Copyright 2020 Leaf Group Ltd. / Leaf Group Media, All Rights Reserved. She grips her bat by. Pepper is a time-tested drill used in both baseball and softball and is suitable for expert players and novices alike. All Rights Reserved. As a coach, you can help your catcher get better with drills that focus on blocking, agility, quickness and strength. Set Up A cookie is a small piece of data that most browsers accept and store on your computer's hard drive. A Catcher Drill to Warm Up – The RIGHT Way! Some may argue this point, but the catcher might just have the most dynamic position on a softball team. While on one knee, practice taking the ball out of your glove and go through the motion of throwing the ball, without actually throwing it. Teaches players how to slide with proper technique, both back to the base and advancing to the next base. Coach and player, In today's video blog post, we are going to continue talking about windmill pitching, and some windmill pitching drills you can incorporate into your softball practice plan today! RECOMMENDED EQUIPMENT:  Easton Incrediball Softstitch Baseball / Catcher's Mask. In any case, a significant difference is that a regulation softball is significantly larger in size than a regulation baseball. We do not knowingly collect or solicit personal information from anyone under the age of 13 or knowingly allow such persons to register. Have your player wear her catcher's gear and get into her normal crouched position behind the plate. Now, from your knees, simply practice picking up the baseball and working on getting a strong 4-seam grip. She has more jobs than any other player -- giving signals, catching pitched balls, blocking bad pitches, throwing out base runners, catching foul balls, tagging players at home plate and fielding bunts. Set Up All the softball catcher workouts mentioned above are beneficial and can actively shape any beginner into a good catcher. Pitcher stands on the rubber. Herman has a Bachelor of Arts in journalism from West Virginia University. Teaches how to properly approach first base, by running straight through the base and not lunging when they get close. From pitch calling to setting the defense, it is the only position that is involved in every pitch of every game. Set Up Pitcher practices throwing from the mound, focusing on her footwork. Saw it off just above the trademark and attach a, Purpose If the ball is pitched high, then the catcher will have to frame the ball from the top of the strike zone. We recommend trying this drill a couple times while wearing your catcher’s mask to simulate the field of vision you will have during a live ballgame. We may do so when: (1) required by law; (2) trying to protect against or prevent actual or potential fraud or unauthorized transactions; (3) investigating fraud that has already taken place; or (4) protecting the rights of Softball.com. Just like in the blocking drill, the first step of this drill too is to get into the athletic catching stance mentioned before. Start on one side of the ladder, and get down into your blocking position (if you are able to have a partner, have them throw balls in your direction so you can actually block them). Pitcher goes through motion and throws. Another simple drill that you can perform anywhere, even while just watching TV. Set two cones approximately 3 yards apart, and a target 15-20 yards away. the game. See if you can do all of this in less than a second while maintaining strong, accurate throws to each target. If the ball is pitched low, then the catcher will have to frame the ball from below the strike zone. I started playing Baseball when I was 13 years old. One of the fielders tosses the ball underhanded to the batter, who taps back either a line drive or a ground ball. When your browser is in secure mode, you should see an unbroken key or padlock icon near the bottom of your browser window. Set up an agility ladder on a flat surface (grass or field turf preferred). Proven techniques for hitting, pitching, fielding and baserunning. Take an old or cracked bat. Catcher is behind home plate. By the end of the drill, the catcher should gain a good idea about which pitch is within the strike zone and which pitch in the ball zone. Other benefits of going through Be assured that your registration information is handled confidentially and privately and we will protect this information. We encourage our users to be aware when they leave our site and to read the privacy statements of each and every web site that collects personally identifiable information. There may be no more important skill for a catcher to have than the ability to properly block a pitch in the dirt and recover in time to make a quick throw to a base if necessary. a good catcher is to know how to block the ground balls. In addition, in the event of a merger or acquisition of Softball.com, the sale of substantially all of its assets related to the operation of this site, or other change of corporate control, information collected through this site may be transferred to or controlled by the surviving or successor entity. Player stands at plate or in front of net. Try these beginner softball drills to help develop the basic fundamentals of hitting, throwing, catching and fielding. You can do it slowly first and then speed up the process as you get used to the drill. Keep doing this drill at least a 10 times a set to get used to it and so that you can react as quickly as possible when the ball arrives. When the ball is thrown towards the middle of the plate, the catcher will receive the ball with the glove in a horizontal position. Apart from the already available ones, it is not uncommon for a coach to come up with their own catcher workouts, depending on the player’s level of understanding and interest. Go outside to a larger space and set up a target (preferably a net to catch errant throws) 90 feet away from you to simulate throwing down to 1st or 3rd base (127 feet to practice throwing to 2nd base). This drill can be done with or without the ball, and therefore is also an excellent indoor catcher drill. The beauty of pepper is that it develops bat control and fielding abilities while building camaraderie. One of the main jobs as a catcher There are quite a few differences between how they are played, but the basic essence and goal are identical, i.e. With a reliable catcher, a team can perform to its full potential. If you feel that this site is not following its stated privacy policy, please contact us immediately. 2. The first player throws the ball to the player opposite her, who then fires it to girl next to the one from whom she'd received it. To play pepper, you'll need four or five players, who alternate positions in a 15-foot radius. After a few pitches, the batter switches positions with one of the fielders. We will never share your information. The position of a catcher is one of the essential places while playing defense since the catcher is involved in almost every play. Enjoy Free U.S. Are you working with kids under 8? Do this drill while down on one knee so you are only using your upper body. We also may share such information with our affiliated companies for use by them in order to contact you concerning offers and news that they believe may be of interest to you. No one under age 13 is allowed to provide any personal information to us. To begin with, I want to refresh on a very important catcher game rule. Helps players learn to read the pitcher and infielders, and get a great jump on the delayed steal. This tests how well you can transition the ball from your glove to your hand, your grip, your throw, and your accuracy, all from the starting catcher’s squatting position. This is a really good drill to do after the Mock Throwing Motion and Grip Drills as it combines the two and allows you to practice full-speed.