Here’s Coach Madden from YouGoProBaseball.com with Kyle Schmidt, a pro catcher in the Twins organization, diving deep into modern receiving techniques and drills for catchers.
In this video, they discuss the setup, stance, and receiving drills used in pro ball to enhance your skills behind the plate. Kyle shares insights on optimizing the strike zone and presenting pitches effectively to the umpire.
Key Takeaways and Drills:
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Proper Setup: Maintain a comfortable, balanced, and grounded stance, staying anchored on the plate to give the umpire a better visual of the pitch.
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Glove Work: Practice working uphill from below the zone, focusing on presenting the ball with a flat glove, avoiding rolling it.
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Weighted Gloves: Use weighted gloves (like those from Valley Gloves) to improve forearm, wrist, and hand strength, accelerating through the ball.
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Presetting: Preset the glove on the ground to get underneath the ball, working back up through it to control the presentation.
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Half Web Glove: Utilize a half web glove to focus on catching the ball in the pocket, improving precision.
Kyle emphasizes providing value to the team by converting borderline pitches into strikes. By improving receiving skills, catchers can help pitchers get more outs, reduce runs, and build stronger relationships with their pitchers.
For more tips on improving your baseball skills, visit BaseballSkillsHub.com.