Baseball or fastpitch catcher's mitt for Dad

[ANNASDAD]

The part about underhand never bothered me. I was never a catcher in baseball other than a few games in LL and rec ball. The reason I was never a catcher was because I hated the position. I always wanted to be Graig Nettles, not Thurman Munson. What gets me now is the indoor lighting and the fact my eyes, even corrected, aren't what they once were.

The other night, we were pitching indoors, and my daughter wore a white shirt. Little did I realize just how the yellow ball would disappear into the background of her white shirt. I would literally lose the ball for a micro second and have to pick it back up again before it hit me in the mask. That's not terrible on a fastball, but when it happens on a curve or rise, it's actually dangerous.

My daughter throws hard. She was measured at 64 multiple times this weekend at the college camp she attended. But she isn't perfect. Sometimes her pitches don't go where she wants, so the mitt setup isn't always where the ball finishes. She just began working on a drop in lessons, but I haven't had the privilege of catching one yet. I believe it would be better for me to catch in a crouch rather than on a bucket when she throws the drop. I might not be able to walk the next day, but I feel it might afford me better protection.

Shameless brag: One bucket dad at the camp was chatting me up before we began Saturday morning. He asked why I wasn't catching for her at the camp. I game him a polite response about lighting, age, eyes, etc. After the session, he approached me and said "Now I see why you didn't catch for her here."

LE, how old is she? 64 is very impressive, Anna was clocked at 63 once, just one time and I wasn’t there, she cruised at 59 - 61. So when you talk about losing the ball for a micro second, I definitely get it, not a great feeling.

The reason I ask her age is you said she’s just working on a drop ball? Throwing 64 and just now working on a drop, buddy, you better be completely kitted up from head to toe, and with steel toed shoes!

And I agree about catching from the crouch, MUCH safer, if you can do it. A bucket takes away so much mobility on low pitches!

 

[LEsoftballdad]

LE, how old is she? 64 is very impressive, Anna was clocked at 63 once, just one time and I wasn’t there, she cruised at 59 - 61. So when you talk about losing the ball for a micro second, I definitely get it, not a great feeling.

The reason I ask her age is you said she’s just working on a drop ball? Throwing 64 and just now working on a drop, buddy, you better be completely kitted up from head to toe, and with steel toed shoes!

And I agree about catching from the crouch, MUCH safer, if you can do it. A bucket takes away so much mobility on low pitches!

She's 16. 2022 was the year of the major speed jump. She didn't break 59 until January of this year, at least officially. Then she jumped to 62 where she stayed until August. She hit 63 a bunch of times and 64 once in a fluke. The camp was the first time she hit it consistently.

I wear gear as if I were catching a game. I walk into a place to catch her and get sideways looks from other dads. I don't care if they think I'm a wuss. She already broke my toe this summer when I was in full gear on a change. It just got me between the mitt and the ground in the perfect place.

I've seen a few dads using a big piece of foam in front of their feet while on a bucket. That might be the route to go because the thought of crouching for a whole session scares me.

 

[radness]

I’ve seen some Dad’s, some ex-college players, and some really good HS players who are flat out ballers, and from what I know I’m pretty sure you fall into this category, and I’m talking about guys here. I’ve seen some dang good male players struggle catching a really good fastpitch pitcher!

With reaction times anywhere from 0.450 to 0.550 and the ball coming from the bottom, it can freak out a lot of guys, now add a ton of crazy spin….I’ve seen it make some guys hand the mitt back after four or five pitches! “Nope, here I’m done!”

And nothing will make a grown man bail off of a bucket like a nasty drop ball!

But back to your ”Explain” question, I’ve caught Anna since she was 10, I know her very well, I know what to expect, as long as she does what she’s supposed to do. She was a really good pitcher, not a knock down, lights out, 13 strikeout per game pitcher although she‘s definitely had her moments! But at 5’0” and 130/135lbs you get what you get!

It wasn’t until I took her to a new PC for her junior and senior HS years that I learned what catching was all about, this PC changed a few things and her riseball and curveball came alive!

Now add this indoor pitching facility, suspect lighting, my old eyes, and a rise or curve with insane late, sharp break at 60/63 mph all in a half a second. So with (my) DD, any particular pitch that me or the PC called I knew exactly what to expect out of Anna, as long as she did her part. So to actually square up and perfectly catch a spinner in the pocket I’d time her pitches and beat her to the right spot with my mitt by a fraction of a second.

Don’t know if this makes any sense, I’ve literally caught over 100 girls over the last 10 years, I’m still have fast hands and I’m good with a glove. But the last two years before she went to college any girls besides her who could really pitch, it would take me 4,5,6 pitches to time her up to catch squarely and not rattle a little.

Rolling Hard is right, a loud popping mitt is the first true sign you’re catching a ball exactly in the mitt where you’re supposed to.

