catching clinics/instructors DC/Baltimore

[sb03dad]

He worked with DD on this for awhile but I'm not sure I can explain it well. Basically it is getting the feet/body in a position to throw as the ball is hitting the glove and making a quick transfer??? Sorry...iMlearning

I get it. Tried to have DD anticipate footwork before the ball arriving once. The batter laid down a bunt (on a high outside pitch, at that), and DD tripped all over herself trying to get to it. I supposed it's more of a timing thing.

 

[Greenmonsters]

He worked with DD on this for awhile but I'm not sure I can explain it well. Basically it is getting the feet/body in a position to throw as the ball is hitting the glove and making a quick transfer??? Sorry...iMlearning

IML - Sounds like you've found a good instructor who will help your DD improve! I like that he's presenting things as options and aware of NECC work. Given that, I'd ask him to train her NECC style!

As to the bold, been there and tried that myself back in the day. Now I understand why it was counterproductive and not recommended IMO - you lose the coil in the hip which ultimately produces the powerful, accurate, and effortless feeling throw that AW/NECC is teaching and, if it involves staggering the feet, you impair blocking ability. Don't take anybody's word for it, let the stopwatch be your final judge!

Eric and NECC are spot on about the hand positioning IMO/IME.

Same with the helmet - aside from the safety factor, there is a big difference between taking off the old style catcher's mask and the newer hockey goalie style mask that many old time BB catchers don't realize/haven't thought about. Here's an easy way to safely confirm that for yourself. While shagging fly balls in the OF alternately wear and take off a 1) basic fielder's mask (Rip It or any other model) and 2) a catcher's helmet (any new make/model) and see how each affects your ability to see and track the ball. IYEILM (if your experience is like mine) the old style masks come of nearly as easily as today's fielder's masks and only block your vision for an instant, while the head gets pretty jostled and you experience a slightly longer temporary visual loss of the ball with the helmet style mask. Regardless of that difference, ask yourself "Why you would ever want to intentionally lose sight of the ball behind the plate?" Optional consideration - personal safety/risk tolerance.

 

[PlayPerfect]

GM - you explain it very well and my thoughts are the same with respect to the bigger masks and losing vision for the smallest of moments. I will only add, if its a proper fitting mask, it will not move on the catcher's face as she tracks foul tip's up above her head and over the plate. This is the only play where there is debate on whether its better to chuck the mask.

As for squaring your feet pre-throw and backing up your glove with a barehand, it's safety first, logic second. When a catcher sees a runner stealing, all they are doing is reading the pitch and determining if they are going down or coming up to receive it. Even with the most accurate of pitchers, the catcher has to wait for the ball and see where's it's going. Either way the ball has to make it back to over the throwing shoulder. There is plenty of time for the hand to come from behind the leg in the protected position to the spot near their shoulder and transfer the ball from glove to hand there. Like GM said, break out the stopwatch

Run and hits and the resulting foul tips are too common in softball to let your catcher expose her hand and fingers.

 

[Greenmonsters]

GM - you explain it very well and my thoughts are the same with respect to the bigger masks and losing vision for the smallest of moments. I will only add, if its a proper fitting mask, it will not move on the catcher's face as she tracks foul tip's up above her head and over the plate. This is the only play where there is debate on whether its better to chuck the mask.

As for squaring your feet pre-throw and backing up your glove with a barehand, it's safety first, logic second. When a catcher sees a runner stealing, all they are doing is reading the pitch and determining if they are going down or coming up to receive it. Even with the most accurate of pitchers,the catcher has to wait for the ball and see where's it's going. Either way the ball has to make it back to over the throwing shoulder. There is plenty of time for the hand to come from behind the leg in the protected position to the spot near their shoulder and transfer the ball from glove to hand there. Like GM said, break out the stopwatch

Run and hits and the resulting foul tips are too common in softball to let your catcher expose her hand and fingers.

PP - I think you're misunderstanding. With runner's on (or whenever there are 2 strikes on the batter), the hand ALWAYS starts behind the glove and should never be exposed at any subsequent time. If there is no steal (or a pitch requiring blocking), the throwing hand (in a loose fist, thumb under fingers) gets pulled back to the chest protector just above the sternum. If there's a steal, the hand stays behind the glove until the glove turns to initiate transfer. If the hand starts behind the leg, the glove/ball transfer WILL BE slowed (verifiable by stop watch) or the hand WILL BE exposed during blocks and/or foul tips. The NECC DVD goes through this in detail and Chaz' ACC website Home has some links to video examples (see the Katie Blocking History link in particular).

 

[Eric F]

To put words into pictures - Throwing hand positions at setup

Runners on base or 2 strikes...

No runners AND less than 2 strikes...