Thinking of replacing the old catcher mitt

Generally, the youngest of receivers prefer the larger and deepest of mitts, and typically trap the thrown ball in or near the web and pocket.

As the catcher grows with his tools of ignorance sort of speak, he begins to seek and use smaller of mitts while learning to receive the ball in the palm.

Many variables though. Especially with the
older boys, and the type of arsenal the pitcher has. As an example, a oversize mitt is preferred
for thos rare knuckleballers!

Regards
Bear

You might as well go with a style of glove that will lead to good catching technique. I wouldn't get anything larger then 32.5 inches. A deep/meduim/large pocket allows for sloppy technique which leads to poor catching and throwing results.

A decent glove will be priced from $170 (wilson pudge) to $230(?) (Rawlings).

you don't say what age level, but in our experience (especially in youth) smaller is better - more control, better transfer
and if you're talking youth bb, get a good youth model

Chris the "Gloveman" on this site has been very helpful in recommendations and service in that repect - - http://www.thegloveshop.net/

as for the hockey helmet, many at higher levels who have gone that road have gone back to the conventional mask/skullcap- Fungo may have some insite there

that said some youth leagues & hs either encourage it or soon wil mandate it - - if that's the case go with the flow & don't fight it, then later when you have a choice you can see what suits you best

also regarding the glove, get a new one "before" you need it and don't expect it to last forever - ideally you ought to have a "game glove", and another well on it's way - hey, 2 hands on those plays at the plate

I agreee that smaller is better. Regardless of the level you're at, get a mitt that is small enough to handle the ball easily and learn proper technique in receiving the ball.

As far as hockey style helmets are concerned, I saw something for the first time, at least for me, at our high school scrimmage last Saturday. A catcher for an opposing team was wearing a skullcap & mask, and the home plate umpire stopped the game and made him go get a hockey style mask from the dugout. He told the catcher that this is a new safety rule and he wouldn't be allowed to use the skullcap anymore, at least not during HS season.

These questions revolve around my 12u son and I appreciate the responses so far. He currently uses a mask and skull cap (because he wanted to be like Kurt Suzuki after last year's College World Series). Last summer at the Triple Crown World Series he wasn't allowed to wear the skull cap even though they allowed it in the qualifier.

Concerning the mitt, I'm no catching expert myself and the concept about fielding the ball in the palm is new to me. I'd like to hear more about that if anyone has more imput. I have to agree I like the smaller glove idea.

NFHS rules prohibit the use of the skull cap and separate mask. They may use the hockey style mask or a mask helmet combination that offers full coverage. These are the styles that meet NOCSE standards.

Many youth organizations are adopting this policy.

Also check out the thumb padding, this was an issue for us since my son's thumb would get knocked around when he caught someone who threw prettty hard.

We ended up with a cheaper mitt that had better thumb support for this reason.

considering the age of your son. i would give him a smaller glove that it easy to handle. when i was little i used a fairly small glove becuase i had really little hands and i was the only that could fit my hand in it. when he grows and gets bigger glove size for a catcher doesnt seem to me like a huge deal i am older now (senior in HS) and i use a large glove and transfer is not a problem i have a pop time of 1.97 in a game. its all about footwork when you get older.

as far as hockey style catchers mask, i am a huge fan of the all star series masks i have had one since i was a freshman and wouldnt recomend anything else for a young catcher becuase soon not many ppl will be wearing two peice masks

Use what works for you, each player has diffenent strengths and weaknesses, however I believe having a small glove is very important for most players.

-A large/deep/floppy glove glove, can make it more difficult for many catchers to get a consistantly good grip on his transfer, thereby increasing the catcher's chances of "cutting" his throw or "double clutching".

-Some players develop bad habits with a big glove.i.e. players reach for a ball outside of their frame instead of moving to it becuase its easy to catch with a big glove. Unfortunatly that player is not in a very good position to make a throw because he did not move to the ball.

Looking into the youth version of the Akadema Praying Mantis (AGC 98). Anyone out there tried the Praying Mantis pattern and have a comment?