I have trouble receiving low pitches and the ball often jerks my glove down a few inches. All help and advice on how I can receive low pitches better would be great.
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Some of the catching experts may offer better advice, but I would offer a few suggestions.
First, make sure you're catching the ball in the proper place in the mitt. Some catchers try to catch the ball out in the pocket, which can lead to an inability to control the mitt when receiving a pitch. The ball should be caught at the point where the palm meets the pocket, basically between the thumb and pointer finger. I have seen this help a lot of catchers control the mitt, both on pitches down, and pitches away from their body in general (inside or outside).
Second, after you give your target and the pitcher goes into their windup, don't keep a rigid target. You should relax your mitt and receiving arm before receving the pitch. Some guys simply let their wrist go limp and pull their mitt towards their body a few inches. Some guys will turn their glove approximately a quarter turn towards their left (assuming a right hand thrower) and pull the glove back towards their body slightly.
Then when the pitch approaches they go out and "beat the ball to the spot". If you keep a rigid target, this will almost force you to "stab" at low pitches. The combination of you stabbing plus the force of the pitch will jerk the mitt downward a few extra inches. Instead, after relaxing your mitt, go down and get below the pitch and catch the pitch with your mitt going forward and upward slightly to offset the downward force of the ball. Then don't pull the pitch up any further.....try to stick it right where you catch it.
If it's a ball, don't try to pull it up into the strike zone. Just try to stick those borderline strikes. Remember, you're not trying to steal strikes...you're just trying to be sure that strikes look like strikes, and maybe occasionally you'll get a borderline pitch.
And of course, strength in the hands and forearms won't hurt you. I'm not sure I was overly clear, but I hope this helps. I'm sure some of the other catching guys can offer much more eloquent advice.
First, make sure you're catching the ball in the proper place in the mitt. Some catchers try to catch the ball out in the pocket, which can lead to an inability to control the mitt when receiving a pitch. The ball should be caught at the point where the palm meets the pocket, basically between the thumb and pointer finger. I have seen this help a lot of catchers control the mitt, both on pitches down, and pitches away from their body in general (inside or outside).
Second, after you give your target and the pitcher goes into their windup, don't keep a rigid target. You should relax your mitt and receiving arm before receving the pitch. Some guys simply let their wrist go limp and pull their mitt towards their body a few inches. Some guys will turn their glove approximately a quarter turn towards their left (assuming a right hand thrower) and pull the glove back towards their body slightly.
Then when the pitch approaches they go out and "beat the ball to the spot". If you keep a rigid target, this will almost force you to "stab" at low pitches. The combination of you stabbing plus the force of the pitch will jerk the mitt downward a few extra inches. Instead, after relaxing your mitt, go down and get below the pitch and catch the pitch with your mitt going forward and upward slightly to offset the downward force of the ball. Then don't pull the pitch up any further.....try to stick it right where you catch it.
If it's a ball, don't try to pull it up into the strike zone. Just try to stick those borderline strikes. Remember, you're not trying to steal strikes...you're just trying to be sure that strikes look like strikes, and maybe occasionally you'll get a borderline pitch.
And of course, strength in the hands and forearms won't hurt you. I'm not sure I was overly clear, but I hope this helps. I'm sure some of the other catching guys can offer much more eloquent advice.
Bigbeng94,
Be sure to read Emanski's post. Good stuff and right on.
The most common reason to have the ball drive the glove down out of the zone is getting to the ball late. Good receiving is all about keep strikes looking like strikes and that is achieved by "Beating the Ball to the spot".
ANother issue can be having the glove to high in the first place. I want the catcher to have the wristband of his glove just below the batters knee cap as a starting point.
Coach Weaver
Be sure to read Emanski's post. Good stuff and right on.
The most common reason to have the ball drive the glove down out of the zone is getting to the ball late. Good receiving is all about keep strikes looking like strikes and that is achieved by "Beating the Ball to the spot".
ANother issue can be having the glove to high in the first place. I want the catcher to have the wristband of his glove just below the batters knee cap as a starting point.
Coach Weaver
Good advice by all.
I teach two methods of receiving the low ball and then let my player decide what works better for them.
First off, all the information mentioned above is incorporated as well, this is simply the receiving portion.
The first method I teach is getting the thumb underneath the ball and coming up and through the ball slightly. I teach my catcher to always catch a "half" of the ball. So, in this case they would try to catch the bottom half of the ball and come up and through it.
The second method I teach is catching the top half of the ball and doing a little funnel up and toward them. I feel it is a little harder to receive this way, but my more experienced (HS and college) kids can perform this. This is very limited glove movement and IMO this method really makes the pitch look higher to the umpire because of the glove positioning.
My advice is experiment and see what works for you.
I teach two methods of receiving the low ball and then let my player decide what works better for them.
First off, all the information mentioned above is incorporated as well, this is simply the receiving portion.
The first method I teach is getting the thumb underneath the ball and coming up and through the ball slightly. I teach my catcher to always catch a "half" of the ball. So, in this case they would try to catch the bottom half of the ball and come up and through it.
The second method I teach is catching the top half of the ball and doing a little funnel up and toward them. I feel it is a little harder to receive this way, but my more experienced (HS and college) kids can perform this. This is very limited glove movement and IMO this method really makes the pitch look higher to the umpire because of the glove positioning.
My advice is experiment and see what works for you.
quote:Originally posted by Emanski's Heroes:
If it's a ball, don't try to pull it up into the strike zone. Just try to stick those borderline strikes. Remember, you're not trying to steal strikes...you're just trying to be sure that strikes look like strikes, and maybe occasionally you'll get a borderline pitch.
I am an umpire and this is GREAT advice. We are trained to track a 3" baseball moving at 90 mph all the way to the mitt. Believe me we can easily see a 10" mitt move, however slightly. If it's a strike, stick it and it will look like a strike. Pull the ball up and you just might make a strike look like a ball. Good stuff EH.
Strength is also an issue here. The low fastball is the toughest pitch to stick from a strength standpoint. I totally agree with what catching coach has written about the two receiving methods.
Both methods will appear, to some extent, to move the ball up just a little bit, but that really is the only way to catch the pitch and not have the glove taken down out of the zone. The motion really is just the glove slightly rotating to secure the ball, since the thumb side of the mitt will close and move up slightly.
But because this pitch is caught with the elbow out and the forearm parallel to the ground, it takes strength to catch the ball without the momentum taking the glove with it.
Both methods will appear, to some extent, to move the ball up just a little bit, but that really is the only way to catch the pitch and not have the glove taken down out of the zone. The motion really is just the glove slightly rotating to secure the ball, since the thumb side of the mitt will close and move up slightly.
But because this pitch is caught with the elbow out and the forearm parallel to the ground, it takes strength to catch the ball without the momentum taking the glove with it.
Good stuff guys.Try rolling your thumb up as you catch the ball(especially on the low middle & low out pitch).This keeps the ball from controlling the glove & it raises the hight of those critical "strballs" that you need called strikes.When the ball hits the glove, all action stops. This is a one piece move & is hardly discernable to the naked eye but is very effective in keeping the ball in the strike zone. I 1st saw this technique with the Asian catchers in International play. I did not really understand the glove action until I videoed it & slowed it down. Now you see this extensively in the Big Leagues. Watch Varitek.
JW
JW
Thank you for all the quality responses!
