Knee Savers?

My son wore them through little league but doesn't any longer. I think he "feels faster" without them. He's fine resting back on his calves when no one's on base or when a batter has less than two strikes. Otherwise he's up in a "ready" position anyway.

Learn to catch without them. You'll do everything better.

I use them. When I first got them, they helped alot, but now I barely feel them there.

I used to use them because I had weak Hamstrings and Quads,but now I use them just to prop me up

I use them, mainly because it's hard enough on your knees just being a catcher, let alone without them. I am gonna try and work out of them, but for now, I like them. It would make it easier to frame low pitches and stuff, because your a few inches lower, and for blocking, but its hard getting used to not useing them.

Knee savers were developed to take some pressure off of the knees of a catcher, since they put max pressure on them for many hours a game. Also, I don't believe quickness or speed will be effected either way, since the catcher is wearing 5 pounds of gear and maybe 10 ounces of knee saver. I have taught many cathcers how to get really low with them on and they have never effected a catchers quickness in my judgement.

Well, it doesnt make much sense if it makes you faster without them. But, if it makes you FEEL faster, I think thats important. Again, i dont disagree with you.

I tried not using them at practice the other day, and I could definitely feel more agile, yeah, it's not as comfortable, but I think what I may end up doing is using knee savers for things like BP and such, but for games and catching drills and things, I probably wont use them.

The knee-saver debate has been going on since they first appeared. I think it's telling that we're starting to see them in major league games (Brian McCann for instance). In my opinion I think they're beneficial because of the stress that is taken off the knees.

Just saw Doug Mirabelli on the RedSox using them last night.

I wore them from the time I was about 13 until I was 21. When I started using them I struggled walking up and down stairs. Yes, I was only about 12 and growing, but I was catching so much that at that time it was very bothersome on my knees. I think that it's safe to say my college career wouldn't have happened if I didn't wear them growing up.

Why did I stop wearing them you ask? Comfort. I couldn't find a pair that fit my shin gaurds very well. The shinnies were sliding to a side, on both legs so my ankles were exposed to pitches. Plus it was a pain to always have to shift them back after almost every pitch.

There is no advantage or disadvantage to wearing them, other than saving your knees. Coaches say they make catchers lazy probably don't coach their catchers like they should, or allow them to become lazy with the knee savers. Like was said earlier, when runners are on base you better be in the ready position anyway, which takes the knee savers out of the equation, so what difference does it make?

As I move into coaching I will not tell a kid they have to or can not wear them. I will give them my opinion, and let the player and their parents make the decision. I will tell players that it might be a good idea. It's not a baseball decision as much as it is a personal health decision, but that's just my opinion.

Some of the catchers who play summer ball with us don't wear them, but the majority do. I'm a fan of kneesavers, as anything that can take stress off the knees is a good thing, IMO. If you think about it, the stress a catcher's knees are subjected to over many seasons has a little something to do with why many catchers can't run well as they get older, and if you can slow that down, why wouldn't you? Even if you don't like them for games, using them in practice and for bullpens is a good idea.

My own son has always used them and wouldn't think of giving them up. He also runs better than most catchers, 7.3 60 time. As for not being able to get low with them on, ask his mother when she washes his pants. His butt is always covered with dirt from touching the ground in his squat when no one is on base. Kneesavers don't stop you from being able to squat low, a lack of flexibility does, though.

I just had a game today, didn't use kneesavers, and it felt great, except that I almost broke my knee twice, but that was completely unrelated to the knee savers. I threw out a runner today, the first time I have in a long time, and I think it may be because I was more alert in the game because I had to be actually up in my stance, rather than just sitting lazily on the 'savers. I think that over the past few years, they have made me somewhat lazier than I should be. I may wear them in practice, for the sake of being able to still walk when I am 70, but I like not having them in games.

Adam,
Are knee savers making you lazy because thats what they do, or you just kept sitting on them? If someone only uses them when he should be in a game, and is up in stance every time he should, there is nothing wrong with wearing them in a a game.

It may not be exactly laziness, but it kind of lets my guard down. I get too relaxed while I'm out on the field, and that's when I make mistakes, not necesarilly lazy, just more relaxed, and not as attentive. I don't know why, but they just do that to me. I may have to go back to them, since I have most likely torn my acl, so not wearing them may no longer be an option, in order to be able to catch again next year. O well, I will just have to work harder.

I'm sorry to hear about your injury.

Knee savers do not make a catcher lazy. It's a head thing or a coaching thing. Being attentive in a game is a focus thing that only you can fix, not what is attatched or not attatched to your shin gaurds. It is a coaches job to coach so a catcher does not just sit back on the knee savers. Catcher's need to have the self-discipline to know when they are taking it easy. If the thought of one pass ball doesn't do it for you maybe you should think about making a position change.

I see your point, and I agree with it, but the pass ball thing is really the main thing I'm talking about. When I have them on, it just makes me more relaxed, and when I am, I am less likely to block a ball in the dirt, as opposed to picking it. WHen I have runners on base, I usually throw all I've got at it. It's not a pretty block, but it gets the job done. They also move around and have to be readjusted, so in many ways they are great, but in a few ways they are a nuisance to me. There are different opinions, just stating mine.