My catcher-beast...

[Eric F]

In an effort to keep the action shots thread from getting cluttered with technical discussion, this thread was created in response to Bartow's comment on this pic...

...I would have here work on the presentation. I would not give her that pitch as an ump. She has turned her hand to frame a ball and has a bad lean which leads me to believe low and away. Have her work on receiving in a athletic catchers position and rotating her hand around the ball to present. Her thumb should almost always be at either 12 or 6 o'clock position and stick it. Do not have her frame bad pitches once she has the reputation for only presenting good pitches she will get a lot more calls to go her way. She also needs to climb up in with the batter about 2 feet. Her glove should almost be able to touch the batters thigh to be in nice and tight. This pitch is more likely to be called if she receives it before it drops. Looks like lots of up side to this young player. Work hard on her technique that is what I look for when identifying talent. Keep the pictures coming and make sure she is having fun.

I'm not sure how you can judge the location of the ball as it crossed the plate based on a still pic from this angle. The ump behind the plate called it a strike. The batter didn't agree - LOL.

The body lean is her movement to get her chest and nose lined up behind the ball. I would prefer to see a little more hip shift included in the lateral movement, but this is what she's currently doing, and it's been pretty successful. She does a good job selling the low-outside corner and (from my observations) gets a lot more of them called as strikes than a majority of catchers her age. I think the rotation of her hand and arm is just fine (thumb is at 6-o'clock), but would prefer to see her extend her fingers forward more than downward as she does on this pitch. She doesn't make an effort to present pitches that miss the zone. The goal is to keep strikes looking like strikes.

What do you mean by an "athletic catchers position"? The way she has been trained, for a non-throwing/blocking situation (no runners and less than 2 strikes), her receiving position is low and stable. This was the situation for the above pic. I would like to see her feet a little wider than she sets them (currently about shoulder width), to allow for a little more lateral movement. For a throwing/blocking situation (runners on and/or 2 strikes), she uses a secondary stance. Here she is in action with her "runners-on" stance, and another unhappy batter...


I do completely agree that she needs to do a better job adjusting her position with the batter's position than she did here. After this game, we had a conversation about the issue, and I found out that she felt limited by the back of the batter's boxes. This isn't an issue any more, and she understands why catching the pitch sooner makes her job a lot easier.

 

[quincy]

I do completely agree that she needs to do a better job adjusting her position with the batter's position than she did here. After this game, we had a conversation about the issue, and I found out that she felt limited by the back of the batter's boxes. This isn't an issue any more, and she understands why catching the pitch sooner makes her job a lot easier.

That is the first thing I noticed, is she looking for a Team? She looks good.

 

[Eric F]

That is the first thing I noticed, is she looking for a Team? She looks good.

Thanks. Her and her team are mutually happy with each other....

...other than being currently out of commission for a few days to recover from a bash-up play at the plate last weekend where she took a cleat to the outside of her knee. Thankfully, it's just a bruise.

 

[MNDad]

Thanks. Her and her team are mutually happy with each other....

...other than being currently out of commission for a few days to recover from a bash-up play at the plate last weekend where she took a cleat to the outside of her knee. Thankfully, it's just a bruise.

I thought that only happened in Texas? Glad it's just a bruise.

 

[Schwepped]

My opinion for what it's worth. It looks like she shifts to the corner, does she really need to shift her head and chest around the ball if she's set up on the corner? If she's on the corner, her goal should be not to shift around it and just catch the outside of the ball. I could be wrong.

 

[Amy in AZ.]

She is a beginner and a very good one. Her desire to catch and the direction that she is going, will serve her well. I can't even get catchers to receive the ball, flat footed. And they are 12u.

 

[Eric F]

My opinion for what it's worth. It looks like she shifts to the corner, does she really need to shift her head and chest around the ball if she's set up on the corner? If she's on the corner, her goal should be not to shift around it and just catch the outside of the ball. I could be wrong.

I look at more than just getting to the spot with the mitt, and getting the mitt around the outside of the ball. My preference is to have the line of the arm (looking from shoulder to mitt) pointing slightly inward or straight, rather than outward, if possible. On an outside pitch with a RH catcher, sometimes it's not totally feasible to get all the way there, but shifting the body behind the ball puts the arm in a stronger position to stick the location. With the arm angled outward, the impact of the ball tends to carry the mitt away from the plate, especially with young catchers.

 

[Schwepped]

If she is set up on the outside corner, shouldn't her body already be behind the ball. I know you're not the biggest fan in this pic but it's ones of the better examples I found. In the video that picture is for when you set up outside versus catchers that stay down the middle and then you have to move your body behind the ball.

 

[Bartow12]

I look at more than just getting to the spot with the mitt, and getting the mitt around the outside of the ball. My preference is to have the line of the arm (looking from shoulder to mitt) pointing slightly inward or straight, rather than outward, if possible. On an outside pitch with a RH catcher, sometimes it's not totally feasible to get all the way there, but shifting the body behind the ball puts the arm in a stronger position to stick the location. With the arm angled outward, the impact of the ball tends to carry the mitt away from the plate, especially with young catchers.

That is what I am looking for as well. Also the head tilt down and to the left will put low and outside in the umpires mind, in this picture, and I realize it is a still picture of a moment. It looks like she is trying to present (Frame) a pitch that is clearly low and off the plate. I agree from the batters look she sold it well. Keep her head upright when presenting. Most of the college Umps we work with say they are more likely to give marginal pitches if the catcher has minimal movement and sticks the ball in the spot the pitcher hit. that is an indicator that this is exactly where the pitch was intended to be and the pitcher hit the spot. Hope to see her soon on the Showcase Trail. Let me know if you come to FLA...

 

[Eric F]

If she is set up on the outside corner, shouldn't her body already be behind the ball. I know you're not the biggest fan in this pic but it's ones of the better examples I found. In the video that picture is for when you set up outside versus catchers that stay down the middle and then you have to move your body behind the ball.
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Please don't get me wrong about my opinion of Jen Schro. There is a LOT I like in what she teaches, and a number of things I use in my own instruction that are directly from her.

If you can stick the pitch without having to lean/shift the body, or move the mitt, it's ideal. If the location of the pitch requires a body shift to get behind the location, then shift. Pitchers don't always hit their spots I know some coaches prefer a quiet body, and the arm reaching out to the ball. I prefer the approach that Jen and NECC teach of getting the body lined up behind the ball. With young catchers, especially, I have found that it greatly improves their ability to stick the pitch location, which translates to fewer lost strikes.