LEFT Handed Catcher?

[Greenmonsters]

Thanks everyone. I was really concerned about her being accepted as a catcher being LHed. I was a catcher in college so now I have to figure out how to train her backwards. Thanks everyone.

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ISD - My background was the same as yours and I was in the same position you are in now 11 years ago. IME/IMO, the best thing you can do for your DD is to have NECC be her catching instructor, which leaves you in the position of being responsible for reinforcing, reminding, and supporting. It may seem like a minor distinction, but it makes a huge difference. Try to beg, borrow, or steal a copy of their DVD. If you can't find it (its out of production), glean what you can from their website, look for NECC content on YouTube (there's not much), see the Advanced Catching Concepts (ACC) website and FB page (Chazbz1 is very much aligned w/ NECC), pore through NECC-related posts here on DFP, and get her to a NECC weekend clinic or the summer camp ASAP.

 

[Dabears17]

This is a good introduction to the NECC content on youtube:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ShNwGzTN8N0
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=YH6kpokZBqE
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=u7SedBgc714
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=LxxQk4kY00k

Coach James is from Eastern Indiana and I believe is working on bringing some catching clinics to Indiana.

 

[aec4444]

Negotiating the batter's position is normal operating procedure for a catcher, no matter which hand you're throwing with or which base you're throwing to. Lefty throwing to 3B isn't really different than a righty throwing to 1B. My righty DD negotiates around LH batters just fine when back-picking to 1B.

This is very true, but a throw to 1B is less likely than a throw to 3B.

 

[Eric F]

This is very true, but a throw to 1B is less likely than a throw to 3B.

Hmmm...That's not what I've observed. Back-picking to 1B - even if unsuccessful in getting the out - is effective at shortening enthusiastic lead-offs. We teach our catchers to be aggressive throwers to all bases, and this isn't unusual in 12U TB.

Heck, even in 10U rec, my DD had more outs back-picking 1B than she did stolen base attempts at 3B. Her pitchers loved her for that

 

[Lenski]

This is very true, but a throw to 1B is less likely than a throw to 3B.

Nope. A throw to 3B is less likely than a throw to 1B. Many more runners reach 1B than they do 3B.

 

[Eric F]

Nope. A throw to 3B is less likely than a throw to 1B. Many more runners reach 1B than they do 3B.

I'm guessing your lefty DD has gunned down a whole lot of girls at 1B.

 

[aec4444]

Nope. A throw to 3B is less likely than a throw to 1B. Many more runners reach 1B than they do 3B.

Can't remember the last time someone stole 1st. I think with the throw being shorter, being lefty isn't as big a deal in softball

 

[Dabears17]

Lefty's have an advantage on fielding bunts and doing snap pick-off attempts at first.

 

[Eric F]

Can't remember the last time someone stole 1st. I think with the throw being shorter, being lefty isn't as big a deal in softball

Of course you can't steal 1B, but every time a runner gets there, it opens the door for an opportunity. The number of stolen base attempts at 3B goes down a lot when you are effective at back-picking runners at 1B. The number of runners caught at 2B also tends to go up because of a cautious lead-off from 1B...which also reduces the throws to 3B.

 

[Lenski]

Can't remember the last time someone stole 1st. I think with the throw being shorter, being lefty isn't as big a deal in softball

Think pick-off throws.......