How are your players/sons taught to "frame" pitches?
(Just interested in what is being taught and how it might differ or correlate to my teachings)
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I never really practiced framing or anything, it just naturally came to me. All catching skills came to me naturally so i dont if thats how it is for most people but o well. I know not much help, sorry.
at my high school they teach the "drivers wheel" method. i think you know what i mean.
I advocate using techniques that keep strikes looking like strikes. I see so many students come for instruction with the idea that “Framing” is a technique that will fool an umpire into thinking a pitch that is a ball is really a strike. I ask all new students what they believe framing does, and that is almost always their answer, regardless of the age of the catcher.
This technique is widely used and I believe actually contribute to close strikes being called as balls.
I will explain my position on “Framing” by explaining the 4 Laws of Good Receiving that I teach all my students.
I explain to my students that they need to go behind the plate with these 4 laws firmly imbedded in their technique to be the best receivers they can be.
Law #1 “The Catcher Must View Each Pitch Through the Umpire’s Eyes”
For a catcher to excel behind the plate he must view each pitch as the umpire sees it. I teach my students to have a 2nd view on the game in their minds eye. The first is of course the view of the whole field. The 2nd is the view that the umpire sees when he looks down toward home plate to make the call. He sees the back of the catcher as well as the ball, plate, and batter.
When a catcher develops this view of the game, he will realize how much he can affect the “look” the umpire gets at the pitch as it crosses the plate. He will understand how he can make a tight, good strike look like a pitch that is off the plate and not worthy of being called a strike.
A catcher needs to learn that there is a short period of time that while the umpire is tracking the ball with his eyes that the catcher is out of his direct line of sight. This occurs when the umpires has his eyes focused on the ball leaving the pitchers hands and continues tracking it until just in front of the plate. For that brief moment the catcher is below the umpire’s direct line of sight. It is during this short time that the catcher needs to get properly positioned to receive the pitch.
Law #2 “ It’s a Catcher’s Job to Keep Strikes Looking like Strikes”
This is where my teaching tends to go against the flow a little. I do not want to see my catchers catching a pitch that clearly is a ball and pulling, pushing, or somehow moving the glove to try and reposition the pitch at a spot they feel will get them a strike call. I don’t want them trying to “Make a ball look like a strike”. The best way to keep a strike looking like a strike is to never do anything that would make it look like a ball. The next 2 Laws discuss ways to accomplish that.
Law# 3 “Beat the Ball to The Spot”
My goal for my catchers is that their movements behind the plate when they receive are smooth, “quiet”, quick but not hurried.
They set the target with their glove in the middle of their body. The goal is to have adjusted their position so that their glove is in position to catch the ball before the ball gets there. They want their glove to “Beat the Ball to the Spot.”
This is accomplished as follows.
• Their feet are turned up the lines.
• Their heels are in contact with the ground as well as the balls of their feet.
This makes it easy for them to receive any pitch that catches even the edge of the plate by shifting their weight that direction. They still keep the glove in the middle of their body. They can avoid “reaching” for pitches using this technique. When shifting their weight toward the ball they are able to keep their shoulders level at all times. The look they present to the umpire is one of control, and one that says that this pitch is being caught on the catcher’s midline, it must be a strike.
Often times a catcher doesn’t shift his weight and reaches for the ball on the outside of the plate, even though it may be a close strike, by reaching at the last minute the message sent is that this pitch is not where the catcher wanted it and you may lose the strike call. Have the catcher get the glove to the contact point ahead of the ball. If a catchers glove shoots out and meets a fastball while both objects are moving the ball will usually win the battle and pull the glove off the plate.
This technique is done in addition to proper handling of the glove to assure that all parts of the glove are in the strike zone when the ball is caught.
Imagine a catcher catches a ball on the inside edge to a right-hander, and has his thumb in the 6-o'clock position when the ball hits it. To make that catch he will have to allow his left elbow to go to the left to get the glove in position. His elbow will now be nearly a foot left of the edge of the strike zone. Also, over half of the glove will be to the left of the strike zone. So even if the ball is cleanly a strike, all kinds of signals are being sent that this pitch is too far inside.
If the catcher makes a few subtle changes he will ensure that he isn’t doing anything to make this strike look like a ball.
First he sets up with his thumb set at 3-o'clock. This positions his elbow to bend down, not out to the left. He shifts his weight to the left, and positions his glove to catch the left half of the ball. His hand rotates slightly so his thumb is between 12 and 1 o'clock. The ball flies past the front edge of the glove and is caught in the back half of the pocket. The back edge of the glove is vertical, so no part of the glove is out of the strike zone. Since the elbow bent down, no part of the left arm is out of the strike zone. We have caught a close strike and did nothing to make it look like a ball.
