I wear either old army boots with very thick leather or preferably a pair of nice work shoes with an OSHA composite safety toe.Do you wear construction boots or some other type of shoe?
I wear either old army boots with very thick leather or preferably a pair of nice work shoes with an OSHA composite safety toe.Do you wear construction boots or some other type of shoe?
I usually sit on a stool that is also a toolbox (the top opens). It's pretty solid and I sit about as far back as I can get. Nothing is coming through from underneath. And I sit a bit side-saddle.Not advice. But all the safety toe shoes posts remind me of when my dd was learning the drop curve. So many balls at my feet. So I decided it would be smart to wear steel toe shoes. So one pitch was low and I was on the bucket and reached forward. I was barely perched on the edge of the bucket and the ball skipped under my glove. Hit that steel toe at about 54 mph and shot straight up my leg.
As a father you can imagine the tender bits that are straight up one’s leg. I heard a woosh of air and realized it was me. It was that pain that you taste before it registers.
I’m now on the barn floor, on my side and I look over at my dd who is literally inching her was toward to door to go get mom. I told her I was OK and give me a minute. Then I said it’s ok if you laugh as I knew it must have looked hilarious. Composed myself, caught 2 more pitches and told her we were done for the day.
I never went after a low pitch after that. Never sat on the edge of the bucket either. Less then a year later I was in a catchers helmet shin guards and a cup every time we practiced.
Yup, I wear boots (in the winter). Flip flops in the summer.
I'm on borrowed time, for sure.
I would suggest bringing the bucket when DD is fairly consistent with her pitches and spotting. If she's still wild, the bucket causes more pain (literal physical pain) for you. Some pitches are harder to catch when you're on the bucket.Thank you very much! This is extremely helpful and exactly what I needed.
She is currently throwing into a 9 box working on corners and learned a change up three weeks ago and her coach is talking about adding a drop. But she said it would be more fun to have a live catcher sometimes instead of just throwing in the 9 box.
This all happened very quickly this fall when injuries and other stuff made her team in need of a pitcher. To her credit she threw her heart into it and practiced 5 days a week and went from 42mph 40% strikes 3rd string rec pitcher to 48mph 65% strikes in about 8 weeks. Credit is also due to her fabulous (IR teaching) pitching coach.
But my learning curve was not as steep as hers and I’m a little scared what spring will bring.
Just got my new glove and am excited to have way more padding than her outgrown fielding glove.
The kid’s dad before us at pitching lessons used to bring in a boogie board to protect his legs while catching on the bucket. I thought it was weird at the time, but effective.
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To just do it! There's really no other way to put it, lots of reps, lots of bruises! Know how to get the mitt out front, beat the ball to it's spot and watch it into the pocket! And for someone new, target spots are toes, ankles, shins, your nose and your teeth, protect them!!So- what’s the best way for me to learn to catch better before she gets even more scary fast?