3 steps and then throw to 2B?

[Bartow12]

That is the worst coaching I have heard in a while. I teach a fluid motion NO step driving off the back leg then following thru. My advice is work at short distances with a weighted ball build arm strength and accuracy. The throw will get better and more down hill as she gets bigger and stronger. We have several catchers on all of our teams in the organization 2 signed D1 catchers I have worked with. NO STEPS PLEASE I ask mine to rock and fire, and be accurate. Stick with NEC basics and let her develop she will be popping in the 1.6's in no time.

 

[chazbz1]

My DD is an 11 year old catcher. She's been working with a catching instructor for about a year and has done pretty well under her instruction, IMO. My DD's travel ball coach is trying to change the way she throws down to 2B. Right now she is coming up out of the secondary position, stepping forward with her left foot and throwing - almost in one fluid motion. Her travel ball coach wants her to take 3 steps and then throw. He thinks taking more steps before throwing will help get the ball to 2B faster. Of course, her catching instructor disagrees. My plan is to set up some communication to get everyone on the same page, but I'm just wondering if this 3 step method is a real method and, if so, is it better? I've never noticed a catcher take 3 steps before throwing to 2B.

You have gotten some great input Cathermama! Any time a player is taking specific private lessons (Batting, pitching, catching...) The private instructor trumps the comp. coach. I invite coaches to their catcher's sessions with us and also invite them to contact me with any questions so that they can understand first hand what is trying to be accomplished and we can work together with the player to make it happen. I had a player last year receiving different input from 3 coaches! Try to avoid putting your catcher in the the middle. Order New England Catching Camp's video or better yet attend one of their travel clinics. They also do online instruction as well. Being an 11 year old is challenging for athletes. Growth spurts hit at different times and it affects athletic ability. I see 11 year olds throw anywhere from 41 MPH to 50 MPH. There is one other resource you need to check out. To make sure your catcher is throwing to her body's ability, you need to have her utilizing high level throwing patterns. The drills developed by Wassermanstrength.com work extremely well. I've seen excellent results with my catchers when they incorporate Wass's drills in their training.



With all else said, at no time should your catcher take three steps to throw to second. We work extensively with catchers to reduce ball handling time and I assure you three steps to second does not produce faster pop times. If the coach is insistent, I would ask them for video examples from pro FP or BB catchers demonstrating what they are talking about. (I haven't seen any) The basic 2-step throw is the best method to start with and will be the most used. We instruct advanced methods that incorporate no-step and throws from the knees but they are also pitch specific. They will be slower if the pitch isn't in the correct spot. We do not teach these methods until the catcher is proficient with a 2-step throw.
-Chaz