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Baseball Catching - Best Techniques to Catch a Baseball Made EasyThese Baseball Catching techniques are designed for parents, managers and coaches to instruct players on properly catching the baseball to: - Improve your catching ability - Improve the speed of the glove to hand exchange of the baseball - Expanding your catching area When catching a baseball, it’s important to quickly transition yourself to throw the baseball. These catching methods will provide you with the skills to make this happen. As a fielder, the more quickly you can get the ball out of your glove and thrown to its destination, the more success you’ll have in getting runners out. However, you will have to catch it first before that can happen.
5 Fundamental Basics of Catching a Baseball1. Catch the baseball in front of you (both upper and lower body squared to face the baseball) whenever possible. 2. Use 2 hands. Your throwing hand is there to keep the ball from falling out once caught. It also has your throwing hand in position to quickly grip the ball to begin the throw. 3. Watch the baseball into your glove. Much more difficult to catch it when you don't see it! 4. Grip the baseball in your glove (after catching it) using the 4-seam grip as you bring your hands to your chest. (see diagram #1)
Diagram #1
5. Square your body aligning it to throw to your target. Your glove side should and hip should be facing your target as well as your head. (see Diagram #2)
3 Most Common Techniques for Baseball Catching1. When you can get in front of the ball 2. Backhand Technique 3. Forehand Technique
1. When you are in front of the ball, you'll face 2 possibilities: - Ball is at or above your waist. a. Use the 5 fundamentals above, plus b. Your fingers (both glove and throwing hand will face upward c. Bend at your knees to adjust to the ball as necessary Diagram #3 outlines this situation: (Diagram #3)
- Ball is below your waist. a. Use the 5 fundamentals above, plus b. Your fingers (both glove and throwing hand will face downward c. Bend at your knees to adjust to the ball as necessary Diagram #4 outlines this situation: (Diagram #4)
2. Backhand Technique - When to use: (When the ball comes to your throwing hand side. There are 3 different manners to catch a ball using this technique: - When the ball is at or above your head a. Use Fundamentals 2 - 5 from above b. Extend to the ball accross and upward as outlined in Diagram #5: Diagram #5
- When the ball is to your throwing hand side at chest to waist height: a. Fundamentals 2 - 5 from above, plus b. Extend across your body as shown in Diagram #6: (Diagram #6)
When the ball is to your throwing hand side below your waist: a. Fundamentals 2 - 5 from above (of course), plus b. Extend accross your body downward as shown in Diagram #7.
There are 3 different manners to catch a ball using this technique: - When the ball is at or above your head a. Use Fundamentals 2 - 5 from above b. Extend to the ball upward as outlined in Diagram #8:
Diagram #8
- When the ball is to your glove hand side at chest to waist height: a. Fundamentals 2 - 5 from above, plus b. Extend your body and arm as shown in Diagram #9: (Diagram #9)
When the ball is to your glove hand side below your waist: a. Fundamentals 2 - 5 from above (of course), plus b. Extend your body and arm downward as shown in Diagram #10.
Diagram #10
These Baseball Catching Guidelines will both improve your baseball catching abilities and improve your glove to hand exchange of the ball. This will greatly improve your defensive abilities as a youth baseball player. In need of Baseball merchandise, Catching a baseball drills for Parents to practice with their kids - Click Here
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Diagram #2
