Throwing hand placement

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Jun 7, 2012
24
1
Morgantown, WV
I think I have seen this mentioned off and on in a couple of threads, but I was not able to find a specific thread to talk about it and maybe it is just not thread-worthy... :)

But basically, there seems to be 2 theories for throwing hand placement, behind the glove or behind your back down beside your leg.

If your hand is down/back the concern seems to be that there is a reaction where as the pitch is coming in you may pull you throwing hand out with a possible injury happening.

If your hand is behind the glove, the concern seems to be that you may get hit by the batter.

So I am just looking for feedback from everyone on what they think is the best approach.

I have started leaning towards the hand behind only because if you are not interfering with the batter then your hand is not going to get hit. So if I have confidence in catcher placement in the box and how she moves the glove then I am confident that she will not get her throwing hand hit.

So say you all?
 
Mar 23, 2010
2,019
38
Cafilornia
Hand behind the glove is what the Weavers teach, and what DD does with a runner on base. When she has to reach with glove hand, the right fist goes tight against the chest protector.
With nobody on, hand stays behind the knee. Hand is in a fist in either place.

If I understand the potential risks to this placement, they would be from a ball fouled back, and presumably off the mask too.

It would be very difficult for RH to obstruct a bat, even on a LH batter, the glove hand would contact first.
 

Greenmonsters

Wannabe Duck Boat Owner
Feb 21, 2009
6,168
38
New England
GGordo ^^^^^ has it right. No runners on - throwing hand should be tucked behind/alongside the knee/leg/ankle for protection from foul tips. Runners on - throwing hand should be behind the glove for a) limited protection b) quick transfer for throwing AND c) to be used for blocking (in conjunction with and behind the glove).

Screwbie is right about hand behind the back limiting mobility and creating balance issues, but wrong about the rest. With respect to "imagined potential for injury", as a former pitcher apparently she never appreciated that while catchers wear a full helmet, chest protector, and leg guards to protect them primarily from foul tips, there is virtually no part of the body, protected or unprotected, including the throwing hand, that is exempt from getting hit by a foul tip or errant bat. If she believes that a softball traveling at speeds of upwards of 60 mph doesn't have the potential to cause a hand injury, I have an x-ray of a broken ulna that suggests otherwise. Given this, it is more than reasonable for the catcher to protect their throwing hand in a manner different than the other players.

If your DD plans to be a catcher, do her a favor and invest $40 in the Weaver's "New England Catching Camp" catcher training video - its a catcher's bible and has nearly 3 hours of instruction carefully explaining the whats, hows, and whys of catching.
 

redhotcoach

Out on good behavior
May 8, 2009
4,706
38
Just to add to what greenmonsters said....we parents had to try it at necc clinic. Ok every teaching method of blocking teaches when down in the blocking position the throwing hand is behind the glove between the legs....right? So now try both ways yourself. Put hand behind leg or back and slow mo go into blocking position. Your throwing hand has to come over or around your leg or body to get behind your glove and between your knees. It is exposed for a bit of time in that move. Now do it with a fist, thumb tucked, behind the glove. Going in to blocking positions your glove is turned so finger tips down to the ground and throwing fist stays behind it for the most part, protected slightly more from a foul tip.
Also, throw down...necc teaches to catch ball, turn glove, and exchange ball to hand right behind glove. The purpose of this exchange out front rather than taking glove with ball up to ear to exchange is that exchanging at the ear creates a chance that the catcher could pull the front should and elbow too far off target.

All that being said, Dave would say and Jay says (I am taking liberties sorry Jay) "we study catching 24/7 and this is the best ways we think there are of doing it" they wouldn't get into the arguements about it that their followers do, they wouldn't say their way is the only way, just what they think is the best way and why. When they explain it (much better than I do) it is hard to argue against.

I have been watching slo mo of THE biggest names in npf catching right now. I will say almost everyone of the them, in game situations, have their throwing hand flying all over the place. I have a vid of the biggest name I can think of making a throw to second that she catches the pitch with 2 hands like you would teach a little kid to catch a pop fly. My point is if your trying out different ways of doing it, I would def try necc's method, if your successful with your way of doing it, great, no reason to change.
 
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Apr 1, 2010
1,675
0
Just to add to what greenmonsters said....we parents had to try it at necc clinic. Ok every teaching method of blocking teaches when down in the blocking position the throwing hand is behind the glove between the legs....right? So now try both ways yourself. Put hand behind leg or back and slow mo go into blocking position. Your throwing hand has to come over or around your leg or body to get behind your glove and between your knees.

......

I have been watching slo mo of THE biggest names in npf catching right now. I will say almost everyone of the them, in game situations, have their throwing hand flying all over the place.

