Losing sight of the ball

[ahiggins1804]

Eric, I can't answer your question but show me a video of a D1 catcher in a runners on stance... The majority of all D1 coaches and players cant be wrong or can they?

The only FP catchers I've seen utilizing the runners on stance method is young catchers 14U and below. I guess they're all wrong....

 

[Eric F]

Eric, I can't answer your question but show me a video of a D1 catcher in a runners on stance... The majority of all D1 coaches and players cant be wrong or can they?

The only FP catchers I've seen utilizing the runners on stance method is young catchers 14U and below. I guess they're all wrong....

I don't have photo/video proof at the moment, but I have seen D1 softball catchers use a RO or semi-RO position. I will agree that it's not standard practice, however.

As for the majority of D1 coaches, reference my previous comment from my conversation with Jay.

 

[ahiggins1804]

Thanks for the correction riseball it was her not his comment. Georgia Southerns head coach and an assistant male coach from Florida State was standing together when she made the comment.

 

[Eric F]

NECC isn't the only one teaching a RO stance for softball. Here's something I found (3:52 starts staling about the "up position")...

 

[Eric F]

Something else - At 4:30 the discussion of blocking shows the catcher's hips having to move upward before executing a block ...


Starting up is faster.

But...but...but...Megan Willis is a top-level catcher, she MUST be going it right!!

Brian McCann of the Yankees is a highly-paid, top-level pro. He still hasn't figured out how to protect his throwing hand to keep it from being broken. Three times...and counting. He almost notched up #4 this year.

 

[marriard]

Eric, I can't answer your question but show me a video of a D1 catcher in a runners on stance... The majority of all D1 coaches and players cant be wrong or can they?

The only FP catchers I've seen utilizing the runners on stance method is young catchers 14U and below. I guess they're all wrong....

How about a MLB NL MVP Buster Posey - whether he learnt through NECC directly or through other means, he clearly does exactly what you see in the NECC videos. 0:23, runners on, t-slide and throw out the stealing runner coming to third.




But hey, if you prefer how you look over results, you go right ahead and do whatever you want.

 

[Greenmonsters]

According to all the D1 coaches and former D1 catchers I have spoken to and D1 camps my DD has attended there is no such thing as a runners on stance. What her and I was told is you stay in your normal receiving stance and if the ball is received above the catchers waist then they should see a quick pop up to square staying low and in one powerful motion make the throw down, if the ball is received below the waist than a powerful throw utilizing your whole body to throw down from knees. The catcher’s job is to first catch the ball for a strike and eliminate all movement until ball is received. That means no moving up as the ball is on its way to get a head start on getting in position to make a throw down. Unless you’re executing a pitch out then the above doesn’t apply.

They also said if the catcher isn't quick enough or strong enough to do this then that’s what they need to work on, not modifying your stance. They also commented on that’s the reason why you hear of all the young kids with unrealistic low pop times, because they play runner first not pitch first.

Right or wrong this is what we're hearing from people making the decisions on recruiting catchers...

I think I'm preaching to the choir, but it should be noted that a "runners on" stance means something entirely different to the majority of catchers and coaches than it does to those familiar with the New England Catching Camp (NECC), Advanced Catching Concepts (ACC), and the DFP catching forum.

A catcher's main priority, regardless of whether there are or aren't runners on base, should be to receive pitches so that it is easy for the umpire to call a strike a strike. Understanding that this objective is paramount and applies to EVERY pitch of the game, the purpose of the runners on stance, contrary to the popular belief that it is to make it easier to throw runners out, is to facilitate blocking to prevent base runner advance on wild pitches or, heaven help me, passed balls. To the less informed, the "runners on" stance typically is used to describe a high stance with the chest turned open and the feet significantly staggered (L foot far in front of R foot for a RH-throwing catcher).

IMO the coaches/catchers you have talked to are right about one thing, "that" runners on stance has only one use - producing artificially fast pop times that can't be reproduced in game situations. IMO, those coaches/catchers would benefit from a sit down with the NECC DVD so that they could better understand what they should be looking for when recruiting and what they should be instructing.

 

[Eric F]

How about a MLB NL MVP Buster Posey...

...and pretty much EVERY other catcher in high-level baseball.

Just like hitting, plenty of people (up to the highest levels of the sport) believe that catching a softball is different than catching a baseball.

 

[ahiggins1804]

Eric, I never said the hips don't move up when having to block but I also never heard Megan say get in a runners on stance when preparing to block the ball with runners on in the video clip you just posted. DD actually went to a clinic she and Cat but on in Houston last fall and she wasn't teaching a runners on stance then....

I'm not disputing any of the things you're saying or Jay is teaching is wrong and not effective all I'm doing is putting the information out there for others to hear what we have been told and what these coaches want to see my DD do while they're recruiting her, they need to decide for themselves on what is effective for their DD.

 

[marriard]

...and pretty much EVERY other catcher in high-level baseball.

Just like hitting, plenty of people (up to the highest levels of the sport) believe that catching a softball is different than catching a baseball.

Live I watched the U of Miami and the U Florida baseball catchers last year.

I am blanking on the name, but there was a 'converted to catcher this year due to injury' at the softball CWS last year who clearly was using the NECC DVD as the basis of learning to catch and was doing an outstanding job doing so.