Watching a great catcher handle a hard throwing spinner and make it look easy with no issues is a thing of beauty to me!

I‘m probably not making any sense, never got that nap today! One last thing, couldn’t imagine catching Anna with a fielder’s glove her last three years of HS, RAD really has to be a true badass, no joking here!

Thank you and that was a great read!
Like reading the experienced 'been through the process feedback' from people because think it can really help out and reach others!
Appreciate your contributions!

Pointing out that reaction time makes me want to comment have arm muscles ready to go before the pitch flies out of the hand. Often people have a soggy arm soggy not ready glove and think in that instantaneous moment they will be in the right spot, and then OUCH...

 

[ANNASDAD]

Thank you and that was a great read!
Like reading the experienced 'been through the process feedback' from people because think it can really help out and reach others!
Appreciate your contributions!

Pointing out that reaction time makes me want to comment have arm muscles ready to go before the pitch flies out of the hand. Often people have a soggy arm soggy not ready glove and think in that instantaneous moment they will be in the right spot, and then OUCH...

Yep, I agree, very important to have an extended firm arm all the way out through the mitt. I hate to see kids catching with a completely bent arm and the mitt up close to their body, they're just asking for some pain!

 

[Bpolly2004]

I love my vinci catchers mitt. I think it's a jcv34. I'll have to look again tonight. It was a beast to break in. The palm padding is a blessing in disguise. The only downside to the vinci mitt I have is that the laces have broke. Catching with it is difficult now. I need to get it relaced but I can't this month. So I've switched back to an old mitt with much less padding and pop.

I agree with the lighting in some of these facilities. They are all a little bit different and it makes a huge difference. A split second makes all the difference. My eyes aren't the best even though I wear glasses.

I used to sit on a bucket regularly. I have slow reaction times anyways and my shins took a beating. So I turned to the side with my catching hand facing the plate. I need to invest in actual shin guards but just haven't yet. I do wear a mask. I've never been hit in the face by her and don't want too either. I do wear my wolverine carbon max toe boots though. With me turned sideways it makes it harder on me to catch the ball if she throws it behind me.

Tonight my dd and I are visiting a new facility in town. We will see how these lights are.

 

[wheresmycar]

On the Rawlings Fastpitch custom glove builder, the Liberty Advanced, HOH and Pro Preferred all use the same pattern (CM34FP), and are available in the large hand-stall. So, if your hand fit the LA, it will likely fit the same in either the HOH or ProPreferred models.

The Liberty Advanced only comes with a Palm Pad option, where the HOH and ProPreferred have Palm and Heel Pad options. I'd guess the OTC LA does not come with a Palm Pad, which is optional on the custom builder.




Interestingly enough, the HOH has the largest number of color options.

HOH



ProPreferred



The LA is more limited in colors. The Palm and Back are limited to these. But you do have more options with the Web, Laces, Trim, etc...

 

[PharmerBrown]

I just pulled the trigger on a 34'' Vinci Custom fastpitch catchers mitt. I spent a lot of time deciding what my next step should be. Mine are 10u and 12u so I'm still doing fine catching with my 14'' slowpitch glove. But I figured I'd get started breaking a mitt in now, and I wanted something that pops. I also didn't want to have to make another decision in a couple years so I'm planning on using this until the end.
I'm a little worried about the hand stall. I don't have long fingers but they are thicker. I'll update this when it comes in. I was also worried about the pocket size in the baseball mitts. I found a lot of 35'' gloves that are hard to find in fastpitch models but I still worried about the depth of the pocket.

Here's this beast.

Let me say, this forum is great. I could hear AD making noises of disgust over my shoulder, the whole time I was trying to design this. It was a great experience. I was sure not to get any light colored laces. Pretty sure they come already broken in a Vinci.

The hand stall is a little tight. I have a feeling the mesh back may not be as bad as leather because of the way the two end stalls are "tented". The index finger is the tightest but I don't keep my index finger in the glove. I have some dowels that I use to get the fingers to an acceptable level.

I've already started breaking it in. I think I'll be able to count this as a workout program.

 

[LEsoftballdad]

So, I wound up going with the Rawlings Heart of The Hide baseball catcher's mitt instead of a fastpitch mitt. I felt the extra padding was worth it, and as long as I break it in with a 12" softball, it should be fine.

For comparison, I weighed my 34" LA versus my 34" HOH baseball mitt. The baseball mitt was almost 2 ounces heavier, which seems like it's due to more padding.

 

[ANNASDAD]

I could hear AD making noises of disgust over my shoulder, the whole time I was trying to design this

Why did you say that? I love Vinci catchers mitts!!

 

[radness]

Why did you say that? I love Vinci catchers mitts!!

Soooo which glove did you decide the op should get LOL