask & helmet and gets the ball before it hits the ground.

It is harder than it sounds and is great practice!!

DRAWING A CROSS DRILL

A significant thing that is not stressed in these other drills is the throwing mechanics.

A catcher should always bring their hand up to their ear and throw (of course with a snap). When a catcher throws their glove (which should be extended towards their target) should cross their chest when they throw. To gain speed on the throw down to second, a catcher has to pop-up after they have caught the ball. When they pop-up their feet should be at a 90 degree angle to what they were at before.

A good drill to practice the popping up on steals is drawing a cross. Crouching down on one of the lines a catcher should be able to pop-up and land on the other line that crosses it.

REACTION DRILLS

The purpose of the first is to get beginning catchers (or rusty veterans) used to seeing a flying object come directly at their face. Have the catcher (in her face mask, helmet, and chest protector) stand up against a wall with her hands behind her back. A coach/player stands 1-2 feet in front of the catcher and lightly throw the ball so that it hits the catcher in the mask. As the balls are hitting the mask encourage the catcher not to blink--a natural reaction for everyone! It's not as easy as it sounds and it will take several sessions before the catcher truly becomes adept at overcoming the impulse to close her eyes and watch the ball all the way into (eventually) the glove.

The second is to work on quickness and response time.

Have the catcher, in full gear, crouch four feet away from a wall. The coach/player stands two feet behind the catcher and throws the ball over the head of the catcher and at the wall. The catcher can not see the throw and must react to where it rebounds off of the wall. Insist on good side to side movement, containing the ball with the shoulders, and staying square behind the ball. As the catchers get more proficient at this drill, vary the speed and angles at which the ball comes off of the wall.

SECOND BASE STEAL DRILL

The best way to correct your form is to practice game situations or game-like situations w/out actual runners. Most of the catchers that I have seen in the past eight years have been excuse me, but pretty pathetic looking. Most coaches don't stress working with their catchers and therefore they lack in good form. This drill will help with runners stealing second base.

You want to make it seem like an actual game as much as possible. The pitcher stands in the circle with a bucket of balls. The catcher is to be behind home plate in full equipment in the crouch position. (This should be with thighs parallel to the ground, a fairly wide stance for balance, and their left foot slightly in front of the right, (for right handed players).

Draw a straight line across the ground in line with the left foot.) The catcher should extend their left hand (glove hand) out and make a fist with the thumb tucked inside. The right hand should be placed behind the glove pocket. This will enable better control and a faster throw to second.

Have the pitcher pitch a regular fast ball down the middle of the plate. The catcher is to lean forward slightly to get to the ball faster. As the catcher is catching the ball they should turn their feet so their right foot is perpendicular to the position that the left foot was in. They should not have taken any steps toward the pitcher except the shuffle turn. Their left foot should be open to second base, which will allow the throwing arm to be in a straight line with second base. With the upper half of their body, they should be in a sitting position with their back straight (like a wall sit.) The ball is pulled with both hands up to the right of their face by their ear. The left arm should then separate with the right and point to second base. With the ball in the right and an extended right arm parallel to the ground, bend it to a 90 degree angle, hand toward sky. Rotate the right wrist backwards (as if to show the python muscle.)

With each throw, the catcher should have the same grip on the ball. I use the grip with my index, middle, and ring fingers crossing the seams. Keeping the "L" shape in their arm, follow through the throwing motion keeping in line with second base. Their weight should shift with the throw. (Make sure not to shift the weight too soon, as this will create less speed on the ball.) The left arm should release and fall as the right arm throws the ball.

Your follow-through should force your right foot into the fielder's position. The ball should be going on a down angle to second base, not a straight line. This will better enable the shortstop or second baseman to put the tag on. (The receiver's glove should start on the ground and be pulled up for bad hops, not started in the air as is often taught.) The catcher should not be stepping on the plate or any where near the plate.

After this is done repeatedly (and don't worry it is not to be learned in one day!), try other pitches. For a ball on the glove side, the ball should be pulled across the body with both hands and into the throwing position. The body should not go to where the ball is.