Jen Schroeder - The Packaged Deal

[slingnit]

This past Sunday I took my son to a mini-clinic on hitting being held at local facility. Ten minutes in to the 90 minute clinic the instructor was talking about swinging down on the ball to create backspin. My head nearly exploded and I really considered trying to find a nice way to get my son out of there as quickly as possible. We stayed, he got a few swings in, and the guy did have an interesting point on his batting stance that I think was valuable. In the end, I think we had a similar experience. Sometimes hearing things we disagree with forces us to examine our own position and reevaluate why we think it is the way to go.

Sounds like Jen would be an outstanding conditioning coach but maybe leaves some things to be desired as a catching instructor. I'm now looking even more forward to DD's catching camp with NECC here in Columbus in a couple months.

I don't agree with that style either but it is exactly what Tripp Mackay teaches at Oklahoma. Produces great results so there my be something to it.

 

[reagansdaddy]

I don't agree with that style either but it is exactly what Tripp Mackay teaches at Oklahoma. Produces great results so there my be something to it.

Cal and Billy Ripken teach a downward path as well and I truly respect their approach and teaching. However, when you watch them swing, they don't swing down on the ball. Take a look at the best MLB hitters, none of them swing down on the ball. But, this is not the proper forum for this discussion. Maybe we'll cross paths in the hitting forums. I try not to post much over there.....not nearly as civilized as us catchers!

 

[Sparky Guy]

A question to the NECC experts. How do you receive and frame and inside or outside pitch from the runners on squat? Does the throwing hand follow the mitt?

The throwing hand comes to the chest still in a fist as the catcher's body does a slight shift to the ball.

 

[Sparky Guy]

I want to be clear, I didn't think Jen's clinic was terrible. There was a lot of good, and I have tried to keep those things in balance in my initial review, and my subsequent comments.

One of the things I found out when my DD was learning how to pitch is that no one person can teach them everything they need to know. My DD picked up little things from multiple people along the way to being the pitcher she was. The same is true of most high level skills. The smart player takes the best of what they've been taught and melds it into what works for them.

There is an old saying. I can't remember it exactly but it goes something like this. "If your only tool is a hammer one views the world as a nail."

 

[C.K]

I don't like runners on high stance, I see kids going to wide and become rigid & can't move" getting stuck" in their stance some are so wide their elbows are inside the knees while catching. Don't take this wrong but I think some where between your kids no runners on and runners on would be perfect for her.
I'm also not a fan of hand behind glove, watch your daughters runner on stance and what she's doing with her throwing hand. Thats why I hate, hand behind the glove.

 

[Eric F]

I'm also not a fan of hand behind glove, watch your daughters runner on stance and what she's doing with her throwing hand. Thats why I hate, hand behind the glove.

She's doing what she has been taught to do with her throwing hand while receiving in a runners-on stance - bring the fist back to the chest protector in the "shadow" of the mitt. What is it you don't like about this technique? Where do you teach catchers to put their throwing hand? How does that hand need to move in a blocking situation?

 

[DWB]

This was a really tremendous thread. My DD is going to a Jen Schro clinic on January 23rd, she's really excited about it. Reading this thread has me very excited about it also. My younger DD is an infielder, and based on the favorable comments regarding the infield session I may sign her up as well.

 

[Eric F]

This was a really tremendous thread. My DD is going to a Jen Schro clinic on January 23rd, she's really excited about it. Reading this thread has me very excited about it also. My younger DD is an infielder, and based on the favorable comments regarding the infield session I may sign her up as well.

I thought the infield part of the Packaged Deal clinic was pretty good, especially for younger players. I hope your girls have a good time with the experience.

 

[C.K]

She's doing what she has been taught to do with her throwing hand while receiving in a runners-on stance - bring the fist back to the chest protector in the "shadow" of the mitt. What is it you don't like about this technique? Where do you teach catchers to put their throwing hand? How does that hand need to move in a blocking situation?

I don't like it because it exposes the hand, your daughter has her forearm rested rite behind her knee guard upon receiving the pitch, her hand is exposed.
By her ankle, and yes the hand has to come over the knee for a block but thats 0-4 times a game at most. If their blocking on time its a non issue.
Nether techniques are Quicker when girls get older and IMO lead to poor fundimentals later on, When catchers are popping high 1.6 and low 1.7 teams don't steal, and the ones that do your worried about 1 kid on the team.

 

[Eric F]

I don't like it because it exposes the hand, your daughter has her forearm rested rite behind her knee guard upon receiving the pitch, her hand is exposed.
By her ankle, and yes the hand has to come over the knee for a block but thats 0-4 times a game at most. If their blocking on time its a non issue.
Nether techniques are Quicker when girls get older and IMO lead to poor fundimentals later on, When catchers are popping high 1.6 and low 1.7 teams don't steal, and the ones that do your worried about 1 kid on the team.

Exposed where? Although I would like my DD's throwing hand to be a little higher (an inch or so) for pitches up in the zone, she's bringing her throwing hand fist back against her chest protector the way she has been taught, and even where she has it, the likelihood of getting hit is pretty minimal because of where it lines up behind the mitt relative to pitch location. Her forearm is against her thigh because she's leaning for an outside pitch, and there's nowhere else for her arm to be. That said, I would like to see her shift her hips laterally a little more than she did here.

I don't like the throwing hand having to travel from behind the leg to find protection behind the mitt on a block. I've seen far to many girls (of all ages) who don't get their hands all the way behind the mitt, and it's left exposed in front of a bouncing ball. The two hands moving together to the ground, and staying protected the whole time, makes a lot more sense to me.

We clearly have different approaches to these details, and that's fine. I like what my DD is doing, and the path she's taking, and the logic behind it. If you're comfortable with your DD doing something else, and it's effective at keeping her safe, great!