Drills & Skills for Catcher Play

with Jim Penders,
2019 ABCA/Diamond Northeast Coach of the Year;
2016 American Athletic Conference Coach of the Year;
3x Big East Coach of the Year ('06, '10, '11);
6x NCAA Tournament appearances;
over 550 career wins;
has coached 14 All-Americans;
has had over 50 players drafted or signed by pro clubs

Catching is one of the most physically demanding positions in baseball. In this video, Coach Jim Penders will show you how to keep your catchers strong by teaching them a comfortable stance and how to receive the ball efficiently. He also offers throwing advice and drills, as well as blocking drills to help build a catcher's foundational skills.

Stances and Receiving

Get more called strikes for your pitcher by receiving the baseball smoothly in a good stance position. Knowing which stance to use in each game situation will help your catcher execute the task called for without making errors. Learn how to position yourself to better throw out potential baserunners, all while keeping your signs safe from the prying eyes of the opponent.

Footwork and Throwing

Gun out potential base stealers by shortening your exchange and executing efficient footwork. Coach Penders explains how to put your body in a good throwing position with correct footwork, as well as drills to execute that footwork and get the ball out quicker.

Blocking Series

Penders leads you through a blocking series that gradually increases in difficulty during the progression. In one angle toss blocking drill, Coach Penders has multiple tossers simulate the movement of different incoming pitches by having each tosser throw a ball to the catcher, who must block from different angles. The catcher must over-exaggerate getting around the ball to keep it in front.

Coach Penders offers tons of coaching tips and 17 drills in total to improve the skills of your catchers. You'll see how to develop a strong foundation for your catchers so that they can build and improve into elite players!

80 minutes. 2019.