Law#4 “The Glove Never Moves After the Ball Hits It”
One of the main techniques that many players think is part of good receiving is moving the glove after the ball hits it to a spot that will more likely get them the strike call. I have always felt that most of the technique is insulting to the umpire. He can hear the ball hit the glove, so what’s the point to drag or pull the ball somewhere it wasn’t. I teach that if the technique I have described above is employed then you will maximize your strike calls and build a better relationship with the umpire by not trying to move a pitch after it hits the glove.
In Conclusion: I don’t teach framing. I teach good sound receiving. Just be concerned with keeping strikes looking like strikes and you will succeed as a catcher.
This technique is widely used and I believe actually contribute to close strikes being called as balls.
I will explain my position on “Framing” by explaining the 4 Laws of Good Receiving that I teach all my students.
I explain to my students that they need to go behind the plate with these 4 laws firmly imbedded in their technique to be the best receivers they can be.
Law #1 “The Catcher Must View Each Pitch Through the Umpire’s Eyes”
For a catcher to excel behind the plate he must view each pitch as the umpire sees it. I teach my students to have a 2nd view on the game in their minds eye. The first is of course the view of the whole field. The 2nd is the view that the umpire sees when he looks down toward home plate to make the call. He sees the back of the catcher as well as the ball, plate, and batter.
When a catcher develops this view of the game, he will realize how much he can affect the “look” the umpire gets at the pitch as it crosses the plate. He will understand how he can make a tight, good strike look like a pitch that is off the plate and not worthy of being called a strike.
A catcher needs to learn that there is a short period of time that while the umpire is tracking the ball with his eyes that the catcher is out of his direct line of sight. This occurs when the umpires has his eyes focused on the ball leaving the pitchers hands and continues tracking it until just in front of the plate. For that brief moment the catcher is below the umpire’s direct line of sight. It is during this short time that the catcher needs to get properly positioned to receive the pitch.
Law #2 “ It’s a Catcher’s Job to Keep Strikes Looking like Strikes”
This is where my teaching tends to go against the flow a little. I do not want to see my catchers catching a pitch that clearly is a ball and pulling, pushing, or somehow moving the glove to try and reposition the pitch at a spot they feel will get them a strike call. I don’t want them trying to “Make a ball look like a strike”. The best way to keep a strike looking like a strike is to never do anything that would make it look like a ball. The next 2 Laws discuss ways to accomplish that.
Law# 3 “Beat the Ball to The Spot”
My goal for my catchers is that their movements behind the plate when they receive are smooth, “quiet”, quick but not hurried.
They set the target with their glove in the middle of their body. The goal is to have adjusted their position so that their glove is in position to catch the ball before the ball gets there. They want their glove to “Beat the Ball to the Spot.”
This is accomplished as follows.
• Their feet are turned up the lines.
• Their heels are in contact with the ground as well as the balls of their feet.
This makes it easy for them to receive any pitch that catches even the edge of the plate by shifting their weight that direction. They still keep the glove in the middle of their body. They can avoid “reaching” for pitches using this technique. When shifting their weight toward the ball they are able to keep their shoulders level at all times. The look they present to the umpire is one of control, and one that says that this pitch is being caught on the catcher’s midline, it must be a strike.
Often times a catcher doesn’t shift his weight and reaches for the ball on the outside of the plate, even though it may be a close strike, by reaching at the last minute the message sent is that this pitch is not where the catcher wanted it and you may lose the strike call. Have the catcher get the glove to the contact point ahead of the ball. If a catchers glove shoots out and meets a fastball while both objects are moving the ball will usually win the battle and pull the glove off the plate.
This technique is done in addition to proper handling of the glove to assure that all parts of the glove are in the strike zone when the ball is caught.
Imagine a catcher catches a ball on the inside edge to a right-hander, and has his thumb in the 6-o'clock position when the ball hits it. To make that catch he will have to allow his left elbow to go to the left to get the glove in position. His elbow will now be nearly a foot left of the edge of the strike zone. Also, over half of the glove will be to the left of the strike zone. So even if the ball is cleanly a strike, all kinds of signals are being sent that this pitch is too far inside.
If the catcher makes a few subtle changes he will ensure that he isn’t doing anything to make this strike look like a ball.
First he sets up with his thumb set at 3-o'clock. This positions his elbow to bend down, not out to the left. He shifts his weight to the left, and positions his glove to catch the left half of the ball. His hand rotates slightly so his thumb is between 12 and 1 o'clock. The ball flies past the front edge of the glove and is caught in the back half of the pocket. The back edge of the glove is vertical, so no part of the glove is out of the strike zone. Since the elbow bent down, no part of the left arm is out of the strike zone. We have caught a close strike and did nothing to make it look like a ball.
