CATCHERS DRILLS

Catchers should perform every drill with a chest protector and shin guards on. The reason for doing this is that catchers must be able to react, act and think when they are uncomfortable and sweaty. If you can get your catchers to buy-in to this it will make them better in the long run. You will also get a feel for who really wants to catch and who does not.

SIDE TO SIDE SPEEED DRILL

A very good drill to enhance speed and the ability to move from side to side quickly. The catcher gets behind the plate in full gear and the coach or pitcher throws or pitches balls to both sides of the catcher.. The point is for the catcher to be able to get their body in front of the ball so it never gets away from him or her. The drill should be done once at the beginning of practice and once at the end with each session consisting of fielding (50) balls at once.

SECOND BASE THROW DOWN DRILL Place a trash can or basket at second base. Have the catcher utilizing proper throwing technique throw (6) balls attempting to place each throw into the trash can. For more accuracy try an orange cone with a ball on top, the catcher should try to knock the ball off without hitting the cone. Lay (5) to (6) balls in a semi-circle in front of a fully dressed catcher, from his or her stance have them retrieve one ball and throw it down, using proper throwing techniques. The have the catcher return to his or her stance and repeat the drill until all of the balls have been thrown. For fun you may time the catcher, however make sure that you emphasize accuracy in the throw. ( This drill should be done with the short stop and or second baseman as this will give them practice and they will learn to trust each other).

SECOND BASE STEAL DRILL

You want to make it seem like an actual game as much as possible. The pitcher stands in the circle with a bucket of balls. The catcher is to be behind home plate in full equipment in the crouch position. (This should be with thighs parallel to the ground, a fairly wide stance for balance, and their left foot slightly in front of the right, ( for right handed players).
Draw a straight line across the ground in line with left foot. The catcher should extend their left hand(glove hand) out and make a fist with the thumb tucked inside. The right hand should be placed behind the glove pocket. This will enable better control and a faster throw to second.

Have the pitcher pitch a regular fast ball down the middle of the plate. The catcher is to lean forward slightly to get to the ball faster. As the catcher is catching the ball they should turn their feet so their right foot is perpendicular to the position that the left foot was in. They should not have taken any steps towards the pitcher except the shuffle turn. Their left foot should be open to second base, which will allow the throwing arm to be in a straight line with second base. With the upper half of their body, they should be in a sitting position with their back straight (like a wall sit). The ball is pulled with both hands up to the right of their face by their ear.
The left arm should then separate from the right and point to second base. With the ball in the right and an extended right arm parallel to the ground, bend it to a 90 degree angle, hand toward the sky. Rotate the right wrist backwards (m as if to show the python muscle.) With each throw the catcher should have the same grip on the ball. Keeping the "L" shape in their arm, follow through the throwing motion keeping in line with second base. Their weight should shift with the throw. (Make sure not to shift the weight too soon, as this will create less speed on the ball.) The left arm should release and fall as the right arm. (Make sure not to shift the weight too soon, as this will create less speed on the ball.) The left arm should release and fall as the right arm throws the ball.
The follow through should force the catcher's right foot into the fielder's position. The ball should be going on a down angle to second base, not a straight line. This will better enable the shortstop or second baseman to put the tag on. ( the receiver's glove should start on the ground and be pulled up for bad hops, not started in the air as is often taught.) The catcher should not be stepping on the plate or any where near the plate.
After this is done repeatedly (and don't worry it is not to be learned in one day!), try other pitches. For a ball on the glove side, the ball should be pulled across the body with both hands and into the throwing position. The body should not go to where the ball is.
This is the correct form as taught in the majors MLB.

REPETITON DRILL The best thing for catchers is repetion, throw (50) balls in the dirt for blocking the plate, make them throw (50) to second off the pitch. A good one for flies is have them crouch with the coach on his knees in front of the catcher, with ball in hand stretched out so the catcher can see it like a pitch coming in. Then the coach flips it in the air in different directions so the catcher can practice getting the mask off and finding the ball.

(2) REACTION DRILLS

The purpose of the first is to get beginning catchers (or rusty veterans) used to
seeing a flying object come directly at their face. Have the catcher (in his or her mask, helmet, and chest protector) stand against a wall with his or her hands behind their back. A coach stands 1-2 feet in front of the catcher and lightly throws the ball so that it hits the catcher in the mask. As the balls are hitting the mask encourage the catcher not to blink—a natural reaction for everyone! It's not as easy as it sounds and will take several sessions before the catcher truly becomes adept at overcoming the impulse to close his or her eyes and watch the ball all the way into (eventually) the glove.

