2. What is a catcher’s job?
• Catch
• Block
• Throw
• Field pop ups and Bunts
• Direct traffic
Who is a good candidate for your backstop?
• One of your better athletes
• Natural leader
• Decisive and instinctual
3. How do you know you’ve
found a good catcher?
When you finally realize you never have to say anything to him or her
4. Proper Fitting Gear
Snug and high fitting chest protector
Strap buckles on outside
Bottom strap the tightest
Mask snug and cannot shake it around
6. THROWING LIKE A CATCHER
Catch, Feet, Throw
Progression--Catch, heart, right, left, throw
Arm action
High transfer
Pull the elbow back
7.
8. THROWING TO BASES
No faking pickoffs
Catch the ball deep
Footwork
Pop
Two step
Drop step
Roll the knee!!
Throws to 3rd base and 1st base
Footwork
9. FIELDING BUNTS
Footwork
1st base
• 2 hand scoop into glove on right foot on
first base line
• Drop step and throw
• 2 hand/bare hand on left foot for 3rd
base
• Pivot/turn and throw
2nd Base
• 2 hand scoop into glove on right foot
• Quick shuffle and throw
3rd base
• Get rid of ball quickly
• Doesn’t have to be pretty
10. RECEIVING
• Quarter turn, drop to receive
• Catch glove flat
• Inside pitch
• Outside pitch
• Low pitch
• High pitch
• Framing?
12. BLOCKING
Different pitches call for different
styles
1.Fall forward
2.Replace the feet
Everything funnels back to the plate
Middle
Inside
Outside
VIDEO
13. POP UPS
• Clear the umpire
• Back to infield---P,
1st, 3rd
• Hang on to mask
• See ball in front of
your face at 11
o’clock
• Receive above head
• Thumbs together
• Find the next play
14. DRILLS
• T drill
• Rapid fire short toss
• One eye short toss
• Throwing to buckets
at bases
• Pop up quick and
retrieve ball
• Pop times Jamie Nelson
Tampa Bay Rays Drills
Blocking Progression
Work Backwards
• In blocking set up
• Hands up
• Secondary to blocking
• Random catch/Block
