Re: Survival tips-Catching
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thecomic said:
hey thanks alot.
what about stance? is it best to be on my toes, or more flat footed?
keep in mind, my biggest concern is getting my legs to last throughout the game, I'm 31 years old so that's a serious issue
thanks again.
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As far as stance, try to stay on your toes. Your left foot slightly ahead of your right (assuming you're a righty--not many lefty catchers). It's a defensive stance and allows you to move around more easily. Think of a defensive basketball stance but much lower to the ground. Not a full squat like you're taking a dump in the woods, but a defensive stance.
And since you're an older dude (hah! actually only a couple of years older than I), if there's no one on, take it easy. You don't have to be so aggressive with none on, but being a first timer, it might be better to play as if someone's on all the time.
The only reason I say to take it easy is because you're 31. Not that that's old (at least I hope not), but you're old enough to know how to keep your head in the game.
Anyway, as far as calling the game, you probably won't have to worry about it. From what I understand, this is your first game catching. You probably only have a slight understanding of how to call a game. So, if your coach is not calling pitches from the dugout (most MLB teams do), then you're probably going to have to rely on your pitcher to know what type of pitch to throw. Talk about it before the game.
Just don't let him throw anything he wants to. Some pitchers will do this with an inexperienced catcher. You MUST be on the same page. This is imperative. Let him decide what to throw. Do this by calling whatever you think is right (your gut instinct will be right most of the time), if he doesn't like it he'll shake it off. But it's really important that you know what's coming. Anticipation is the greatest tool of catching.
Oh, AND HAVE FUN!!!!!!
</font><blockquote><font class="small">Quote:</font><hr />
thecomic said:
hey thanks alot.
what about stance? is it best to be on my toes, or more flat footed?
keep in mind, my biggest concern is getting my legs to last throughout the game, I'm 31 years old so that's a serious issue
thanks again.
<hr /></blockquote><font class="post">
As far as stance, try to stay on your toes. Your left foot slightly ahead of your right (assuming you're a righty--not many lefty catchers). It's a defensive stance and allows you to move around more easily. Think of a defensive basketball stance but much lower to the ground. Not a full squat like you're taking a dump in the woods, but a defensive stance.
And since you're an older dude (hah! actually only a couple of years older than I), if there's no one on, take it easy. You don't have to be so aggressive with none on, but being a first timer, it might be better to play as if someone's on all the time.
The only reason I say to take it easy is because you're 31. Not that that's old (at least I hope not), but you're old enough to know how to keep your head in the game.
Anyway, as far as calling the game, you probably won't have to worry about it. From what I understand, this is your first game catching. You probably only have a slight understanding of how to call a game. So, if your coach is not calling pitches from the dugout (most MLB teams do), then you're probably going to have to rely on your pitcher to know what type of pitch to throw. Talk about it before the game.
Just don't let him throw anything he wants to. Some pitchers will do this with an inexperienced catcher. You MUST be on the same page. This is imperative. Let him decide what to throw. Do this by calling whatever you think is right (your gut instinct will be right most of the time), if he doesn't like it he'll shake it off. But it's really important that you know what's coming. Anticipation is the greatest tool of catching.
Oh, AND HAVE FUN!!!!!!
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