Core Catching Drills: Receiving, Blocking & Throwing

with Jan Weisberg,
Birmingham-Southern College Head Coach;
Back-to-Back Southern Athletic Association Coach of the Year (2016-17);
Four straight SAA Regular Season Championships (2014-17);
2012 D3baseball.com South Region Coach of the Year

Your catcher is the single most important position player on your team. That's why it's crucial that you work on developing yours the right way!

Developing great catchers requires more than a scattered assortment of drills and average practice sessions. In this video, Jan Weisberg provides an effective, well-organized resource for developing catchers. He demonstrates over 30 drills, from throwing to the various facets of catching, that a catcher will need to be successful.

Receiving Skills

Coach Weisberg is as good as it gets for developing catchers and it all starts with his commitment to proper receiving. Receiving the ball well creates the ability to take a ball that is 2-4 inches off the plate and make it look like a strike. In this section, you will:

• Learn the best techniques for being in position to receive the ball.
• See exactly how catchers can maintain soft hands for receiving.
• Understand how to move behind the plate in a way that gets the umpire to call strikes.
• Watch players get quicker with their hands while still being able to softly receive the ball.
• Learn how to be firm as you receive while still being soft enough to get the calls.

Blocking & Controlling the Ball

Prevent giving up free bases by transforming your catcher's ability to block into an ability to control the baseball. Blocking is different than controlling; controlling the baseball keeps it in an area that allows the catcher to throw the runner out trying to advance.

Weisberg showcases various teaching techniques and drills that will make players lead with the glove and be more effective with controlling the ball in the dirt. You'll see specific drills designed to keep the ball in the "kill zone" and slow down base runners. Additionally, Weisberg's rapid fire drills will help players develop superb body control.

All coaches know that pitchers thrive on the success and effectiveness of a catcher. If a catcher is great at catching everything, the pitcher will gain confidence and throw effective pitches, knowing his catcher won't let anything past.

Throwing

Footwork and excellent break of the hands can be the difference in trying to control the running game. Weisberg shares several drills specifically designed to help catchers develop footwork, reaction time, and accuracy to throw out runners. You'll learn mechanics for throwing around the batter and even throwing from the knees

Throwing from the catching position is more about redirecting the baseball. Daily development of quick and accurate transfer of the ball from the glove to the throwing hand is essential!

It's impossible to imagine a more thorough look at the skills necessary to become a high-level catcher. This video from Coach Weisberg has the daily drills and skill development techniques to help get you there!

85 minutes. 2018.