Thread: Throwing hand placement

Originally Posted by tghorley

Yes, that is the way my DGD (14u) has been taught for the last three years. It is ingrained in her head and she has gotten pretty good at it. So yesterday she goes for catching instruction for the first time with a D1 catcher, who she met at a camp and they have become very good friends. Now the D1 catcher wants to change her "runner(s) on position to a balanced squat, similar to no runners on. She also told my DGD that she was going to have to develop more quickness getting up to throw runners out and to catch the higher pitches. When asked why the change, she said as DGD grows older, the pitchers will be faster and will have more movement on the ball, therefore she would have less time to react to pitches in the dirt. She also said DGD was athletic enough to handle it. It is hard to argue with her as this D1 catcher was the starting catcher the last two years and made only two errors and she threw out 13 runners this last season.

Personally, the NECC way makes more sense to me and I prefer it. But, alas, this is my DGD's hero so I guess she will change. Whatever makes her happy.

What an unenviable dilema. DI or not, there are plenty of high-level catchers (MLB included) that could be even better if they improved their mechanics. Hopefully that will change in the future as the knowledge and resources currently available become more widely distributed and recognized.

Good luck!

Thanks Greenmonsters, old school vs. new school sometimes takes some time to convert. I think I am going to send my copy of NECC dvd to the D1 player and let her watch it, not so much to change her catching style, but to let her see why DGD catches the way she does. Maybe she will change her mind about DGD's "style" and leave her along. It is hard to change a way of thinking when that is the way you have done it all your life and have not been exposed to new school. Of course DGD's original catching instructor played fastpitch for 23 yrs and he changed his way of thinking.

As far as hand placement, we talked about it with her at a tournament. She seems to agree with what DGD is doing, so maybe that will not change.

My son, with the blessings of her previous instructor (he is still her hitting instructor), wanted to give DGD a chance to work with the D1 player. His thinking was maybe DGD would see how hard the D1 player works at her craft and to motivate her to work even more on her own. Plus the D1 player has some connections with two excellent TB organizations not in our area and he saw it as a way of networking. It sure was not a way to save money! Round trip for D1 instructor, 150 miles. Round trip for old instructor, 40 miles.

I just hope this change does not bite everyone in the butt.

Just had to comment on here and say thanks for all the kind words and recommendations.

Here is the simplicity of this issue.

Nobody on base w/less than two strikes - Very little responsibility on catcher to do anything but receive the pitch and keep strikes looking like strikes.

Runner on Base or two strikes on the batter - Catcher must be prepared to block and throw.

If the catcher is called to do either and their hand is behind their body and not behind the glove, the hand WILL be exposed to a possible foul ball.

This year, I attended more games than I have in my entire life. From ASA 10U softball tourneys to the professional games of a few of my clients who play at that level. I cannot tell you how many times I saw the catcher's hand get hit by a foul ball. Saw a handful of catchers flat out break their hands and saw a few with their fingers in distorted positions on the hand that God had no intention of them being in. As a coach and mentor that is a very sad thing to watch.

If that isn't enough...Two years ago I had two students who played for a National Select team. Both were studs. During the later stages of a national tournament their team was competing in, one of the coaches told the better of the two catchers to keep their throwing hand behind their body at all times. Catcher #1 had 4 of their top 5 schools coming to watch them (All Div. 1 schools). In the middle of the game before the college coaches were scheduled to show up, that catcher went to block a ball and their hand came out to their side and they took a linedrive foulball right off the thumb. Broken thumb and fingernail completely removed. Catcher #2 got the start the next game (when all of the college coaches were present) and threw out 2 runners, went 3-4 with a couple doubles and absolutely dominated behind homeplate. Later that evening, Catcher #2 got an offer from Catcher #1's top choice.

Simply put, if you want to take the chance, feel free, but your catcher literally isn't gaining a single thing by keeping in the same spot as it is with nobody on base or less than two strikes. What they are doing, however, is putting their ability to stay on the field at a severe risk.