My son (15 yr old)at least once a game will have a ball go off the tip of his glove for a pass ball. He is currently using a Rawlings HOH 32.5 inch glove. My question is, would a 33.5 or 34.0 glove help with this issue? Thanks
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I hate to be the bearer of bad news, but the larger mitt probably won't help that.
Just to understand the sizing of catcher's mitts, they're measured in circumference. So using my old HS geometry formulas, I calculated the difference in diameter of a 32.5" mitt and a 34" mitt.
The diameter of the current 32.5" mitt is 10.35"
The diameter of the larger 34" mitt is 10.82"
With less than 1/2" difference between the two it probably won't help much. What's probably happening is that he's just late getting to the balls. I wouldn't start blaming the mitt for the passed balls just yet.
Probably not the answer you wanted, but it will save you a few hundred bucks!
Just to understand the sizing of catcher's mitts, they're measured in circumference. So using my old HS geometry formulas, I calculated the difference in diameter of a 32.5" mitt and a 34" mitt.
The diameter of the current 32.5" mitt is 10.35"
The diameter of the larger 34" mitt is 10.82"
With less than 1/2" difference between the two it probably won't help much. What's probably happening is that he's just late getting to the balls. I wouldn't start blaming the mitt for the passed balls just yet.
Probably not the answer you wanted, but it will save you a few hundred bucks!
quote:Originally posted by Catching101:
I hate to be the bearer of bad news, but the larger mitt probably won't help that.
Just to understand the sizing of catcher's mitts, they're measured in circumference. So using my old HS geometry formulas, I calculated the difference in diameter of a 32.5" mitt and a 34" mitt.
The diameter of the current 32.5" mitt is 10.35"
The diameter of the larger 34" mitt is 10.82"
With less than 1/2" difference between the two it probably won't help much. What's probably happening is that he's just late getting to the balls. I wouldn't start blaming the mitt for the passed balls just yet.
Probably not the answer you wanted, but it will save you a few hundred bucks!
I appreciate the response. He does it against fast and slow pitchers. Maybe he just needs more time behind the plate. Are there any drills to help with this. He has been playing catcher for about a year now. He is also a SS. Has pretty good hands. Thanks for any advice and saving me some bucks.
The pitch doesn't have to be fast for the catcher to be late getting to the ball. I've also seen it happen when the catcher is stabbing at the ball, and/or not focusing on catching the ball between his shoulders. It is also possible that he isn't reading the pitch correctly so he doesn't know exactly where it is going.
One unscientific observation I've had is that many of the catchers who miss catching pitches cleanly have heavy feet. They don't beat the ball to the spot.
As for drills, my son didn't do a lot of drills, but he did catch a lot of bullpens and pitching lessons.
One unscientific observation I've had is that many of the catchers who miss catching pitches cleanly have heavy feet. They don't beat the ball to the spot.
As for drills, my son didn't do a lot of drills, but he did catch a lot of bullpens and pitching lessons.
I agree that it's not the mitt because (well for me anyway) I liked a smaller mitt so I could "feel" the ball better to help with the transfer.
Couple things that might help is working on his sway as he moves toward pitches. It's just a gentle rock back and forth to help center the ball in his body.
Another thing I tell my guys is to catch the outer half of the ball to work back in. This helps force them to get to the ball and work it back in for a better frame. You're not really going to gain an extra inch or two because good umps know the difference but it makes the borderline pitch look better.
Couple things that might help is working on his sway as he moves toward pitches. It's just a gentle rock back and forth to help center the ball in his body.
Another thing I tell my guys is to catch the outer half of the ball to work back in. This helps force them to get to the ball and work it back in for a better frame. You're not really going to gain an extra inch or two because good umps know the difference but it makes the borderline pitch look better.
quote:Originally posted by twotex:
The pitch doesn't have to be fast for the catcher to be late getting to the ball. I've also seen it happen when the catcher is stabbing at the ball, and/or not focusing on catching the ball between his shoulders. It is also possible that he isn't reading the pitch correctly so he doesn't know exactly where it is going.
One unscientific observation I've had is that many of the catchers who miss catching pitches cleanly have heavy feet. They don't beat the ball to the spot.
As for drills, my son didn't do a lot of drills, but he did catch a lot of bullpens and pitching lessons.
He does not have heavy feet, but you might be right that he might be stabbing a pitches occasionally due to a misread. Hopefully as he logs in more time it will improve.
quote:Originally posted by coach2709:
I agree that it's not the mitt because (well for me anyway) I liked a smaller mitt so I could "feel" the ball better to help with the transfer.
Couple things that might help is working on his sway as he moves toward pitches. It's just a gentle rock back and forth to help center the ball in his body.
Another thing I tell my guys is to catch the outer half of the ball to work back in. This helps force them to get to the ball and work it back in for a better frame. You're not really going to gain an extra inch or two because good umps know the difference but it makes the borderline pitch look better.
I as I mentioned in the previous post maybe more time catching and working on technique will help. He has been enrolled with all the other HS catchers into a 2 day catchers camp next month, hopefully it will help. Thanks
Hard to say without seeing him in action. The sugggestion that he was stabbing (aka boxing) sounds like a good bet. As suggested, reaching out for a ball can lead to a lot of problems.
A bigger glove is more difficult to handle, at one point my son was using a 31.5 glove in college. It needs to fit his hand so that he can control the glove.
Good catching instruction at the HS level is hard to come by, many believe they know how it should be done,few actually do.
Good luck
A bigger glove is more difficult to handle, at one point my son was using a 31.5 glove in college. It needs to fit his hand so that he can control the glove.
Good catching instruction at the HS level is hard to come by, many believe they know how it should be done,few actually do.
Good luck
I concur, it's not the glove, it may just be as simple as him not looking the ball into the mitt One thing that helped my son was to have him concentrate on "thumb under" the ball when poosible and to over exagerate looking the ball into the glove, with the whole head not just the eyes
Many young catchers do not catch the ball in the pocket; possibly to avoid pain. Impress on him to catch the ball in the pocket every time. To practice this...have a pitcher (or anyone) start throwing to him at a comfortable distance (50-60 ft). He should be concentrating on; seeing the ball out of the pitcher's hand, beating the ball to the spot, with quick/ quiet arm motion. Once he is performing this well, have the pitcher move 3-5 steps closer... and repeat the drill.
This can also be done in a batting cage where the catcher moves closer to the machine. A technique used similarly by hitters in the cage.
This can also be done in a batting cage where the catcher moves closer to the machine. A technique used similarly by hitters in the cage.
quote:Originally posted by Coach Rick:
Many young catchers do not catch the ball in the pocket; possibly to avoid pain. Impress on him to catch the ball in the pocket every time. To practice this...have a pitcher (or anyone) start throwing to him at a comfortable distance (50-60 ft). He should be concentrating on; seeing the ball out of the pitcher's hand, beating the ball to the spot, with quick/ quiet arm motion. Once he is performing this well, have the pitcher move 3-5 steps closer... and repeat the drill.
This can also be done in a batting cage where the catcher moves closer to the machine. A technique used similarly by hitters in the cage.
Yes, I have seen this drill. It is not the fear of pain (he has caught guys throwing 90), but I do believe based on what others have said that it is probably his technique. I have a pitching machine and cage in my back yard and was going to implement the drill you mentioned. Thanks
