I was wondering if you guys and gals could help a close friend’s dd. The girl is 15 and is a fabulous player. She hits for power and average, runs the bases correctly, and most is importantly an extremely hard worker. She can play just about every position. The position that she has played, since she was 7 years old, is catcher. Over the years, she has developed into an outstanding catcher with a rocket arm. She drops and blocks correctly and has outstanding footwork. She has been well coached. Her problem is when she throws the ball back to the pitcher. After about 1 or 2 innings, her throw back to the pitcher falls about 4 or 5 feet from the pitcher or goes over the pitchers head. The F-4 or F-6 are constantly called into action to back up the pitcher even when there are no runners on base. You can tell she gets frustrated with herself and then the throws get more erratic. Like I said earlier, she has a rocket of an arm when she throws out runners trying to steal, it’s just throwing back that 43’ that is the problem. It reminds me of the mental block that Steve Sax or Chuck Knoblauch had. I see the girl is struggling with this and was hoping that someone may have a few positive suggestions.
A Catcher's Woes
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DD went thru this throwing the ball from P to 1st, the people in the stands started ducking when she was making a throw to 1st. For my DD, making sure she started her throw with stepping towards her target with her back foot resolved the Issue. Not sure if her thinking about stepping got her head out of the way or the better mechanics.
Should probably be in the catching forum too.
It happens even to MLB catchers sometimes, Jarrod Saltalamacia comes to mind as a recent example, though he's over it now. Mackey Sasser had a terrible time in the 90s. For some it ended their careers as catchers I think. I think they even had a bit on it in one of the Major League movies where the cacther had this problem for a while, though I could have my fictional baseball movies confused. I don't think anyone knows for sure why it happens but a sports psycologist would be the best place to start in looking for a solution because it's often a mental block on a routine task from overthinking a thing you've done with ease for years.
It happens even to MLB catchers sometimes, Jarrod Saltalamacia comes to mind as a recent example, though he's over it now. Mackey Sasser had a terrible time in the 90s. For some it ended their careers as catchers I think. I think they even had a bit on it in one of the Major League movies where the cacther had this problem for a while, though I could have my fictional baseball movies confused. I don't think anyone knows for sure why it happens but a sports psycologist would be the best place to start in looking for a solution because it's often a mental block on a routine task from overthinking a thing you've done with ease for years.
As a former catcher, I've personally went through this. It's 100% mental.
2 things that completely solved this for me.
1- return the ball to the P as quick as possible. At 15 yoa, she can make the throw without having her body in the right position. Snap it back to the P before she has time to think about it.
2- fire it back to the P. I'm not talking about using a crow hop, just fire it like she would throw down to 2nd. Let the P know ahead of time what she'll do.
All it will take is a few throws that land in the P's glove to snap out of it. It's a very weird feeling when it hits you, and then your mind takes over. The bit in the movie "Major League", was funny, but it was also correct. She don't need to recite underwear reviews, but something to keep her mind off of making a mistake. haha
2 things that completely solved this for me.
1- return the ball to the P as quick as possible. At 15 yoa, she can make the throw without having her body in the right position. Snap it back to the P before she has time to think about it.
2- fire it back to the P. I'm not talking about using a crow hop, just fire it like she would throw down to 2nd. Let the P know ahead of time what she'll do.
All it will take is a few throws that land in the P's glove to snap out of it. It's a very weird feeling when it hits you, and then your mind takes over. The bit in the movie "Major League", was funny, but it was also correct. She don't need to recite underwear reviews, but something to keep her mind off of making a mistake. haha
Catcher Throw Backs
I'm also a former fastpitch catcher of about 25 years and H.S. coach for about the same.I would have her do it the old school way.She would throw back to the pitcher 50 times per day even if she has to do the first 10 in slow motion!
I'm also a former fastpitch catcher of about 25 years and H.S. coach for about the same.I would have her do it the old school way.She would throw back to the pitcher 50 times per day even if she has to do the first 10 in slow motion!
Every case is different, but would this solve the mental issues? The short period that I went through it, I was catching 50-100/day, 5 days a week and never had a problem during practice. One errant through during the game and I felt like I couldn't get it to the pitcher (baseball). It was in the last inning of the game. Next game that day, it started in the 2nd inning. Coach told be to shoot it back to the pitcher as fast as possible and problem was solved.
It was a very weird feeling. I had been catching for about 7 years at the time, and wham...I lost complete confidence.
C was great, the P had a problem. 
It was Major League 2.
My daughter just went through this, its 100% mental. She's in 8th grade and a manager for the HS team and gets to practice with the HS team. She has always thrown well and has never had any issues with pressure. The first few practices with the hs team went fine but then just like a light switch she could not throw, it was the strangest thing I have ever seen with a player. It even made its way over to her select team practices, she looked like a teeballer throwing for the first time. I could get her out of it, it took about 5 minutes of "just throwing", not aiming or caring or thinking, just throwing hard. The HS coaches didnt coddle her, they would just say "were not going to do this" "just go shag", they knew she could throw. The other 8th grade manager, her good friend, would warm her up and yell at her to "just throw". It lasted 2 weeks and hasnt happened in over a month. We laugh about it know.
The natural inclination is to slow down and try to throw perfectly, I believe that just makes is worse.
The key for her was having me and her friend in her ear telling her to throw faster and harder, quit thinking so much. But in the end the player has to un-psyche herself, and the adult has to be patient.
. It lasted 2 weeks and hasnt happened in over a month. We laugh about it know.The natural inclination is to slow down and try to throw perfectly, I believe that just makes is worse.
The key for her was having me and her friend in her ear telling her to throw faster and harder, quit thinking so much. But in the end the player has to un-psyche herself, and the adult has to be patient.
