Any catchers out there? (sign calling)

[Blzer]

Curious how you all practiced calling signs quickly with a runner on second. I've tried myself to sequence certain numbers with my hand, and I just can't do it quickly enough or appropriately. I want to teach some of my players how to practice it, but this is maybe one of the only things I never actually learned for myself because I wasn't a catcher in any way.

[Jr.]

Re: Any catchers out there? (sign calling)

Curious how you all practiced calling signs quickly with a runner on second. I've tried myself to sequence certain numbers with my hand, and I just can't do it quickly enough or appropriately. I want to teach some of my players how to practice it, but this is maybe one of the only things I never actually learned for myself because I wasn't a catcher in any way.

Anything to improve finger dexterity. Our catching coach when I was in Cali had his catchers roll quarters over their fingers like magicians do. Doing random finger/thumb touches (touch your thumb with each finger in a random order) seems like an exercise that might help, as well.

[Knight165]

Re: Any catchers out there? (sign calling)

I was a catcher for quite some time.
If you mean finger dexterity....I guess that's just repetition.
As for signs and keeping them from the opposing team....

-Keep your legs tight and your hand close to your cup....
-Use a keycode.....just make sure you and the pitcher are on the same page. It could be the first two signs flashed...the middle two.....the last two(rarely)
We would also use a touch to the body/equipment to override the flashed signs.

For instance....I would flash 1/1(fastball outside)....but then hit my chest protector which was a curve(I used facemask-fastball.....chest protector-curve.....knee-slider......hit the ground(swipe the dirt quickly)-change)...of course this takes practice and self-control(not to actually adjust your equip all the time...some guys can't do it...they are always fidgeting)
With the equip change of a pitch...the flash for location remained the same.
...and these were only with men on base of if I thought the coaches were stealing signs.

M.K.
Knight165

[Blzer]

Re: Any catchers out there? (sign calling)

Yeah, I just meant dexterity. We have done different things for signs like that, but for any of my catchers that can't throw five out at a time, I honestly couldn't do that myself.

They've been resisting to any other touches, but I'd like to go back to that as well. I was more so just curious because I couldn't do a number sequence even if I wanted to.