The second is to work on quickness and response time.

Have the catcher, in full gear, crouch four feet away from the wall. The coach/player stands two feet behind the catcher and throws the ball over the head of the catcher and at the wall. The catcher can not see the throw and must react to where it rebounds off of the wall. Insist on good side to side movement, containing the ball with the shoulders, and staying square behind the ball. As the catchers get more proficient at this drill, vary the speed and angles at which the ball comes off of the wall.

POP-UP DRILL

The catcher is in the ready position with all the gear on. The coach/player stands behind the catcher. The person in back tosses the ball high into the air and yells "ball". The catcher should immediately throw the mask and helmet off and gets the ball before it hits the ground. It is harder than it sounds and is great practice!!

HOOP DRILL

You will need a hula-hoop and some softballs or baseballs.

Place the hula-hoop upright over second base (a coach will hold it) and instruct your catcher to make his or her throw from home plate through the hoop. This develops accurate throws.
The second part of the drill, you can put a pitcher on the mound and practice pitching and then have the pitcher duck when the catcher throws the ball down to second base. This helps make a good pitcher / catcher connection. The same drill can be used at third base. This drill gives the catcher a target area to throw to. Use a player to act as backup behind the hoop.

GARBAGE CAN DRILL

Stick a 55gallon plastic garbage can on its side next to second base (first base side) and throw balls into the can from home plate. Then move the can to 3rd base, doing the same thing.

DRAWING A CROSS DRILL

A catcher should always bring their hand up to their ear and throw (of course with a snap). When a catcher throws their glove (which should be extended towards the target) should cross their chest when they throw. To gain speed on the throw down to second, a catcher has to pop-up after they have caught the ball. When they pop-up their feet should be a a 90 degree angle to what they were at before.A good drill to practice the popping up on steals is drawing a cross. Crouching down on one of the lines a catcher should be able to pop-up and land on the other line that crosses it.

* Good practice for throwing correctly is holding onto your ear as you pop-up each time.

CATCHER'S PADDLE DRILL

Have your catcher stand behind a plate in full gear. This works best where there is a backstop or a wall behind the catcher. Instead of wearing a catcher's mitt, have your player wear wooden paddles strapped to their hands ( ping pong paddles). The paddle should be large enough to cover the catcher's hand even when their fingers are fully extended.
With the catcher in the crouched position, fire balls to all corners of the plate. The balls should hit the ground directly in front of the catcher. The catcher then blocks each ball with the paddles.
This drill is meant to teach quickness, coordination, and will help overcome the fear of incoming pitches.

BOUNCE AT THE PLATE DRILL

Use a pitching machine or have a coach on the pitcher's mound and shoot / throw balls into the ground just behind home plate and in front of home plate. The catcher should be in full gear. If the drill is to be done inside, tie the catcher'shands behind their back and from sponge balls into the floor having them block them and move side to side.

BACKSTOP DRILL

One thing catchers should work on is retrieving balls near the backstop and making the play at the plate. Dump a bucket of balls along the backstop behind the catcher. The catchers starts in his or her usual stance. The pitcher starts approximately halfway to home. On the word GO the catcher must turn around, go for a ball, look quickly and backhand the ball to the pitcher running in. The pitcher should work on fielding the ball and making the tag.
This drill should be repeated until the catcher is able to accurately place the ball at the plate on repeated tries. This drill will improve the speed and accuracy of the catcher's throws and the effectiveness of a play at home. It will also alleviate some of the pitcher's anxieties about making the play on a runner stealing home.

CATCHER'S CIRCLE DRILL

With full gear on ( mask too ) have the catcher get behind the plate w/out his or her glove. Make sure that the catchers has a balanced stance with their weight on the balls of their feet, knees bent (thighs parallel or slightly past) and toes slightly in towards the plate. Draw a circle in the dirt about the diameter of a washing machine around the plate. Have the catcher assume a crouch with both hands behind his or her back.
The coach then throws whiffle balls, tennis balls ( to start with then move to regulation balls ) low pitches / short hops at the catcher. Using only their chest, legs and shoulders the catcher tries to make every ball stay within the front of the circle. The catcher must use his or her body / shoulders to keep the balls within the circle by "bowing" their shoulders to guide the balls to the front of the plate withineasy reach distance.
Do this drill at (10) balls / (3x) for (30) balls a session with (3) sessions.

Back | Next