Law#4 “The Glove Never Moves After the Ball Hits It”
One of the main techniques that many players think is part of good receiving is moving the glove after the ball hits it to a spot that will more likely get them the strike call. I have always felt that most of the technique is insulting to the umpire. He can hear the ball hit the glove, so what’s the point to drag or pull the ball somewhere it wasn’t. I teach that if the technique I have described above is employed then you will maximize your strike calls and build a better relationship with the umpire by not trying to move a pitch after it hits the glove.
In Conclusion: I don’t teach framing. I teach good sound receiving. Just be concerned with keeping strikes looking like strikes and you will succeed as a catcher.
Catching Coach Writes:
"I do not want to see my catchers catching a pitch that clearly is a ball and pulling, pushing, or somehow moving the glove to try and reposition the pitch at a spot they feel will get them a strike call."
This is one of my pet peeves. I see it all the time - catcher tries to draw a ball off the plate a little into the strike zone.
What better way to alienate an umpire? The catcher's relationship with the umpire is a very important part of the catching job. What does an umpire think of a catcher who is trying to "fool" him about close pitches?
First, it is an insult, as if the umpire cannot see the pitch. Second, the umpire, seeing the movement back into the zone, is more likely to call it a ball, because he sees the catcher has to move it!
I have always thought that "sticking" the pitch is a better way to think about it than "framing." Glove should not move on the catch, especially on close pitches. It certainly should not jerk back into the zone, although I have seen even some MLB catchers do it.
I wholeheartedly agree with what Catching Coach says about glove position, leaning to catch the pitch in the middle of the stance and not having to move the glove to get the close pitch. Those are exactly as my son is taught.
I see lots of catchers with poor receiving skills.
"I do not want to see my catchers catching a pitch that clearly is a ball and pulling, pushing, or somehow moving the glove to try and reposition the pitch at a spot they feel will get them a strike call."
This is one of my pet peeves. I see it all the time - catcher tries to draw a ball off the plate a little into the strike zone.
What better way to alienate an umpire? The catcher's relationship with the umpire is a very important part of the catching job. What does an umpire think of a catcher who is trying to "fool" him about close pitches?
First, it is an insult, as if the umpire cannot see the pitch. Second, the umpire, seeing the movement back into the zone, is more likely to call it a ball, because he sees the catcher has to move it!
I have always thought that "sticking" the pitch is a better way to think about it than "framing." Glove should not move on the catch, especially on close pitches. It certainly should not jerk back into the zone, although I have seen even some MLB catchers do it.
I wholeheartedly agree with what Catching Coach says about glove position, leaning to catch the pitch in the middle of the stance and not having to move the glove to get the close pitch. Those are exactly as my son is taught.
I see lots of catchers with poor receiving skills.
I agree with you catching coach on everything. I too hate it when catchers try to turn the glove in, out, up, or down to make it look "good". Horrible!! I tell my kids that it only works with the really bad ones.
I really don't mention "Framing" to any of my kids either, but I have a lot of my first time students explain that they are taught to frame the pitch. I spend a lot of my time breaking them of that habit.
I liked what you said about beating the ball to the spot and not moving the glove once the ball has hit. So many young catchers have a real straight arm with hard hands. My entire program is centered around balance, body control, and learning to keep the body as quiet as possible.
The only difference I teach seperate of you guys is the leaning to the side to catch the ball. I try to get them to catch it without moving anything at all. If you catch it close enough to the body, most of my guys can make it look good without reaching and the lack of movement from the catcher makes the pitch look a bit better to the umpire. Depends on the makeup of your catcher though. They can't all catch that way.
You guys have made some great points!!
I really don't mention "Framing" to any of my kids either, but I have a lot of my first time students explain that they are taught to frame the pitch. I spend a lot of my time breaking them of that habit.
I liked what you said about beating the ball to the spot and not moving the glove once the ball has hit. So many young catchers have a real straight arm with hard hands. My entire program is centered around balance, body control, and learning to keep the body as quiet as possible.
The only difference I teach seperate of you guys is the leaning to the side to catch the ball. I try to get them to catch it without moving anything at all. If you catch it close enough to the body, most of my guys can make it look good without reaching and the lack of movement from the catcher makes the pitch look a bit better to the umpire. Depends on the makeup of your catcher though. They can't all catch that way.
You guys have made some great points!!
Great information here.. One of the points that we work on the most is being very quiet with the body. As stated above, less movement is better and when the ball is caught, a momentarey "stick it". Holding the glove for an extended period is showing up the umpire. The quietness gives the umpire a great view of the pitch if he misses it, he misses it.
A good catcher helps the pitcher extend the zone by knowing what the umpire's giving him.
A good catcher helps the pitcher extend the zone by knowing what the umpire's giving him.
quote:Originally posted by Coach A:
The only difference I teach seperate of you guys is the leaning to the side to catch the ball.I try to get them to catch it without moving anything at all. If you catch it close enough to the body, most of my guys can make it look good without reaching and the lack of movement from the catcher makes the pitch look a bit better to the umpire. Depends on the makeup of your catcher though. They can't all catch that way.
