Effective Target

Biggest thing I will say is the elbow needs to be in front of the knee. In the front but to the side is workable also. At the HS level, pitchers aren't that good yet and if the elbow is outside and behind the knee, you won't consistently get to balls in the dirt to your backhand side. If the elbow is in front of the knee you can clear the knee and still get to those pitches. At the same time you never want the elbow back inside the knees; that is death for a catcher when the pitcher misses his target.

Not saying to catch with straight arm or reach out for pitches, simply starting elbow position. Elbow can move back with the inside pitch from this position also while allowing outside coverage. Got to have the mitt in a position where making the transition to blocking is quick and smooth, something all HS catchers will do alot of during their career. Personally like about a 30-45 degree elbow angle, ballpark.

The coach obviously wants the catchers to let the ball get deep. Problem is many coaches interpret deep as between the knees and chest. Just doesn't work for most catchers and I strongly believe that method has a tendency to create a passive catcher that will have difficulty consistently blocking any ball that isn't straight at him.

Watch MLB and college catchers and where they position the elbow compared to their catching style. Your son needs some clarification as where the coach actually wants him to catch the ball before saying the coach is teaching a skill that doesn't work. If the coach is a between the knees and chest guy, I can almost guarantee the catchers will not be very good at blocking due to the quality of pitching in HS...even the great HS pitchers make mistakes. Passed balls/wild pitches lose as many HS games as anything.

Target...open mitt wide during delivery but then 1/4 turn, slight drop, whatever to relax the hand/wrist. Once the ball is in the air the target isn't important. Beating the ball to the spot is. Gotta be smooth, fluid and quiet behind the plate.

You'll see a variety of opinions of this; some similar, some in total disagreement. All I'll say is you can't cookie-cut catchers as far as style; they need to find what best works for them so they are smooth and natural and never rushed or jerky.

let his forearm rest on his left knee with his elbow at almost 90 degrees.. to do this though he cant have a lot of space from his thighs to his ribs..

??????
Not arguing but trying to figure out the position.

quote:

Originally posted by catchaprospect:
let his forearm rest on his left knee with his elbow at almost 90 degrees.. to do this though he cant have a lot of space from his thighs to his ribs..

This is pretty much exactly where he is now. Comfortable, able to show/talk with the glove. We watched a lot of MLBN and nearly all ML catchers set-up the same. Thanks!

quote:

Originally posted by catchaprospect:
let his forearm rest on his left knee with his elbow at almost 90 degrees.. to do this though he cant have a lot of space from his thighs to his ribs..

Here's a few of GUN....





Hard to believe he's 6'01 when he's in this position... GED10DaD

Like the photos...and the mitt position. I guess it's 90 degrees but looks like the 30-45 degree bend I teach. Semantics and geometry aside, I like and teach very similar mechanics and mitt position as shown but try not to cookie cut the position.

Some HS coaches don't like this position and want more than a 90 degree elbow bend with a very deep mitt position. Son has been to a couple instructional showcases over the years that taught the severe elbow bend in that "it is a stronger catching position" and is how it is "done in college and the pros"( I kid you not; those are exact words). All I could do was shake my head slowly when watching the college instructor demonstrate what he was teaching. Afterwards, told son to take the best of what you heard that made any sense and forget the rest.

Sometimes I really wonder if many HS coaches really see or understand what they are looking at.

Thanks SA, He's more @ 90 degrees when he sets the target, then rotates the thumb slightly, as in the 1st photo. The second photo shows him on frame. Depending on the pitcher and location of the pitch, he maybe more or less than 90 degrees at ball contact with the mitt. I was trying to illustrate the elbow position for OHDaddio.

GED10DaD

Here's my #1 son in his stance with no-runners on.

Thumb is at 3 o-clock, fingers to the sky.Soft bend in elbow.

Catching Coach,
Almost exactly how I teach and how my son likes to set up (even down to the same turf shoes).

HS coach teaches a much more severe elbow angle. Wants ball caught much deeper. Son must keep coach happy if he wants to play so he uses the coach's method (I change him back for summer ball). Position is taught using cookie cutter approach; their way or the highway type thing. It is what it is.