Our previous posts have dealt with telling the pitcher what to throw and then setting up to receive that pitch. Sometimes the pitcher doesn’t throw a good pitch. Sometimes the pitch goes into the dirt. This is a problem because it provides an opportunity for base runners to steal bases and possibly even score.
If we have a runner on third base and the ball gets past the catcher and ends up behind him, then we have a complicated dance which starts. First the catcher has to find the ball. As this is going on, hoping the pitcher is telling him where the ball is. Second, the pitcher has to run to cover home plate. Third, the catcher has to find the ball and throw it to the pitcher. Hopefully all this is done fast enough to get the runner out at home plate.
So, rather than going through that, it’s best to try to stop the ball before it gets behind the catcher. The catcher does that by blocking the ball.
In today’s post we’re going to focus on how to block a ball coming towards the middle of home plate.
To do this, the catcher starts off in position to receive the ball from the pitcher. The catcher sees the ball hit the ground and sees it moving towards the catcher. To block the ball, the catcher will push his feet behind him, landing on his shin guards. As he lands, he is attempting to land with his legs in a “V” position to help trap the ball.
As he lands, the catcher’s glove is hitting the dirt. His throwing hand is moving behind the glove to protect the hand.
Finally, the catcher leans forward to trap the ball in case the ball bounces up and past the catcher.
Once it has been mastered, this drill makes a great warm up before games and before practices. Have the catcher do this 5-10 times to warm up their legs and warm up the movement pattern.
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