Coach A,
First of all Coach, where are you located in TX? I get calls all the time looking for instruction from parents of catchers in TX.
No to respond to your thoughts,
So there is no confusion, what I teach is not leaning but a weight shift of the entire body. Leaning to me would mean the shoulders would tilt, giving a real bad look to the umpire.
The purpose of the weight shift is to keep the close strike looking like a strike. It is to ensure that as the umpire looks over the catchers left shoulder at the pitch on the inside edge of the plate the widest thing he sees is the outside of the left shoulder. His eyes then travel down the catcher arm "towards" home plate, not away from home plate, and he then sees the outside edge of the glove hanging right over the edge of the plate. The balls in the glove, he's gotta say strike.
If the catcher didn't shift his weight, taking his shoulders with him, then as the umpire looks over the catchers left shoulder, the outside of the left shoulder is inside the glove. The left arm will extend out away from the body, and away from the plate. The umpire’s eyes will travel down the arm and be carried away from the plate by the time the eyes get to the glove.
You were also concerned about the movement of the catcher sending the wrong message to the umpire. If the catcher is not aggressive, then he will be moving while he is in the umpire’s line of sight and I would agree that would not be a good thing.
However, this technique works only when the catcher is an aggressive receiver and is committed to beating the ball to the spot. He will have "moved" at a time when the umpire does not have a good line of sight to the catcher. Therefore his slight shift will not be associated with "going to get a ball out of the zone"
The technique I teach, and I have very young (8-10 yr olds) catchers that do it very well, is best looked at after grasping a subtle concept of where the umpires eyes go during a pitch with the 60ft pitching distance. What he sees and what is out of his sight line.
1. Catcher giving sign ……………………..…umps eyes down at catcher
2. Catcher shifts to receiving position………. umps eyes down at catcher but rising to pitcher
3. Pitcher begins windup…………………….. umps eyes up at pitcher-catcher out of sightline
4. Pitch just before release point…………umps eyes up at ball in pitchers hand- catcher out of sightline
5. Ball just released……………………………. umps eyes up at ball- catcher out of sightline
6. Ball in flight………………………………… umps eyes up at ball- catcher out of sightline
7. Ball in flight until 6feet before plate………… umps eyes up at ball, starting to drop toward plate, catcher is now in lower peripheral vision.
8. Ball at plate, over plate……………………….umps eyes following ball, all movements of catcher are now noticed.
There is a window of time that the catcher is not in the direct line of sight and if his movements are soft, smooth, and end with the glove getting to the contact point before the ball, then it will appear to the ump that he was always sitting just in that location.
And yes, the time a catcher has to make this move is short, and not every catcher will master it. But it will still be a better "look" to a pitch if the shoulders are at the edge of the strike zone and the glove is positioned inside the shoulders, rather then the shoulders stay put and the arm is extended out at an angle away from the body that will send the umpire eyes away from the plate instead of back towards the plate.
Catching Coach,
I agree. The term I use is "swaying with the pitch". A great example of swaying with the pitch is Jorge Posada.
I agree. The term I use is "swaying with the pitch". A great example of swaying with the pitch is Jorge Posada.
Framing a pitch to me is catching that pitch and allowing the ump to get a good view. We want to call it "preframed." Am I opposed to our catcher rotating their wrist? Not as long as it isn't more than just a slight movement. Note, the catcher was "lazy" on this ball and we don't want that to occur often. A catcher should never "draw" the ball back into the strike zone by moving that arm. This makes umps really upset. Catch and a slight rotation if needed and that is it.
Having said all of that and a different way of saying what was posted earlier "Beat the Ball to the spot" is to catch the outside part of the ball for an outside pitch, the inside for inside... This allows you to catch the ball preframed and no movement should be necessary. An accomplished catcher can do this and thus become an umpire's dream. This is a skill that has to be worked on in phases. It has to start, IMO, with tennisballs and then progress to coach pitch. After that, we use a machine to get one pitch exactly located so that the catcher can work on that preframed catch. JMHO!
BTW, the "preframed" and the concept of catch the outside part of the ball on an outside pitch... is what we picked up from several college coaches who spoke on catching. We didn't come up with the concept.
Having said all of that and a different way of saying what was posted earlier "Beat the Ball to the spot" is to catch the outside part of the ball for an outside pitch, the inside for inside... This allows you to catch the ball preframed and no movement should be necessary. An accomplished catcher can do this and thus become an umpire's dream. This is a skill that has to be worked on in phases. It has to start, IMO, with tennisballs and then progress to coach pitch. After that, we use a machine to get one pitch exactly located so that the catcher can work on that preframed catch. JMHO!
BTW, the "preframed" and the concept of catch the outside part of the ball on an outside pitch... is what we picked up from several college coaches who spoke on catching. We didn't come up with the concept.
