Catcher positioning question for the group, especially umpire point of view..

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Jul 22, 2015
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So, I think I like her move out footwork, but I think I don't care for the last bit of extra leaning outside. But that poses another problem, is it reasonable for a catcher to receive a pitch outside of your shoulders and then bring it back in?
Get rid of that extra lean. It doesn't fool the umpire or serve any other purpose. If the pitch was outside her shoulders just catch it and move on.
Maybe this is all moot as this pitch was a ball (apparently) and she should've just gave up on it???
No reason to try and make every pitch look like a strike. Her framing will be more convincing if she's only framing borderline pitches.
 
Jan 22, 2011
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I mentioned elsewhere my DD caught her first game last Saturday in over three years. She still occasionally gears up to warm-up pitchers and the pitchers on her HS team prefer her as the back-up catcher because she is so quiet. I prefer 'receiving' over 'framing', and most of the time all she does is rotate the wrist slightly to bring the ball slightly closer to the strike zone. Since she's rusty a couple times her hand moved an inch or two. Reviewing video of the game this morning I noticed she kept her throwing hand behind the ankle with runners on so I'll have to give her a hard time about that. Her muscle memory for blocking is totally gone, but only one player on the other team stole a base-- twice. She even 'received' most of the pitches that were hits.

She definitely respects catchers because her thighs were sore for two days. I wish she had stayed primarily a catcher, but when pitchers were needed and she's a lefty with a strong arm, I had to turn her into a pitcher. Now on her teams they want her in right field with her arm, or playing 1B because she is so smooth at first and with a constantly looking for the next out mentality she steals/saves 1 to 2 outs a game. The freshman 3B has learned she better be ready for the ball if my DD has the ball and there is a possible play at 3B.

catcher4.jpgcatching1.jpgcatcher2.jpgcatcher3.jpg
 
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May 7, 2015
842
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SoCal
I mentioned elsewhere my DD caught her first game last Saturday in over three years. She still occasionally gears up to warm-up pitchers and the pitchers on her HS team prefer her as the back-up catcher because she is so quiet. I prefer 'receiving' over 'framing', and most of the time all she does is rotate the wrist slightly to bring the ball slightly closer to the strike zone. Since she's rusty a couple times her hand moved an inch or two. Reviewing video of the game this morning I noticed she kept her throwing hand behind the ankle with runners on so I'll have to give her a hard time about that. Her muscle memory for blocking is totally gone, but only one player on the other team stole a base-- twice. She even 'received' most of the pitches that were hits.

She definitely respects catchers because her thighs were sore for two days. I wish she had stayed primarily a catcher, but when pitchers were needed and she's a lefty with a strong arm, I had to turn her into a pitcher. Now on her teams they want her in right field with her arm, or playing 1B because she is so smooth at first and with a constantly looking for the next out mentality she steals/saves 1 to 2 outs a game. The freshman 3B has learned she better be ready for the ball if my DD has the ball and there is a possible play at 3B.
Thats amazing that she hasn't caught in 3 years, looks good. Anyway, regarding the above bolded... I think that hand should always stay protected, even with runners on. Hand injuries are no joke, they injure easy and can take a long time to heal.

DD's long time coach plays in PAC12, team was down by 1 with a runner on. Hand drifted out from behind and was smashed from a foul tip. Out for 6 weeks during the beginning of the season. You should see how much she shields her hand now!
 
Jan 22, 2011
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Thank you.

Sorry, to clarify in runners on situations she was taught to start with her throwing hand in a fist behind the glove and bring the hand against the chest in the shadow of the glove to protect it and be ready for a quick transfer if the runner goes.

Last week she and the 3B turned a 6-3-5 double play.... my favorite.
 
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May 24, 2013
12,461
113
So Cal
Thats amazing that she hasn't caught in 3 years, looks good. Anyway, regarding the above bolded... I think that hand should always stay protected, even with runners on. Hand injuries are no joke, they injure easy and can take a long time to heal.

DD's long time coach plays in PAC12, team was down by 1 with a runner on. Hand drifted out from behind and was smashed from a foul tip. Out for 6 weeks during the beginning of the season. You should see how much she shields her hand now!

I believe that Dabears17 subscribes to the idea of throwing hand behind the mitt for runners-on situations.

I've watched Gwen Svekis catch for years (Oregon, NPF, AU). It always makes me tense up when I see where she puts her throwing hand.
1651251168926.png
 
Jan 22, 2011
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Yes. Jay Weaver has ruined watching softball and baseball for me when the catchers don't use similar techniques to what he teaches, especially televised games. When I see a NECC catcher its extremely noticeable.

When I see a catcher with their hand exposed like that, my fight or flight response kicks in and I do a lot of pacing!
 
May 7, 2015
842
93
SoCal
I believe that Dabears17 subscribes to the idea of throwing hand behind the mitt for runners-on situations.

I've watched Gwen Svekis catch for years (Oregon, NPF, AU). It always makes me tense up when I see where she puts her throwing hand.
Yep, he clarified that hand should be behind the glove then transitioning to against the chest. I could get used to behind the glove, but on the chest is not for me.

It seems like it would be hard (although not impossible) to train the body to move both hands as one tracking the ball in.

My view, whatever it takes to keep the probability as low as possible for the hand to get hit.
 
May 24, 2013
12,461
113
So Cal
Yep, he clarified that hand should be behind the glove then transitioning to against the chest. I could get used to behind the glove, but on the chest is not for me.

It seems like it would be hard (although not impossible) to train the body to move both hands as one tracking the ball in.

My view, whatever it takes to keep the probability as low as possible for the hand to get hit.

They don't always move together. When receiving, the throwing hand is pulled back towards the chest in the "shadow" of the mitt to stay protected, and is still in a good spot for transferring for a throw. When blocking, the throwing hand stays protected behind the mitt as the mitt goes to the ground.

This is the way my DD learned, but she evolved her own style over the years, and a lot of the NECC fundamentals faded from her game. It also came to a point where she wasn't going to listen to my guidance - lol.
 
May 1, 2018
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I as a coach prefer a late and deliberate move, I don't like leaning. I want the ump to know this ball was intended to be right where it is. Also maybe i'm old school but cut the plate in half and so it looks like anything caught center of the body in, is a strike.
 

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