Catcher Blinks

[TomJones]

I have a catcher that blinks when receiving (12u). Thus has no ideas on ball location during pop ups. Any tips or drills you have found to quickly fix? I know nothing is really a quick fix but looking for advice for someone who has been successful in correcting. Thanks!

 

[CoachKevin]

I used foamy balls to hit her facemask and she concentrated on trying not to blink.

 

[MsDinosaur]

My catcher DD says she deliberately blinks while the pitcher is starting her windmill. It was a tip that was passed along to her. A person needs to blink every so often and if it's been a while since the last blink, a stimulus like a pitch coming in will frequently trigger the blink reflex.

 

[smddad]

They all blink. Take a look at the MLB catchers when receiving a ball. The best in the world blink. It's just something that we notice more with availability of high speed, high quality pictures. Don't worry about it.

Edit to add:

I would be worried only if she's not catching the ball.

 

[TomJones]

Thanks all - she catches well except foul/fair pop ups. Can't find them quick enough to catch them. Maybe a different cause? She bats very well so I know she sees the ball ok.

 

[Sweet Lou]

Thanks all - she catches well except foul/fair pop ups. Can't find them quick enough to catch them. Maybe a different cause? She bats very well so I know she sees the ball ok.

That sounds like more than a blink. People blink on average every 5 seconds or something close to that. Is she blinking or closing her eyes? A blink is a quick reflex; closing your eyes is a conscience action.

 

[InsidePitch]

I have a picture of DD at bat. She has just hit the ball, it's still in the frame. DD, the Ump and catcher all have their eyes closed. It's very hard not to blink on the sound.

 

[chazbz1]

SMDAD is right, catchers will blink or squint. Especially "down the middle or face high pitches. My daughter learned the same "trick" as MsDinosaur's catcher. We pass it along as a "Top Secret Tip" to our catchers. I have a 10U that I went to get an example of her blinking.... And she didn't! I am including a pic of my DD' Even after blinking as the pitcher is completing her wind up, she still has a tendency to squint a bit. It's the same on the baseball side. Watch the college WS this weekend and see who doesn't blink.



Here's a few more catcher in action.

-Chaz

 

[smddad]

chazbz1,

I love that series where the catcher is tagging the purple Cats uniformed girl at the plate, doesn't wait for the call and she's up ready to make a throw for another play. It's great to see a well trained catcher in action.

 

[MsDinosaur]

My daughter learned the same "trick" as MsDinosaur's catcher. We pass it along as a "Top Secret Tip" to our catchers.

Ha! Well, now I know where DD learned that trick. :-D

By the way, her team was at Hidden Valley last weekend, not Adair, if you had wondered why you didn't run into us. We'll be at Adair THIS weekend, LOL.