Second Video of Lessons

[chazbz1]

I don't mean to hijack, but I do have a short clip that illustrates why it's not desirable to set up stagger stepped. You are welcome to view "Cheating The Throw"

The biggest issue is that a catcher setting up left foot forward gives up inside blocks on pitches in the dirt. That's a trade I never recommend!

-Chaz

 

[Greenmonsters]

I don't mean to hijack, but I do have a short clip that illustrates why it's not desirable to set up stagger stepped. You are welcome to view "Cheating The Throw"

The biggest issue is that a catcher setting up left foot forward gives up inside blocks on pitches in the dirt. That's a trade I never recommend!

-Chaz

Thanks for the clip Chaz. The other thing that I see with the stagger is that catchers that use it can be so amped up in throw mode that they forget their primary responsibility and don't give the umpire the opportunity to call a strike a strike, sometimes even when the runner isn't going!

I know I've seen a video of stopwatch timing a conventional v. throw from the knees to 2B, but does anyone have data on whether staggering the feet even helps gets the ball quicker to the base or is just an assumption??? I don't have data, but my observations are that the stagger seems to result in a net loss (due to a presumed velocity drop?).

 

[flipper14]

So, everything that was in the first video that made your legs hurt just watching it...yeah, they did a condensed version of those before the rest of the stuff on this video. Temperature touched 98 today. DD usually does work out in full gear, but we're not idiots. Let her work in half gear when necessary today. You can tell at some points that she was getting pretty tired. Nonetheless, I'm proud at how hard she's working. Have some throwing on this one. She's got 2 pretty good throws to 2B and a couple to 3B. Ball handling time I got under a second a couple of times. Blocking looks SOOO much better than it did a month ago.

https://docs.google.com/file/d/0B8iwjG6QC8tGVXJmdkY3aVZFLWM/edit

Thanks,

Josh

I thought her blocking had improved a ton and that's something that doesn't always improve really quickly. One thing I did notice that could use some attention is receiving. There were several instances in which she was catching an inside pitch to a righthanded batter with the glove turned to the outside toward the batter. It should be opposite. However, I can certainly tell she's working hard to improve.

 

[CobraAssist]

In regards to the mitt being turned the wrong direction, there have been times where she's done so. When she does catch one like that, Ariel makes her freeze and then walks up and corrects it. It's definitely a learning process. They had another lesson last night where they worked on a more explosive delivery on throw downs, communication, receiving throws for plays at the plate, and snap throws to first and third for pick-offs. School has started and she made the 12u team she tried out for. She beat out a girl 2 years older than her that had a stronger arm, but you could tell that she hasn't had anyone work with her on fundamentals behind the plate. We're going to keep letting Ariel work with her on Catching. Now, we just gotta get that bat back to where it was. Thanks for all the feedback folks.

Josh