Not to argue, but I am a big believer in framing!!!! What catching coach and others are describing is part of framing the pitch. Now, if we add the ability to use the glove to further frame the pitch, we have the best of both worlds. IMO - Pitchers who throw inside to a catcher set up outside (or vise versa) will not get the border line pitch called. No matter how good the sight line of the umpire is.
To me proper framing includes the body position and the glove position. I agree with "catching coach, the body positioning being the more important of the two. A pitcher who can not throw to the catchers body, doesn't deserve the border line pitches.
To me proper framing includes the body position and the glove position. I agree with "catching coach, the body positioning being the more important of the two. A pitcher who can not throw to the catchers body, doesn't deserve the border line pitches.
catching coach I agree with you to. I also think catchers should keep strikes strikes and maybe get a borderline call a strike.
Catching Coach,
Good point. I will PM you with my contact info. I have never broken it down to the extent of where an umpire looks, but it makes a lot of sense.
Good point. I will PM you with my contact info. I have never broken it down to the extent of where an umpire looks, but it makes a lot of sense.
All good thoughts here......I love a good catcher who frames pitches well. I have very deliberate timing on calling pitches, so I appreciate a rock solid frame.
However, if you pull a pitch into the zone, you have told me that you felt the pitch was a ball as well.....
However, if you pull a pitch into the zone, you have told me that you felt the pitch was a ball as well.....
This is all good stuff. Catching coach and I have discussed this.
What many of us don't talk about in framing is how often a young catcher turns a strike into a ball. Thats why they need to learn quiet movements and a slight body sway. Some kids will have their mitt knocked out of the zone because they haven't learned how to beat the ball to the spot. I have also always taught to beat the ball to the spot and then ever so slightly roll the wrist as the ball is received. This shows the ball in halves to the ump. Someone mentioned the drivers wheel, thats pretty acurate.
What many of us don't talk about in framing is how often a young catcher turns a strike into a ball. Thats why they need to learn quiet movements and a slight body sway. Some kids will have their mitt knocked out of the zone because they haven't learned how to beat the ball to the spot. I have also always taught to beat the ball to the spot and then ever so slightly roll the wrist as the ball is received. This shows the ball in halves to the ump. Someone mentioned the drivers wheel, thats pretty acurate.
Many great points here. The sway to the pitch and beating the ball to the location are invaluable. Two other things that have worked very well with our catchers (forgive me if they have been mentioned earlier): on the ball to the glove side, catch the ball close to the body, on the ball to the right side, reach out to the pitcher. This gives the look of catching a ball coming to you in the zone as opposed to reaching across the body to catch it. Try setting up behind your catcher as an ump and you will see a big difference. Also, try to catch low balls with your fingers on top unless there is a chance of the ball hitting the ground.
Relaxed loose arm and forearm.
Beat the ball to the spot.
Get your hand around the baseball.
Great Drill for this.
No catchers glove, catcher behind the dish as normal. Throw tennis balls at the kid, and have him direct the ball into the ground at the plate.
He has to beat the ball to the spot, and get his hand around the baseball.
The key to good framing/recieving is simple, less is more. Catch the ball, stick and throw it back. All the while trying to be quiet.
Beat the ball to the spot.
Get your hand around the baseball.
Great Drill for this.
No catchers glove, catcher behind the dish as normal. Throw tennis balls at the kid, and have him direct the ball into the ground at the plate.
He has to beat the ball to the spot, and get his hand around the baseball.
The key to good framing/recieving is simple, less is more. Catch the ball, stick and throw it back. All the while trying to be quiet.
An addition to that drill "rifle" is to have them deflect the ball you spoke of into a bucket. If they are loud at all, the ball will not fall into the bucket and they get immediate feedback.
Great response.
Great response.
I will give that a try tonight. It makes sense, thanks for the tip.
Great thread. CC, great insight into what the umpire is looking at during the course of a pitch, I'd never even thought about that before. I talked to my 12 year old son about it and I could see the light bulb come on in his head. Also great insight as to swaying to the pitch and catching it near the center of the body so as not to make it look like a ball. I've always taught that to our kids, now I've got more ammunition to use in explaining the why part. I think it will be a good teaching tool for them to stand in the umpire's position and see the difference between a ball on the corner caught with proper technique vs. sticking the arm outside the body to go get the ball.
Framing: Keep a strike a strike.
I think there are plenty of excellent responses on here. Catching coach described an excellent way to "frame" or as he calls it recieve effectively. I guess depending on how you look at it they are the same. I would never refer to framing as turning the glove in, out and that jazz.
the question I have that is one that I think I know but am not completely sure because I don't think anyone has mentioned it yet. When you guys say "beat the ball to the spot" and "get your hand around the baseball" would you consider those phrases to mean the same thing as "catching the outside half of the baseball"?
