Catching Popups

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Jun 11, 2013
2,619
113
DD (01 player) is a very good Outfielder, gets a great jump on the ball and catches anything she gets her glove on despite average speed. When she play C she is great at handling pitchers, blocks almost everything (2 WP and no PB in 4 games this weekend). She needs to improve her throwing which I have a pretty good idea on how to do.

Where she struggles is on POPUPS. She lost one in the sun this weekend and caught a couple, but she wants to work on catching all playable ones. Does anyone have any good drills to work on this. She does wear a goalie type mask so I don't see her throwing it off. She seems to have trouble picking ball up.
 
Aug 24, 2011
161
0
DD (01 player) is a very good Outfielder, gets a great jump on the ball and catches anything she gets her glove on despite average speed. When she play C she is great at handling pitchers, blocks almost everything (2 WP and no PB in 4 games this weekend). She needs to improve her throwing which I have a pretty good idea on how to do.

Where she struggles is on POPUPS. She lost one in the sun this weekend and caught a couple, but she wants to work on catching all playable ones. Does anyone have any good drills to work on this. She does wear a goalie type mask so I don't see her throwing it off. She seems to have trouble picking ball up.

There are several. As the tosser, or if you can hit a fungo, stand behind her and have her close her eyes. When you say ball have her turn around and find the ball.

You can do this with short foul pop-ups as well. Have her face forward. Yell, "Ball." When she hears "ball" she turns around and finds the ball.

As you know, make sure she feels the pop-ups with her back to the infield because more often than not foul balls drift back toward the field of play.
 
Apr 17, 2012
806
18
Wi
Teach your pitchers how to help her out locating them if you haven't. They should be able to indicate immediately which side the ball is on, and where it's located front back etc. Work on it in practice with them together.
 

Greenmonsters

Wannabe Duck Boat Owner
Feb 21, 2009
6,168
38
New England
Repetitions, repetitions, repetitions. The best reps are those that simulate game conditions i.e., geared up (or at least the helmet) starting in receiving position in the catcher's box, back spin and practicing in proximity to the backstop/fence. To replicate game spin, a backwards pop up needs to be hit from the home plate area. This is a learned skill that takes time to master. Although thrown pop ups are better than nothing, there is no other way to reproduce game spin and trajectory than with backwards fungos hit from home plate. Practicing this in the vicinity of second base is recommended until the hitter can consistently produce the desired spin/trajectory. While mastering this skill, balls can be expected to clear both the backstop and CF fence.

FWIW, foul pop ups behind the plate put catchers at a significant disadvantage compared to field players because the catcher loses sight of the ball immediately after contact and has to re-locate it in the air, and then has to calculate and project the ball's landing spot based on incomplete trajectory data. On this basis, the catcher should always be the player of last choice to catch infield area pop ups.
 

ArkFastpitch

Dont' I know you?
Sep 20, 2013
351
18
Teach your pitchers how to help her out locating them if you haven't. They should be able to indicate immediately which side the ball is on, and where it's located front back etc. Work on it in practice with them together.

^^^ Good advice...
 
Apr 1, 2010
1,675
0
Teach your pitchers how to help her out locating them if you haven't. They should be able to indicate immediately which side the ball is on, and where it's located front back etc. Work on it in practice with them together.

I agree. If your pitcher isn't screaming UP, UP and pointing at the ball, then the missed catch is on her too, IMO.
 
May 6, 2014
532
16
Low and outside
The main problem with drills is going to be that it is hard to simulate the amount of backspin on a popup by hitting it fungo-style. You do need to teach her not to stand directly under it, because it is usually going to move back toward the field by a step or two.
 

obbay

Banned
Aug 21, 2008
2,199
0
Boston, MA
Stand behind the catcher with the pitcher in the circle. Pitcher doesn't have a ball but she goes thru the motion to pitch and you throw a pop up. pitcher yells UP,UP Up while directing catcher to the ball and catcher is getting the popup.
 

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