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Marc Dagenais

I've seen as many as 4 different ways to block the ball with the two most common ones being:

1) Sliding sideways - what is commonly taught
2) Kicking the feet real quick to get into blocking position (that has been quite effective on the few catchers using it that I have seen).

What is the best blocking technique?

Or the easiest one to teach to young catcher that is starting?

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Marc Dagenais, MHK, CSCS
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Marc Dagenais is a softball peak performance coach that helps players be more confident, mentally tougher, hit with more power, run faster, throw harder, and be more dominant on the field. He also helps coaches win more games and get more out of their team.

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Catching Coach

Marc,

I teach the same technique to catchers of all ages. The hands move first to the ball, the body then encircles the hands. The block show in the clip is used on fastballs in the dirt. The knees are basically landing on the line with where the feet used to be.

If this had been a change, drop or curve in the dirt the catcher would have been blocking forward to get over the ball to keep it from bouncing over their head.

I teach the fastball block first to get the basics down first.

Video of Softball Blocking to Left - Photobucket - Video and Image Hosting

Coach Weaver

Sadiv 198

Coach Weaver,
The video shows the catcher with her throwing hand behind her glove as opposed to behind her back. Is this someting you teach or is it a preference of the catcher? Or is it a technique used when runners are on base?

Thanks
Rich

Catching Coach

Rich,

I teach the throwing hand behind the glove whenever there are runners on base. It makes the transition to throwing and blocking significantly faster and more balanced then if it were behind their back.

When no runners are on the hand then goes behind the back/leg.

NVfishing

My daughters coach is teaching the catchers to move in a semi circle to the field so if the pitch bounces off the catcher it will bounce back towards the field of play. If the catcher is angled incorrectly the ball will angle back the wrong direction.