IA, it's a long, long way from around the leg or back to get that hand safely behind the glove, and it would all have to be done while dropping to her knees and throwing her body into the right position to deflect the ball in the split second after realizing the pitch is wild and is going to be in the dirt. It's a lot to ask.

When I'm watching catchers at tournaments, it can be scary watching the ones who don't follow the NECC technique. That throwing hand is all over the place. It's the rare girl who can keep it protected behind her leg or back when she's trying to be ready for the throwdown. I don't worry so much about the big girls of the npf, but I really hate to see the kids get hurt.
 
Nov 23, 2010
272
0
North Carolina
DGD puts her hand behind the glove with or without runner(s) on.

Of course she blocks every pitch in the dirt even with no runner(s) on. She does this for three reasons. What is a better way to get practice than in an actual game? The more repetition you get the better you get. Number two, the pitcher sees her blocking everything, it gives her more confidence on trying to hit her target and not worrying about a passed ball. And third, if the other team sees her blocking everything, they are less apt to try to steal when the ball hits the ground.
 

Greenmonsters

Wannabe Duck Boat Owner
Feb 21, 2009
6,168
38
New England
Yeah, I don't see any catchers having the hand behind the glove. Not that I look that hard.

Relaxed and beside the leg, knee, laying on the thigh, or whatever. I wrote BESIDE. Never seen my catcher have any issue blocking balls from there. Hand behind the glove does remind me of the two hands thing. Kind of babyish, Sorry.

I really don't care about the style of the catcher as long as the hand is not behind the back. I have a few catchers in the family too.

Look I got hit with line drives, on base (no helmets then) etc.. All softball players break and sprain fingers. Not a big deal. I played with them that way (although not pitching).

I got hurt more than my catcher ever did. If you as a catcher are that uncoordinated to stick your hand in there (to the point you have to hide it somewhere), then don't catch. One thing is for sure, you hurt your finger, you won't do it again, so that works as a lesson, too.

Good grief.

Kindly admit that you don't really know much about catching and limit your ignorant postings in the catching section before you get someone hurt.
 
Apr 9, 2012
366
0
Behind the glove as NECC teaches. That has been confirmed by educated college coaches when I asked in clinics, training, and visits.

It is a very effective technique for my catchers. The hand by the leg was what we did in college baseball.......it was right then but times change as the games evolve.

Evolve or get left behind :)
 

rdbass

It wasn't me.
Jun 5, 2010
9,131
83
Not here.
Secondary receiving position (runners on base) has feet slightly wider then primary (no runners on).
Heals are on the ground, toes pointed up the lines
Throwing hand is behind glove.
Proper position for throwing hand is as follows. Player extends hand as if to offer handshake. Drop thumb to palm, wrap fingers around to protect thumb. Then the hand is placed behind glove with the middle finger knuckles touching glove.
Catcher has come up in crouch so thighs are parallel to ground. This is approx. Goal is to get out of deep crouch and “unlock hips’ to allow for a quick explosive move towards second. Staying in deep crouch requires first move to be “up” and that will waste time.
This was copied from the Coach weaver web site.Go check it out.I don't know much about catching,but I know where to look for info.
 
Nov 23, 2010
272
0
North Carolina
Secondary receiving position (runners on base) has feet slightly wider then primary (no runners on).
Heals are on the ground, toes pointed up the lines
Throwing hand is behind glove.
Proper position for throwing hand is as follows. Player extends hand as if to offer handshake. Drop thumb to palm, wrap fingers around to protect thumb. Then the hand is placed behind glove with the middle finger knuckles touching glove.
Catcher has come up in crouch so thighs are parallel to ground. This is approx. Goal is to get out of deep crouch and “unlock hips’ to allow for a quick explosive move towards second. Staying in deep crouch requires first move to be “up” and that will waste time.
This was copied from the Coach weaver web site.Go check it out.I don't know much about catching,but I know where to look for info.

Yes, that is the way my DGD (14u) has been taught for the last three years. It is ingrained in her head and she has gotten pretty good at it. So yesterday she goes for catching instruction for the first time with a D1 catcher, who she met at a camp and they have become very good friends. Now the D1 catcher wants to change her "runner(s) on position to a balanced squat, similar to no runners on. She also told my DGD that she was going to have to develop more quickness getting up to throw runners out and to catch the higher pitches. When asked why the change, she said as DGD grows older, the pitchers will be faster and will have more movement on the ball, therefore she would have less time to react to pitches in the dirt. She also said DGD was athletic enough to handle it. It is hard to argue with her as this D1 catcher was the starting catcher the last two years and made only two errors and she threw out 13 runners this last season.

Personally, the NECC way makes more sense to me and I prefer it. But, alas, this is my DGD's hero so I guess she will change. Whatever makes her happy.
 
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