Pitching Tips: The More Catchers the Merrier
Every pitcher has a favorite catcher. Whether its mom or dad on a bucket or a catcher on your team, every pitcher has a catcher that they are comfortable throwing to. It’s important that pitchers make a conscious effort to get familiar with different catchers behind the plate. Mom or dad on a bucket won’t be behind the plate on game days and there will come a time when your favorite teammate catcher won’t be filling in behind the dish for you.
Pitchers thrive when they are within the boundaries of their comfort zone. When a pitcher and catcher are in sync, magic happens on the softball diamond. There will come a time when pitchers are faced with the challenge of throwing to a new catcher. Just as every pitcher is different, the same goes for catchers. Catchers come in different shapes and sizes. There are multiple ways to teach catching, therefore catchers may set up, receive, and frame the ball differently.
It doesn’t matter who is behind the plate when a pitcher takes the mound. Half the battle is mental and adjusting to the change. The pitcher’s mentality and approach should never change based on who is catching behind the plate. Even if the catcher sets up differently to receive the pitch to the desired spot, the pitcher should still be able to hit the target or get close.
There are several ways to prep pitchers for changes made behind the plate. One way is switching up the catcher in practice settings. Parent catchers, actual catchers, and throwing to targets into a net or off of a tee are all different and great ways to help prepare the pitcher.
When parents catch on a bucket, they will often times stay centered and challenge the pitcher to hit spots without movement from behind the plate. When this happens, it’s up to the pitcher to find a target. Often times it will be the catcher’s knees that are on the corners of the plate. Not every teammate catcher is going to set up early with her center line on the corners. It’s critical that pitchers learn how to pick out a target and stay on their imaginary power line to the spot. This will help them with consistency when it comes to hitting spots.
Switching up teammate catchers in practice settings is also important. Sure, coaches are more likely to keep specific pitchers and catchers together on game days, but that may not always be the case. Just as pitchers can’t pitch every single game, the same goes for catchers. The catching position is challenging and can wear and tear on the body. Catchers cannot be expected to catch every game. Therefore, it’s up to the coach to prepare other catchers by putting them in bullpens and live scrimmages in practice settings so they can learn to adjust. This will also give the pitcher a chance to get familiar with a new catcher before game time.
Target practice is also a great tool and a way to switch things up for the pitcher in practice. There are many products out there today designed to help pitchers hit spots without a catcher present. If you don’t want to invest, another easy way to throw to targets is to create your own. Set up two to four tees near the plate that will represent the corners. You can adjust the back two tees to a higher height to replicate high inside and high outside targets. The two tees in the front should be lowered to represent the low inside and low outside corners. Put a ball on each of the tees and challenge the pitcher to hit the balls off without hitting the tee. Again, the pitcher will have to focus on the target and use her new powerlines and adjust her release point to hit the targets. Pitchers thrive in challenging settings and this a great drill for all pitchers because it forces them to think about and use good mechanics to hit the spot.
Every pitcher has a favorite catcher. There will come a time when a pitcher and catcher will be separated, whether it’s for a game break or a new season taking place on different teams. It’s important that pitchers prepare for this change before it happens by switching up catchers in practice, at pitching lessons, and on their own time. The more catchers a pitcher can practice pitching too, the merrier! Pitchers will learn to adjust and maintain their own game plan and when a change comes on game days, they will be ready to tackle it head-on.
