Catch or block ball in dirt in fastpitch

[vdubya]

Coach Weaver's video spends a fair amount of time on teaching blocking balls in the dirt. Base paths and runner speed being what they are, it would seem like a catcher should try to dig balls with the glove unless maybe there is a runner on third.

Runner on 1st or 2nd (and NOT 3rd), a blocked ball has the same effect as a passed ball in that the runner likely advances one base. My experience is that a dropped ball rarely ever turns into a 'caught stealing'. If the catcher attempts to glove a ball in the dirt, she MIGHT have come up with it cleanly and keep the runner from advancing.

Assuming no runner on third, is it better to have the catcher do as her title implies, or effectively lay down a bunt by blocking what she might have caught? I'm dealing in 12u for purpose of discussion.

Thanks,
VW

 

[MTR]

I don't know about coach Weaver's take on blocking a ball, but the effort should ALWAYS be focused on gloving the ball. The blocking part is simply a method of placing the body in the path to at least stop the ball from getting pass should the catcher or fielder (theory applies to all positions) not be able to come up with the ball cleanly.

And, yes, it does make a difference. On a ball which gets pass the catcher, a runner can advance at least one base as an afterthought. On a ball the catcher can keep in front of him/her, if the runner wasn't already moving to steal, it is quite possible the catcher can recover and throw out a late-starting runner. It is also a deterent and the runner may not even make the attempt to advance if there is any possibility of not advancing safely.

The difference is accessibility to the ball. A catcher will never throw out or deter any runner from advancing while chasing down a ball rolling toward the backstop and the coaches know that. If a catcher cannot retrieve an errant ball quick enough, the runner could possibly take two bases. A catcher or fielder cannot make a play with a ball they cannot get their hands on.

 

[Greenmonsters]

The catcher's foremost responsibility with runners on base should be to prevent uncontested advancement on past balls/ wild pitches. At younger levels, catchers typically haven’t learned to do this and the offensive team doesn't even need to risk being thrown out on a straight steal - they can just wait for the inevitable PB/WP and a free stroll to the next base (e.g., the all too familiar walking triple). As players develop and the level of play improves, typically somewhere around U14 or U16, steal attempts decline because a catcher with a decent arm and good release routinely will throw out the vast majority of would be base stealers; however, the offense's running game doesn’t get completely shut down until the catcher also demonstrates the ability to consistently control the ball in the dirt (i.e., keep it in front of them), which turns a runner not initially stealing on the pitch into an easy out upon trying to advance. The bottom line is that although some balls can be gloved, the necessary level of consistency requires the development of fundamentally sound blocking techniques (and tons of practice). The earlier these skills are learned and developed, the better.

FWIW - speaking from the perspective of a former D1 BB catcher and current coach/father of a 16U DD catcher, the NECC video is the best catching resource I’ve seen.

Greenmonsters

 

[SnocatzDad]

Vdubya I think your assumption that a blocked ball is a free stolen base is flawed. The only level that's true is at the level that the catcher can't consistantly throw out a base runner. At the higher levels you'll start seeing SS cheat over for fear that the catcher's throw will get to the base before them and some kids getting thrown out on a steal by 10-15 feet. If the baserunner sees the ball in the dirt, they still don't know that the catcher didn't manage to glove the ball cleanly until they see it pop out, by that time they have lost some of the advantage.

The reason you see blocked balls result in steals is probably because if the kid straight stole the base they had a better than 50% chance of getting there safe anyway. IME, Better 16U teams only attempt straight steals of 2B with their fastest kids (if at all) and are more likely to try to steal 3B (with a fake bunt) because they would rather test the SS feet than the catcher's arm.

 

[Catching Coach]

Coach Weaver's video spends a fair amount of time on teaching blocking balls in the dirt. Base paths and runner speed being what they are, it would seem like a catcher should try to dig balls with the glove unless maybe there is a runner on third.

My goal when I train fastpitch catchers is to get their blocking to a level where they shut down running games. The most important of which is the "Free Pass" that is taken as a given with a runner on first and the pitch goes in the dirt. I ask players from all over the country what are they told to do if they are a runner on 1st and the pitch goes in the ground. Virtually every one tells me they are to run to 2nd without hesitation.

Blocking to me is not just about stopping pass balls with runners on third. The goal I give my students is that any ball in the dirt will be blocked, and when the block is done the ball with be in front of you, behind home plate, no more then 3 feet away from you. If a opposing coach sees a pitch go in the ground, and the catcher executes a block, and when it's all over the ball is sitting 18 inches in front of the catcher, he will give serious thought about just blindly giving the order to his players "Run if it's in the dirt". What that kind of blocking causes is for a base coach and base runner to hesitate as the ball hits the ground to see if maybe this block will get far enough away from this catcher to merit taking off to 2nd or third.

If they hesitate, they will usually not go.

Runner on 1st or 2nd (and NOT 3rd), a blocked ball has the same effect as a passed ball in that the runner likely advances one base.

Not if the blocked ball is sitting right in front of the catcher, behind home plate.

My experience is that a dropped ball rarely ever turns into a 'caught stealing'. If the catcher attempts to glove a ball in the dirt, she MIGHT have come up with it cleanly and keep the runner from advancing.

Once the pitchers get to 14U and higher there is so much spin on the ball that I believe the better way to handle thoase pitches is to block them, rather then risk trying to catch them. I believe the spin and the bounce make it just to difficult and is too low a percentage play compare to a good block.

Assuming no runner on third, is it better to have the catcher do as her title implies, or effectively lay down a bunt by blocking what she might have caught? I'm dealing in 12u for purpose of discussion.

