Ticket5,
My first advice is to seek out a competent catching instructor. The internet is no substitute for good instructions. But since we’re here.....
Bee> gives good advice
quote:
fine tune your footwork, transfer & throwing mechanics -
video frame by frame & eliminate wasted motion and poor mechanics - you can cut more time there than on the throw
Eliminating wasted motion is important. I agree with BEE> that this is where most catchers lose precious time. Determine your proper throwing position. (You know, where the ball is in your throwing hand behind your ear, feet are staggered and you are ready to start the forward motion of the arm to throw to second base. STOP DON’T MOVE!!! We can call this the “throw” position. Everything prior to the “throw” position is receiving, transfer, footwork, and loading. Everything from the throw position to releasing the baseball (including follow through) is arm strength and throwing mechanics. You can do the "pre-throw" in the garage, basement or in the hallway at school. I would work with my son on his receiving, transfer, and footwork in the basement in full catching equipment without cleats. Arm strength is developed by long toss, rice buckets, resistance bands, light weights, stretching, and long toss. Did I mention long toss?
When you are practicing your throw downs don’t actually throw to second base but throw to a fence or a wall because you are working on quickness and smoothness at this point, not accuracy. All you need to work on your on this is your catching equipment, (You can do this without catching equipment but getting as close to duplicating the actual situation can only help) a 5 gal bucket of baseballs and a “pitcher”. Weak armed parents work fine in this capacity.
Best of luck,
Fungo
