This is my first year catching for my high school team and I get a lot of hassle from my teammates (who all have never caught a day in their life) saying that I shouldn't let the ball bounce to the short stop then my coach on the team says to let the ball bounce to keep it low. So my question is to bounce the ball or to not bounce the ball when throwing down to 2nd base ?
Throwdown?
- Thread starter aye_lexis
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- Nov 29, 2009
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If you can make a firm, solid throw to 2nd then do it. If not then tell your SS to improve her fielding skills. A short-hop bounce on throw down to 2nd is acceptable if it is consistent and it's where a fielder should be able to handle it. Ask your coach to work on it at the next practice. It sounds like your SS is being lazy.
I would bet the SS is a senior and you're an underclassman. The good news. The season is nearly over.
I would bet the SS is a senior and you're an underclassman. The good news. The season is nearly over.
Your target should be the throwing the ball right at second base, ideally below the waist on the first base side.
You coach is just acknowledging that you can't make a perfect throw every time and that given the options of airmailing the ball to center field or a one hop to second he will take the one hop on a straight line every time.
You should be working on making a good solid waist high or below throw every time you should NOT be bouncing the ball to second on purpose.
You coach is just acknowledging that you can't make a perfect throw every time and that given the options of airmailing the ball to center field or a one hop to second he will take the one hop on a straight line every time.
You should be working on making a good solid waist high or below throw every time you should NOT be bouncing the ball to second on purpose.
Am I the only one impressed that teen players are signing up and participating on this forum and becoming students of the game? Very refreshing!
Why would your coach want you to bounce a ball off the infield????? Field conditions vary and bad things can happen based on the spin of the ball and where it hits. Why create an equation for failure by adding negative input variables? That notwithstanding, will some hit the dirt? Of course. Will some come in at shoulder height? You bet. Until they put a robot in as catchers, throws will vary.
As a catcher you just need to work on setting the powerline correctly and focus on dropping the ball just to the right of the base. Tell your SS to position her glove 18 inches above the base as a target provided she's fast enough to get there as your delivering. Will every throw be perfect? No but you can bet if work on it, you'll get the calls.
You just keep working hard every game. There's 16 eyes that are looking back at you and see how hard you're working. If anyone complains....especially that SS, then tell her to gear up and catch a game to see how she handles it. If you've been busting your butt behind the plate, you've earned the right to say that to her.
As a catcher you just need to work on setting the powerline correctly and focus on dropping the ball just to the right of the base. Tell your SS to position her glove 18 inches above the base as a target provided she's fast enough to get there as your delivering. Will every throw be perfect? No but you can bet if work on it, you'll get the calls.
You just keep working hard every game. There's 16 eyes that are looking back at you and see how hard you're working. If anyone complains....especially that SS, then tell her to gear up and catch a game to see how she handles it. If you've been busting your butt behind the plate, you've earned the right to say that to her.
New to the board and always looking to learn something new!
Agree with most above. It depends on your SS and how much you trust her but it does sound like she's lazy and/or scared to pick balls. I've taught my DD to always shoot for throwing "though" the right corner of the bag or just above. To teach a catcher to bounce every ball in is ludicrous but on the other hand if the SS can't pick those and sweep the tag she has no business playing the pos. Coaches that teach catchers to hop the ball in either don't have a clue or they are trying to teach you to throw the ball on a rope. Once you get that down, get it up to knee level or below in the air. Most catchers that airmail the SS on throw downs are simply not following through properly.
The one thing that irritates me more than anything is coaches and pos players that bitch about the catcher yet they don't know how to coach one so they don't ever practice them and when a catcher ask the pos players to stay late or come early to work on throw downs and pick offs they never have time, especially in school ball.
Therefor the only option you have left is to get it there in the air but try and stay below knee high. The higher the throw the more likely the other end will try and reach out and tag the runner rather than getting the glove on the ground in front of the bag ASAP. Nothing more frustrating than making a perfect throw and the runner gets UNDER the tag!
Whenever someone makes a smart comment to my DD about catching she makes the same comment mentioned above, "here's my gear tough stuff, show me how to do it"! That normally shuts them up but even if they do take you up on it they won't ever again after they get laughed off the field by you and the rest of your teammates. She's a freshman in HS that just made 2nd team all district solely due to her catching abilities as her hitting hasn't come around to where it should be. But believe me, she doesn't take any crap from anyone, especially seniors that can't play with a decent 12u travel team.
Agree with most above. It depends on your SS and how much you trust her but it does sound like she's lazy and/or scared to pick balls. I've taught my DD to always shoot for throwing "though" the right corner of the bag or just above. To teach a catcher to bounce every ball in is ludicrous but on the other hand if the SS can't pick those and sweep the tag she has no business playing the pos. Coaches that teach catchers to hop the ball in either don't have a clue or they are trying to teach you to throw the ball on a rope. Once you get that down, get it up to knee level or below in the air. Most catchers that airmail the SS on throw downs are simply not following through properly.
The one thing that irritates me more than anything is coaches and pos players that bitch about the catcher yet they don't know how to coach one so they don't ever practice them and when a catcher ask the pos players to stay late or come early to work on throw downs and pick offs they never have time, especially in school ball.
Therefor the only option you have left is to get it there in the air but try and stay below knee high. The higher the throw the more likely the other end will try and reach out and tag the runner rather than getting the glove on the ground in front of the bag ASAP. Nothing more frustrating than making a perfect throw and the runner gets UNDER the tag!
Whenever someone makes a smart comment to my DD about catching she makes the same comment mentioned above, "here's my gear tough stuff, show me how to do it"! That normally shuts them up but even if they do take you up on it they won't ever again after they get laughed off the field by you and the rest of your teammates. She's a freshman in HS that just made 2nd team all district solely due to her catching abilities as her hitting hasn't come around to where it should be. But believe me, she doesn't take any crap from anyone, especially seniors that can't play with a decent 12u travel team.
Flat and airborne to a target that's low and right is probably the best option all around.
Hard low throw that hits about 7-8 feet short and bounces up into SS glove is just fine. I know a dynamite 16's C that still does this, with a deadly quick release. In theory the bounce adds unpredictability, but nobody ever played a game in Theory.
Hard low throw that bounces within 2 feet of SS glove is very difficult to handle, let alone get a tag down, this is not good.
Unless you're doing option 3 they can kiss your @$$, and it's good that your coach understands that.
Hard low throw that hits about 7-8 feet short and bounces up into SS glove is just fine. I know a dynamite 16's C that still does this, with a deadly quick release. In theory the bounce adds unpredictability, but nobody ever played a game in Theory.
Hard low throw that bounces within 2 feet of SS glove is very difficult to handle, let alone get a tag down, this is not good.
Unless you're doing option 3 they can kiss your @$$, and it's good that your coach understands that.
A ball that bounces will always be faster than a "moon ball", and unfortunately too many coaches are concerned with the ball getting all of the way to 2B that girls without the strength to do so using proper mechanics will do whatever it takes to get the ball to 2B in the air, often at the extreme expense of proper mechanics and release time.
To have a coach suggest that she should be focused on getting rid of the ball quickly and that a short-hop to 2B is a good thing is incredibly refreshing to hear.
To have a coach suggest that she should be focused on getting rid of the ball quickly and that a short-hop to 2B is a good thing is incredibly refreshing to hear.