Your comment that a block is almost like a bunt implies that the blocks that you are seeing result in the ball rolling on the pitchers side of home plate and farther. If that happens I agree that runner will most likely be safe at 2nd. I hear from coaches all over the country that spend time working on blocking faithfully with their catchers begin to see the girls improve and begin keeping the ball closer and closer to themselves. It takes time and patience on our part as coaches to develop good blocking skills. However when your catcher gets the hang of it and begins controlling the balls in the dirt it is game changing.

Your pitchers relax and throw the pitch in the dirt as needed, not worrying about runners advancing. Opposing coaches are forced to changed their game and will have to hit the ball more to beat you.

A ball in the dirt does not have to mean a free base. When I call one of my students after a weekend of games and ask them how they blocked, they are always excited when they can answer, "Coach, no one advanced all weekend on a pitch in the dirt"

That's the goal,

 

[BBRB]

My goal when I train fastpitch catchers is to get their blocking to a level where they shut down running games. The most important of which is the "Free Pass" that is taken as a given with a runner on first and the pitch goes in the dirt. I ask players from all over the country what are they told to do if they are a runner on 1st and the pitch goes in the ground. Virtually every one tells me they are to run to 2nd without hesitation.

Blocking to me is not just about stopping pass balls with runners on third. The goal I give my students is that any ball in the dirt will be blocked, and when the block is done the ball with be in front of you, behind home plate, no more then 3 feet away from you. If a opposing coach sees a pitch go in the ground, and the catcher executes a block, and when it's all over the ball is sitting 18 inches in front of the catcher, he will give serious thought about just blindly giving the order to his players "Run if it's in the dirt". What that kind of blocking causes is for a base coach and base runner to hesitate as the ball hits the ground to see if maybe this block will get far enough away from this catcher to merit taking off to 2nd or third.

If they hesitate, they will usually not go.



Not if the blocked ball is sitting right in front of the catcher, behind home plate.



Once the pitchers get to 14U and higher there is so much spin on the ball that I believe the better way to handle thoase pitches is to block them, rather then risk trying to catch them. I believe the spin and the bounce make it just to difficult and is too low a percentage play compare to a good block.



Your comment that a block is almost like a bunt implies that the blocks that you are seeing result in the ball rolling on the pitchers side of home plate and farther. If that happens I agree that runner will most likely be safe at 2nd. I hear from coaches all over the country that spend time working on blocking faithfully with their catchers begin to see the girls improve and begin keeping the ball closer and closer to themselves. It takes time and patience on our part as coaches to develop good blocking skills. However when your catcher gets the hang of it and begins controlling the balls in the dirt it is game changing.

Your pitchers relax and throw the pitch in the dirt as needed, not worrying about runners advancing. Opposing coaches are forced to changed their game and will have to hit the ball more to beat you.

A ball in the dirt does not have to mean a free base. When I call one of my students after a weekend of games and ask them how they blocked, they are always excited when they can answer, "Coach, no one advanced all weekend on a pitch in the dirt"

That's the goal,

I agree with Coach Weaver (on most things relating to catching skills and philosophy)...I will tell you though that for the last couple of years (our girls are 2nd year 12u now) several of our quicker girls are instructed to run til they see the catcher catch the ball and don't stop if they see the catcher turn their glove over.

 

[Catching Coach]

I agree with Coach Weaver (on most things relating to catching skills and philosophy)...I will tell you though that for the last couple of years (our girls are 2nd year 12u now) several of our quicker girls are instructed to run til they see the catcher catch the ball and don't stop if they see the catcher turn their glove over.

Are you describing a situaiton where this was a straight steal off the pitchers release? or the runners are not taking off till they get this cue from the catchers mechanics?

Seems you are saying the girls are told stop if she catches it, run if she "turns her glove over" meaning she begins a block.

Do I have that right?

 

[chazbz1]

My daughter has been trained by Coach Weaver and I also provide instruction for catchers as well. This past season my DD blocked many many errant pitches. on 4 occasions, runners decided to advance to the next base. Two from first, two from second. None of them got to the base before the tag! It's truly a blast to watch your daughter block the ball and then throw a runner out! They are in disbelief that they are out and I tend to strut a bit and say, yeah, that's my kid that did that!

What I have found in instructing younger players is that it is easier to jab or stab at the ball in the dirt and stop it. This is much easier than blocking. unfortunately for this catcher, they will find although it is easy to jab at a ball pitched at 30-40 MPH at a young age, the technique doesn't work so well with a pitcher skipping a ball off the ground at 55-65 MPH more often than not, the ball gets by them. This catcher is forced to find an alternate method to "block the ball" from getting past them. I am finding that even my younger catchers respond well to proper blocking instruction. When a ball in the dirt is properly blocked, over 90% of the time it will be within arms reach of the catcher. This equates to a easy out for the catcher should the runner be foolish enought to attempt tp steal. I HAVE SEEN THIS WORK! It's great to watch! If the blocked ball isn't in front of your catcher, they aren't blocking properly.

 

[chazbz1]

PS A 14U catcher that I work with and her mom recently described their excitement when she threw out 3 runners in a row attempting to steal. One off a pitch blocked in the dirt. The opposing coach was beside himself!

 

[chazbz1]

Stance and Blocking Video Added

I had the opportunity to put together a "Before and After" video of one of my catchers. She's a 14U first year catcher. It's important to notice where the ball lands after it makes contact with the catcher. When blocked properly, the majority of the time the ball will be in arm's reach. Which translates to an easy throw to second or third should a baserunner think they have an easy base. I see too many catchers that tend to scoop the ball underhanded and then fling the ball out of their glove. I am of the opinion that proper blocking is a huge part of a catcher's arsenal and provides more consistent results over attempting to catch a ball in the dirt.

Here's the video...

Advanced Catching Concepts- Catching Skills :: Catching Skills... Before and After video by chazbz1 - Photobucket