Thanks a lot
the question I have that is one that I think I know but am not completely sure because I don't think anyone has mentioned it yet. When you guys say "beat the ball to the spot" and "get your hand around the baseball" would you consider those phrases to mean the same thing as "catching the outside half of the baseball"?
Thanks a lot
Turn-Two,
Can't believe I left that description out.
Absolutely the catcher shoud be catching the outside half of the ball. This applies to any pitch where the ball is on the plate but within a balls-width of either edge, or off the plate by a balls-width but just kissing the black.
Any pitch over the meat of the middle of the plate should be caught by the top half. That is assuming that the ball isn't on its way out of the park!!
Can't believe I left that description out.
Absolutely the catcher shoud be catching the outside half of the ball. This applies to any pitch where the ball is on the plate but within a balls-width of either edge, or off the plate by a balls-width but just kissing the black.
Any pitch over the meat of the middle of the plate should be caught by the top half. That is assuming that the ball isn't on its way out of the park!!
Catching Absolutes includes:
- Throwing
- Blocking
- Receiving
- Handling Pitchers
Blocking:
- To successfully block baseballs, a catcher must have his heart in it.
- To block the ball, the good receiver needs to find a way to shorten the 'hop' of the baseball
- To sucessfully block the baseball, the catcher needs to control the baseball.
- The better ways to control the baseball is to block with the chest down & over the ball, with the eyes up to track the ball
- The best blocking drills practice the following:
Go Forward
Cut distance of hop
Cut angle of pitch
Be Completely Still
- More time is needed to be spent on blocking and recovery, with the emphasis on training to be completely still at ball contact
- Highly recommend using incrediballs to practice.
Receiving:
- The best of catchers will relax the muscles of the glove forearm, the moment the pitchers stride foot touches the ground.
- The direction and location of the baseball will dictate where the baseball should be caught.
.To catch a strike, catch the back of the ball.
.If the ball is up, catch the top of the ball.
.If the ball is down, catch the bottom half of the ball.
. When stance is square, catch the ball in the middle of the body.
. When pitch is above the knee (glove side), teach receiver to go out and get the ball.
. When the pitch is below the knee (arm side),
teach receiver to sway and then go out and catch the ball.
. Catch the ball before it leaves the strike zone
. Try to keep the baseball in the strike zone to allow umpire to call a strike.
. Pitchers like catchers who catch the baseball when the pitch is on the black and have the umpires call a strike.
- "Framing" is not a term that is used much anymore [& since the middle 90's by many parent MLB clubs] by roving catching instructors teaching the art of receiving.
- A few current pro catching coaches are NOT going to ask guys block balls, if it doesn't mean anything.
A few die hard college coaches want guys to block balls in batting practice (to practice their craft, and then play with the bruises.
And of course the best of managers are NOT 2b, nor pitchers, and certainly not OF, but catchers.)
Maybe we can chat about throwing and handling pitchers at a later time.
- Throwing
- Blocking
- Receiving
- Handling Pitchers
Blocking:
- To successfully block baseballs, a catcher must have his heart in it.
- To block the ball, the good receiver needs to find a way to shorten the 'hop' of the baseball
- To sucessfully block the baseball, the catcher needs to control the baseball.
- The better ways to control the baseball is to block with the chest down & over the ball, with the eyes up to track the ball
- The best blocking drills practice the following:
Go Forward
Cut distance of hop
Cut angle of pitch
Be Completely Still
- More time is needed to be spent on blocking and recovery, with the emphasis on training to be completely still at ball contact
- Highly recommend using incrediballs to practice.
Receiving:
- The best of catchers will relax the muscles of the glove forearm, the moment the pitchers stride foot touches the ground.
- The direction and location of the baseball will dictate where the baseball should be caught.
.To catch a strike, catch the back of the ball.
.If the ball is up, catch the top of the ball.
.If the ball is down, catch the bottom half of the ball.
. When stance is square, catch the ball in the middle of the body.
. When pitch is above the knee (glove side), teach receiver to go out and get the ball.
. When the pitch is below the knee (arm side),
teach receiver to sway and then go out and catch the ball.
. Catch the ball before it leaves the strike zone
. Try to keep the baseball in the strike zone to allow umpire to call a strike.
. Pitchers like catchers who catch the baseball when the pitch is on the black and have the umpires call a strike.
- "Framing" is not a term that is used much anymore [& since the middle 90's by many parent MLB clubs] by roving catching instructors teaching the art of receiving.
- A few current pro catching coaches are NOT going to ask guys block balls, if it doesn't mean anything.
A few die hard college coaches want guys to block balls in batting practice (to practice their craft, and then play with the bruises.
And of course the best of managers are NOT 2b, nor pitchers, and certainly not OF, but catchers.)
Maybe we can chat about throwing and handling pitchers at a later time.
