catcher in Minnesota/Alabama game

quincy · May 23, 2017

Lot of work working with C, similar to P.

You need to set up time outside of practice to work with them.9

(We have not played a game yet but a C on her Team is best player, you might try to steal once but after that out you are not doing it again. And do not get to far off your base, she will throw you out)

TexAg1998 · May 23, 2017

DD was taught long ago by an All-American catcher that if you can reach out with your mitt and just not quite be able to touch the hitter's back knee, then you're at the right distance. Any further than that and you won't get as many strike calls as you should. Any closer and you might get hit by the bat and draw a catcher interference call. This advice has served her well. The only time she can't do this is when the batter is set up way in the front of the box and she can't get out of the catchers box to get close enough.

It drives me nuts to see college catchers who don't understand this proximity "rule of thumb". It's bad enough at lower levels when you see a catcher set up all the way in the front of the catchers box when the hitter is all the way in the back of the batters box (begging for CI). Even worse is when you see a catcher set up way back when the hitter is either in the middle or front of the batters box. That just tells me that the catcher is scared, and if you're a catcher you should never be scared.

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Gags · May 23, 2017

staying off-topic - had rec practice for 5th graders last night - learned that you cannot try to teach the basics of both pitching and catching at the same time. Had 2 P's and 2 C's, but one P has being going to league-sponsored clinics (HE), the other got 5 minutes instruction last practice, and 1 C was putting on the gear for the first time.

HE Pitcher - "What do I have to do to throw strikes?"
Me (what I wanted to say) - "Stop listening to your pitching coach"
Me (what I did say) - "Lots of practice"

Greenmonsters · May 23, 2017

TexAg1998 said:
DD was taught long ago by an All-American catcher that if you can reach out with your mitt and just not quite be able to touch the hitter's back knee, then you're at the right distance. Any further than that and you won't get as many strike calls as you should. Any closer and you might get hit by the bat and draw a catcher interference call. This advice has served her well. The only time she can't do this is when the batter is set up way in the front of the box and she can't get out of the catchers box to get close enough.

It drives me nuts to see college catchers who don't understand this proximity "rule of thumb". It's bad enough at lower levels when you see a catcher set up all the way in the front of the catchers box when the hitter is all the way in the back of the batters box (begging for CI). Even worse is when you see a catcher set up way back when the hitter is either in the middle or front of the batters box. That just tells me that the catcher is scared, and if you're a catcher you should never be scared.

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My money is on poorly coached rather than scared for most.

Eric F · May 23, 2017

Greenmonsters said:
My money is on poorly coached rather than scared for most.

Agreed....

catchermama · May 23, 2017

Eric F said:
Generally speaking, the position of catcher is the most poorly-coached position in the game...at all levels.

We have been so surprised over the last few years of how badly girls are taught to catch. We have been on teams where girls don't even have a mitt, have knee savers behind their knee caps, have no idea how to frame a pitch, etc. And it's not just the coaches - parents don't care about mechanics either. I talked to a parent recently who told me her daughter just didn't want to do lessons so they don't (I felt bad that my DD had taken the starting spot up until this conversation).

For one of the most dangerous positions on the field and where proper mechanics can really prevent injuries - I just don't understand why parents and coaches don't take it more seriously. I don't know anything about catching so DD takes lessons, but I've never even considered that she shouldn't.

quincy · May 23, 2017

They are armored up, biggest thing is equipment fits right and protect throwing hand.

More C advice latter.

Eric F · May 23, 2017

catchermama said:
We have been so surprised over the last few years of how badly girls are taught to catch. We have been on teams where girls don't even have a mitt, have knee savers behind their knee caps, have no idea how to frame a pitch, etc. And it's not just the coaches - parents don't care about mechanics either. I talked to a parent recently who told me her daughter just didn't want to do lessons so they don't (I felt bad that my DD had taken the starting spot up until this conversation).

For one of the most dangerous positions on the field and where proper mechanics can really prevent injuries - I just don't understand why parents and coaches don't take it more seriously. I don't know anything about catching so DD takes lessons, but I've never even considered that she shouldn't.

Your participation on DFP already makes you a more advanced softball parent than a large majority of the softball parent population.

The biggest reason why more coaches don't take teaching the catcher position more seriously....ignorance.

nanotech14 · May 23, 2017

As parent of a pitcher. I want the catcher to be better than the pitcher. A good catcher can make my dd look better even on her bad days pitching. Pitchers take care of your catcher.

catcher in Minnesota/Alabama game

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quincy

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