Sunday, July 19, 2009

Catching Throwing

Catcher's Throwing

Some people say to a catcher that they should " throw from the ear." This can be somewhat misleading because if a catcher cocks his arm directly back to his ear then they will lose power thus causing distress on the elbow joint.

Many coaches teach that the arm motion is similar to a circle "thumb to thigh." The same is true for a catcher however, a catcher's circle should be done above the waist. The shorten motion allows for maximum power, quickness and accuracy.

Saturday, July 11, 2009

Back in Action

After a long season, I am back at posting helpful tips. My team of eleven year olds at one point won 13 in row after a slow start. I really think the success is due to having a teaching philosophy and practice organization.
A Catching Tip

Coaches when you are helping your catchers, you want to make sure that their receiving arm is located outside their left leg and not inside the leg. This enables them to have greater range trying to catch the ball to their left without having it obstructed by their left leg. The key is the elbow. The elbow should be outside the left leg or on top of it when giving a target. Furthermore, their target should be in the middle of their body and at the height of their knees/shin guards. Often times, a catcher will give a target that is too high and it becomes difficult for them to frame a pitch that is down in the strike zone. In addition, most catchers will drag the pitch out of the zone when they have to reach down to get it and it looks bad to the umpire.