Well Bear,
You pretty much summed it all up. I haven't heard the term Framing in quite some time from the higher level players/coaches, but I get the question a lot from younger kids/parents trying to understand how to "frame". That is why I posed the question. I think the "throwing" subject has been touched upon quite a bit in another thread, but I would still like to know what you guys do for throwing drills, and receiving drills if you get a chance to throw me a bone or two.
How are things in Maryland??
You pretty much summed it all up. I haven't heard the term Framing in quite some time from the higher level players/coaches, but I get the question a lot from younger kids/parents trying to understand how to "frame". That is why I posed the question. I think the "throwing" subject has been touched upon quite a bit in another thread, but I would still like to know what you guys do for throwing drills, and receiving drills if you get a chance to throw me a bone or two.
How are things in Maryland??
C A,
Before discussing throwing drills and receiving drills, it might be best to start the younger guys out by teaching a good catching foundation by chatting about Stances,...catching stance.
With a good foundation for catching stance, the proper execution throwing drills and recieving drills will be performed.
Basic of Catchers Stances
Signal Stance
Nobody On
Men on Base (or 2 Stikes on Hitter)
Signal Stance
- Close Right Knee to block out R1.
Nobody On
- Turnout feet (ie Duck Feet)
- Glove above Elbows
- Throwing Hand Protected
Behind right angle
Behind bend in right leg
- Chest Up
- Eyes Up
Men on Base (or 2 Stikes on Hitter)
Time for All Catchers to Work
- Feet pointed (or flaired a tad out)
- Knees inside ankles
- Full Glove Target to Pitcher
- Elbows off Knees
- Heels on Ground
- Throwing Thumb/hand protected
Thumb in or out
Behind or Side of Glove
For Receiving and Throwing Mechanics
- I like to reinforce there are two halves
Upper Body Half
Lower Body Half
A few priortities
- 1st priority
Catch the baseball in strike zone, period.
- Catch the baseball before transition & throw
- Use the shortest of arm arcs!
Avoid/Never throw like a OF/P
- Catch baseball, and transition glove
to throwing hand
Never ever Flip ball out of catching glove
- Bring ball in glove back to center of body (or right shoulder)
- Let the baseball get to you.
Because the baseball gets to you quicker than the hand.
Drills
- Teacher short tosses with reps increasing to a large angle to catcher recieving ball
Practice catching thumbs up
Practice catching thumbs down
Practice swaying
- Various angles of blocking
Start at center, then go side to side
Use lower half to move
Use upper halve and hands to shorten bounce and control roll of baseball
Track ball, get up to get, and into throwing position
With many youth coaches teaching baserunners to attempt to advance when ball in dirt, if catchers are taught to control bounce of ball, and maintain tracking, and move forward to pick ball up, and get into throwing position, the catcher may not get the alert speed merchant with a good throw, yet the catcher will get the average to two ton Tony's attempting to advance over 90% of the time! That's what makes that cat and mouse game of baseball, exciting.
Before discussing throwing drills and receiving drills, it might be best to start the younger guys out by teaching a good catching foundation by chatting about Stances,...catching stance.
With a good foundation for catching stance, the proper execution throwing drills and recieving drills will be performed.
Basic of Catchers Stances
Signal Stance
Nobody On
Men on Base (or 2 Stikes on Hitter)
Signal Stance
- Close Right Knee to block out R1.
Nobody On
- Turnout feet (ie Duck Feet)
- Glove above Elbows
- Throwing Hand Protected
Behind right angle
Behind bend in right leg
- Chest Up
- Eyes Up
Men on Base (or 2 Stikes on Hitter)
Time for All Catchers to Work
- Feet pointed (or flaired a tad out)
- Knees inside ankles
- Full Glove Target to Pitcher
- Elbows off Knees
- Heels on Ground
- Throwing Thumb/hand protected
Thumb in or out
Behind or Side of Glove
For Receiving and Throwing Mechanics
- I like to reinforce there are two halves
Upper Body Half
Lower Body Half
A few priortities
- 1st priority
Catch the baseball in strike zone, period.
- Catch the baseball before transition & throw
- Use the shortest of arm arcs!
Avoid/Never throw like a OF/P
- Catch baseball, and transition glove
to throwing hand
Never ever Flip ball out of catching glove
- Bring ball in glove back to center of body (or right shoulder)
- Let the baseball get to you.
Because the baseball gets to you quicker than the hand.
Drills
- Teacher short tosses with reps increasing to a large angle to catcher recieving ball
Practice catching thumbs up
Practice catching thumbs down
Practice swaying
- Various angles of blocking
Start at center, then go side to side
Use lower half to move
Use upper halve and hands to shorten bounce and control roll of baseball
Track ball, get up to get, and into throwing position
With many youth coaches teaching baserunners to attempt to advance when ball in dirt, if catchers are taught to control bounce of ball, and maintain tracking, and move forward to pick ball up, and get into throwing position, the catcher may not get the alert speed merchant with a good throw, yet the catcher will get the average to two ton Tony's attempting to advance over 90% of the time! That's what makes that cat and mouse game of baseball, exciting.
