SOFTBALL vs baseball catching differences

[new_sball_dad]

Anyone.

First Sorry for the long post!
I am new to fastpitch softball - my daughter is 9 and has played "REC" softball for a few years but it has always been very laid back... mostly coach pitch....last fall she moved up to REC kid pitch and was asked to play on a 10U travel team.

She has always been a catcher and has no problems catching even the fastest 12U pitchers that practice with our team. I have always taught her to catch the same way I taught my son (he catches also - 11U):

I basicly teach the same as NECC:
3 stances (signs, relaxed, ready)... very much like the NECC videos show. I bought the NECC video well after I had started teaching my son and daughter - and was happy to find I was basicly teaching the same style..... there were a few differences here and there but nothing major.....

On to the issue: To get ready for the spring season her travel team has a few outside instructors coming in to work with the team - and they are telling my daughter to NEVER use the "ready/runners on" stance.....they say you should always use the "relaxed stance/no runners on". When I questioned it they looked at me like I was crazy for thinking she should be UP more when needing to block/throw..... they said they never heard of such a thing!
They also have her covering bunts strange in my opinion: no matter where on the feild the bunt goes they want her taking to the 1st base side of the plate as her path to the ball....even on a bunt directly down the third baseline. Also for any bunt that is not down 1st base side (so straight back to the pitcher all they way to 3rd base line) - they want her "spinning" to make throw to first...

I really dont know much about fastpitch softball so Im looking for any advice I can get here......

Are these instructors correct? Or are they totally off?

 

[hen]

Can't go wrong if you're teaching similar mechanics to NECC. My suggestion would be to time her over a couple throws and see which is faster. Basically prove to them that runner's on stance has merit. If they worry about blocking the umpire, I'd honestly give up a marginal strike to get an out at 2B.
Run through some blocks and bunts to see which way is quicker. I'm with you in regards to a runner's on stance, but maybe they have some experience that says otherwise. Not sure what you meant about the 1B side of the plate approach, but in regards to the bunts, most girls I've taught have an easier/quicker time with a slight rounding on balls hit to the SS to 1B side and do the spin on stuff down the 3B line.

 

[quincy]

They are making you reset a little bit, you will find that you will apply what you learn in softball to baseball and vise versa.

Sounds like they are teaching from what you will find on the DVD you can purchase here.

The New England Catching Camp

 

[new_sball_dad]

Quincy,

I may have worked it badly! (I do that alot!) - I taught her the same as New England catching camp DVD

the instuctors are trying to change her.

 

[Momo'sDad]

Coaching styles vary. Every 10u coach has their own opinion on what works best and they coach their players in that direction. I want my C pouncing on any bunts in her zone and then she sets her feet, makes the throw. If it's 3-4 paces away down the 3rd-base side, however, I expect 3B to make that play.

At 9yo, there won't be many runners thrown out at 2B, but I do agree with teaching the proper techniques and having them execute the throw just the same.

 

[new_sball_dad]

hen,

when I say take the first base side of the plate I mean:
They litterally want her to ENTER the left hand batters box to run towards a ball no matter where it is! So a bunt that stops dead on the 3rd base line right on the chalk, she will stand up, move to her right into the left handers batters box, then come BACK to her left up the 3rd base line to get the ball... I dont get the point of it!

Their explanation makes no sense to me! (they say it has something to do with NOT running into the batter..... ) but this path would take them directly into a right handed batters path to 1st base.....

None of these guys are "catching instructors" they are head/assistant coaches of 14u & 16U girls travel teams
(AAU/CLUB type teams - our team is just a town travel team)

 

[redhotcoach]

NECC= New England Catching Camp! Oh you cleared that up.

New dad....I would first ask them to show you how they block from the low position. Went to Willis clinic this weekend. That is what she taught. She could do it nice, but she is also 400x more athletic then every girl there. I saw and dd said it was a strugle, plus most girls had to go up to go down. YOU WILL NOT DO BETTER THEN NECC techiques! We went to there clinic in December, as Jay Weaver said "we train catchers 365 days a year, that is all we do! We have found the best way to do everything!"

I would suggest (we've been to 5 (I think) clinics) have her smile, do what they suggest, then forget about it and follow NECC.

 

[redhotcoach]

New dad. I sent you a private message.

 

[new_sball_dad]

This is what she did last week at practice: "have her smile, do what they suggest, then forget about it and follow NECC. "

Last week in practice they did a good bit of blocking and every single girl had to go up to get down....

 

[redhotcoach]

Do they want her scooping up the bunt on the third base line with her front side facing the infield, right throwing hand is toward first, so then she would spin and fire? Or back to the infield, facing 3rd base dugout, scoop and fire?