Catcher struggling to catch

[undergroundga]

We have a catcher that is very athletic, has a tremendous work ethic, and great heart. She has been taking catching lessons and is working her butt off to secure our starting catcher job(this is one of our biggest positions we struggle at).
She has improved dramatically and it is evident that her hard work is paying.
However, too often the ball bounces off the edge of her glove or isn't secured before she begins moving her glove to transfer and loses the ball. I think he biggest problem is that she is moving her glove to soon for the transfer causing her to move her glove just enough for it to contact the edge of the glove.
Any tips, idea, or drills to help her? for the most part she is solid but once it starts happening it only worsens.
Thanks.

 

[sbmom19]

We have a catcher that is very athletic, has a tremendous work ethic, and great heart. She has been taking catching lessons and is working her butt off to secure our starting catcher job(this is one of our biggest positions we struggle at).
She has improved dramatically and it is evident that her hard work is paying.
However, too often the ball bounces off the edge of her glove or isn't secured before she begins moving her glove to transfer and loses the ball. I think he biggest problem is that she is moving her glove to soon for the transfer causing her to move her glove just enough for it to contact the edge of the glove.
Any tips, idea, or drills to help her? for the most part she is solid but once it starts happening it only worsens.
Thanks.

Is she pulling her head? I have seen that cause the issues that you have mentioned...

 

[Eric F]

The FIRST job of a catcher is receiving. This is a critical thing to fix.

My first thought is to have her work on catch-and-freeze. Get the mitt to the location of the catch early, catch the ball, and hold it at the location it's caught for a 3-count. Give her the direction that she needs to show the ump the location of the pitch.

It may also be a mitt issue. There have been a couple mitts that my DD struggled to catch well with. It didn't make sense, she just missed. A change of mitt made a big difference. Also, of the mitt is excessively floppy, slightly off-center catches will bend the finger-side edge back and the ball will bounce away instead of being directed into the pocket.

 

[undergroundga]

Is she pulling her head? I have seen that cause the issues that you have mentioned...

This could likely be part of it. Any tips on how to help her fix it?

 

[redhotcoach]

I remember dd at 10U dropped the ball all the stinkin time. Everyone gave me the "mitt is no excuse" lecture. We got a new mitt, and wahla, no more dropped balls.

 

[Eric F]

I remember dd at 10U dropped the ball all the stinkin time. Everyone gave me the "mitt is no excuse" lecture. We got a new mitt, and wahla, no more dropped balls.

Yep. My DD's Vinci had balls bouncing off the finger-side edge frequently. Switching to a Miz GXS92 made a HUGE difference immediately.

 

[iMlearning]

I remember dd at 10U dropped the ball all the stinkin time. Everyone gave me the "mitt is no excuse" lecture. We got a new mitt, and wahla, no more dropped balls.

What glove did you get?

 

[redhotcoach]

What glove did you get?

She had a wilson ?, got a gsx 92. Several years later it was stinging like a $?@$& with hard slingin pitchers. Now she has a vinci. I told her last week that she can get a 34" vinci instead of her smaller 33". She said no, don't want a bigger one.

 

[iMlearning]

Vinci

I remember dd at 10U dropped the ball all the stinkin time. Everyone gave me the "mitt is no excuse" lecture. We got a new mitt, and wahla, no more dropped balls.

Yep. My DD's Vinci had balls bouncing off the finger-side edge frequently. Switching to a Miz GXS92 made a HUGE difference immediately.

DD dropped quite a few balls this weekend at a college showcase and was using the Vinci 34" She hasn't caught much until recently so I'm hoping it was nerves and maybe the glove isn't completely broken in. We are going to use a pitching machine to work on it tomorrow for the first time. We have 3 pitchers that throw in the 60's so I think the extra padding is great so I hope it works out.

 

[redhotcoach]

DD dropped quite a few balls this weekend at a college showcase and was using the Vinci 34" She hasn't caught much until recently so I'm hoping it was nerves and maybe the glove isn't completely broken in. We are going to use a pitching machine to work on it tomorrow for the first time. We have 3 pitchers that throw in the 60's so I think the extra padding is great so I hope it works out.

I bet it needs some more breaking in. Also, experience. I know I have trouble holding balls from a girl that puts a lot of spin on it.