Here are a couple of drills we use quite often for receiving and blocking.
Receiving:
Catcher in position behind the plate, full gear. 4 or 5 other players, coaches or catchers positioned 15-20'in front of the plate in a straight line each with at least 6 baseballs. You can start with rif or tennis balls with younger players. Starting at one end and in order each player throws a pitch one at a time. The catcher sticks each pitch and just drops the ball in front. As they get better the sequence sppeds up to a rapid fire drill...
Also receiving; no glove,catcher holds a tennis ball in his pinky and ring finger. Assumes his stance and then has tennis balls thrown to him. He catches them and holds the incoming pitch with his middle finger, pointer and thumb. Very similar to the ball being caught in the glove. To much movement by the catcher makes it very difficult to catch the pitch..He will have two balls in his hand to complete the drill..
Blocking:
We use most of the standard drop and block drills but I learned a nice drill from Coach Stone at UMass a few years ago and use it quite a bit.
Catcher sets up facing a block wall about 5' away. Coach stands behind him and throws balls at the wall. They rebound off the wall onto the ground, the catcher has to react and block each one. This can be done with tennis balls or real baseballs. As both get better, it's a great drill since it is totally reactionary. The catcher can only see the bals location when it his the wall and has very little time to react.
Receiving:
Catcher in position behind the plate, full gear. 4 or 5 other players, coaches or catchers positioned 15-20'in front of the plate in a straight line each with at least 6 baseballs. You can start with rif or tennis balls with younger players. Starting at one end and in order each player throws a pitch one at a time. The catcher sticks each pitch and just drops the ball in front. As they get better the sequence sppeds up to a rapid fire drill...
Also receiving; no glove,catcher holds a tennis ball in his pinky and ring finger. Assumes his stance and then has tennis balls thrown to him. He catches them and holds the incoming pitch with his middle finger, pointer and thumb. Very similar to the ball being caught in the glove. To much movement by the catcher makes it very difficult to catch the pitch..He will have two balls in his hand to complete the drill..
Blocking:
We use most of the standard drop and block drills but I learned a nice drill from Coach Stone at UMass a few years ago and use it quite a bit.
Catcher sets up facing a block wall about 5' away. Coach stands behind him and throws balls at the wall. They rebound off the wall onto the ground, the catcher has to react and block each one. This can be done with tennis balls or real baseballs. As both get better, it's a great drill since it is totally reactionary. The catcher can only see the bals location when it his the wall and has very little time to react.
All I know is that to watch a truly accomplished catcher is a beautiful thing....Everything about that catcher receiving the ball is subtle, quiet, fluid yet very definitive at the same time. Nothing in his movement gives anyone a doubt as to exactly what has happened. It is an art and a science. Blocking and the throw down is very much the same - Fluid. Precise. Authoritative. There is no hesitation, no loss of continuity. It's as if there is no batter in the box and no plate to 'impede the zone', so to speak, or the perception of the zone. Everything is done within that zone, or the perception that it is done within the zone is done in such a subtle manner that there is no question that an actual allusion has taken place. A little bit of magic..
No instruction here - you guys have covered that quite well. Just a little commentary.
No instruction here - you guys have covered that quite well. Just a little commentary.
Say Merc,
A few college guys that I like w/respect to
their catching drills.
UNO Asst Coach- Finding Bartlet at JMU was a gold mine for Waters, and a loss for Spanky.
McDonald has been making some nice noise/music, and is a hard young worker.
On the pro level, Breedon, (used to be w/ NYY in Tampa) is now w/ Reds is getting more out there.
May the best of the pro guys, who kept it very simple, may he rest in peace, Ellie H.
But my fav has to be, Cassie, for those who go that far back to DC Stadium!
cheers
Bear
A few college guys that I like w/respect to
their catching drills.
UNO Asst Coach- Finding Bartlet at JMU was a gold mine for Waters, and a loss for Spanky.
McDonald has been making some nice noise/music, and is a hard young worker.
On the pro level, Breedon, (used to be w/ NYY in Tampa) is now w/ Reds is getting more out there.
May the best of the pro guys, who kept it very simple, may he rest in peace, Ellie H.
But my fav has to be, Cassie, for those who go that far back to DC Stadium!
cheers
Bear
Some good advice on this board! One thing that I will add was mentioned to my son by Eric Pappas(St. Louis) this winter.
Don't Frame pitchs that aren't strikes or close(black)
All that will happen is that you will have a harder time catching the pitch that is outside or inside and possibly have a pass ball.
Don't Frame pitchs that aren't strikes or close(black)
All that will happen is that you will have a harder time catching the pitch that is outside or inside and possibly have a pass ball.
