Incase nobody responds on the players forum:
Anyone have blocking drills for catching that you can do at home and on your own?
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Form:
Working on dropping to your knees from your catching stance into a solid blocking position. Make sure you throwing hand is tucked behind your glove, and your glove is in between your legs, plams must be up or facing the pitcher. Chin down and a slight arch in the back, this will help absorb the initial impact of the baseball with your chest protector and direct the baseball into the ground. Work on form for blocking balls down the middle (just drop), left (jab step left foot, square and drop) and right (jab step right foot, square and drop). Go slow and controled, concentrate on form!!!
Once you have that mastered...
Block and Pounce:
Get in your catching stance as you would be before you recieve the baseball, drop to your knees and pop back up as quick as you can. Incorporate blocking balls from the left and from the right. Try to always square your shoulders to the baseball (like you would to direct the ball back to the middle of the baseball diamond.) Concentrate on proper form, but also quickness.
Do 5 sets of 5-10 reps or so. Once you get that down you can expand on it by place a baseball about 4-5 feet in front of you, block, pop up, and pounce on the baseball, make a throw or simulated throw.
The idea is to get quick and comfortable with the movement.
Unfortunately, there are not many other drills I am aware of that can be done alone. Given the nature of working out a cathcer you usually need someone willing to throw. If I think of any others I will let you know.
Working on dropping to your knees from your catching stance into a solid blocking position. Make sure you throwing hand is tucked behind your glove, and your glove is in between your legs, plams must be up or facing the pitcher. Chin down and a slight arch in the back, this will help absorb the initial impact of the baseball with your chest protector and direct the baseball into the ground. Work on form for blocking balls down the middle (just drop), left (jab step left foot, square and drop) and right (jab step right foot, square and drop). Go slow and controled, concentrate on form!!!
Once you have that mastered...
Block and Pounce:
Get in your catching stance as you would be before you recieve the baseball, drop to your knees and pop back up as quick as you can. Incorporate blocking balls from the left and from the right. Try to always square your shoulders to the baseball (like you would to direct the ball back to the middle of the baseball diamond.) Concentrate on proper form, but also quickness.
Do 5 sets of 5-10 reps or so. Once you get that down you can expand on it by place a baseball about 4-5 feet in front of you, block, pop up, and pounce on the baseball, make a throw or simulated throw.
The idea is to get quick and comfortable with the movement.
Unfortunately, there are not many other drills I am aware of that can be done alone. Given the nature of working out a cathcer you usually need someone willing to throw. If I think of any others I will let you know.
Thanks for the help
I usually do blocking twice a week but while Im an home Id like to do something other than taking cuts and doing pop squats(start in catching position and pop up into throwing form.)Always looking for a way to get better
I usually do blocking twice a week but while Im an home Id like to do something other than taking cuts and doing pop squats(start in catching position and pop up into throwing form.)Always looking for a way to get better
Start with 3 balls and a plate. Place the balls outside, inside and down the middle of the plate. Now, pretend that the pitch is thrown on those locations. You want to simulate getting "outside" the ball and sending the ball back to home plate on a block. Do these as a dry drill. We use a hitting mat to do these on to save the catcher's knees some. Now, take a partner and have them throw tennis balls to these locations. We start this drill with chinguard on but no gear. Then, we add the gear. If you know anyone who has a lite-flite machine, we then incorporate the lite-flite machine and have the catcher work on one location but get a lot of reps blocking that particular ball before they move to the next ball.
Well, that is one drill. We do several more but you need to be outside for some.
Well, that is one drill. We do several more but you need to be outside for some.