Coach Weaver's DVD

[Coach661]

First I want say I really like this DVD also and I go back to it regularly and continue to find little fine points in it that can make a catcher even better.
I do have a question though.
In the video, he says the only time you would be on the balls of your feet is during sign giving. Are the there other catching coaches who would say otherwise?
In other words, Is the way he teaches to not be on the balls of your feet pretty standard stuff within the softball/baseball world?

 

[Amy in AZ.]

Yes, that is standard and is the safest way, for your knees. When I see a catcher up on her toes, it says that she doesn't know proper mechanics.

I saw a 12U catcher crouching down on her right ankle and using a fielders glove, Saturday.

 

[Coach661]

Yes, that is standard and is the safest way, for your knees. When I see a catcher up on her toes, it says that she doesn't know proper mechanics.

I saw a 12U catcher crouching down on her right ankle and using a fielders glove, Saturday.

Thanks Amy for confirming this.
I sent to a PM

 

[Coach661]

Thanks Amy for confirming this.
I sent to a PM

Amy,
Your mail box is full, couldn't send you the PM

 

[Amy in AZ.]

OK. I'll go through it.

 

[chazbz1]

Once you watch Dave's video and work with your catcher, you start watching other catchers. You will see a lot of different techniques. I have to agree with Amy in that other than giving signs, the catcher does not want to be on the balls of her feet. (Nor on her heels either!) Catchers with their feet too far apart will roll their feet inward. The outside of their feet will be off the ground. Catchers coming up o their the balls of their feet will have their feet too close together. You cannot beat Dave's techniques.

 

[CCJR]

I do have a question though.
In the video, he says the only time you would be on the balls of your feet is during sign giving. Are the there other catching coaches who would say otherwise?
In other words, Is the way he teaches to not be on the balls of your feet pretty standard stuff within the softball/baseball world?

Coach661,

There are so many different techniques taught in the softball/baseball world, however, you question goes straight to the heart of some "old school" softball techniques. In the past (and very likely occasionally the present), some softball coaches believe(d) that having a catcher's heels touching the ground forces the catcher into an un-athletic position, thus unable to make a quick and athletic play on bunts in front of them. So, they teach the catchers to catch up on their toes with the thinking that they are in a better position to stand up and field a ball on the ground. Unfortunately, that logic just doesn't work. Having timed hundreds of girls myself performing this drill, I can say that there is no difference in the amount of time it will take a catcher to get out of her crouch to field a bunt, compared to a catcher who is up on her toes. I will say that the catcher up on her toes, has a significantly better chance of being out of balance once she gets to the ball. Also, if you are up on your toes, you are falling forward, you just have done a decent enough job fighting gravity. Because most of your weight is heading forward, it will make it more difficult to keep some pitches/strikes on the corners still looking like strikes after the ball hits the glove. It will also likely cause the catcher to fall into a block, which will in turn cause the ball to move further away from us. In the game of softball, the catcher has very little time to make the block and still make a play on it. If the ball is moving away from us, we have no shot at an out. That position will also force us into many inefficient habits while throwing to any of the bases.

We teach our girls to catch with the bulk of their weight on the balls of their feet, however, their heels must remain in contact with the ground to achieve balance and athleticism in EACH of the four main skill areas. Receiving, blocking, throwing, fielding. We don't hit up on our toes, so why would we ever want to catch up there?

The game of softball is much faster than the game of baseball, so the idea of a catcher being up on their toes is significantly more prevalent in softball because of that. Like I mentioned before, you are costing your team too much in the way of strikes and potential blocks to use a position that ultimately won't actually make you quicker to the ball.