Two Hands!!!

[ArmWhip]

I want to see what people have to say on the topic of using 'two hands' when making a catch. I am back to coaching some 10U LL girls and I hear the instruction 'two hands' all the time, it makes me cringe. I think this is one of the most destructive cliches used today, I rank it right behind 'snap your wrist' in pitching and 'swing level' in hitting. The one good thing is that as the kids get older they outgrow it. It boogles my mind when I hear a former major league player use that cliche on a broadcast. I remember when Luis Castillo dropped that popup in 9th against the Yankees, Keith Hernandez went into a rant about using two hands.
So now I have a bunch of 10U girls running around the field using the 'clamshell catch' technique. It won't be long before the jammed fingers start showing up.

 

[Mike]

clamshell catch, sure thats not good. We always tell the girls 2 hands, well not as much any more because its become instinctive. With the exception of 1st base we teach hands out front with a slight bend in the elbows and throwing hand on the side of the glove so when the catch is made and the glove/ball is on its way back to the throwing shoulder the player can transfer the ball from the glove to the throwing hand. Thats a mouthful, so we just say 2 hands.

 

[obbay]

AW- While I agree that it's frustrating to hear coaches constantly instructing young players with cliches that may not be literally correct, sometimes that is a necessary step in their development.

I find we need to say things in a way that the kids will understand. I have seen enough balls pop out of outstretched gloves to teach 'two hands' as Mike pointed out above. Howard Kobata teaches 'two hands' so if it's good enough for him...

re: batting- If a girl is chopping down on the ball or dropping the bat and swinging up, I'll encourage them to 'swing level' because they will know what I mean and getting level will be 98% better than where they are. once I get them to level out, it's only a matter of fine tuning to get them the rest of the way.

when someone has a flat tire, they need to change the tire, not repair the whole car. That will come, but the flat tire needs to be fixed so they can get back on the road.

 

[Lozza]

Two hands is needed at young ages. There are very few older players who can catch every ball with two hands, so why should the kids?

It depends on how it's being taught as to whether it's effective. Clamshell catches should only be used for balls that are below the waist anyways.

 

[starsnuffer]

You need to teach them how to catch, repeating whatever cliche you want while you're showing it, and while they are doing it. This way, they understand that when you say "two hands", you really mean that the throwing hand wraps around the glove when catching a fly ball, and for a ground ball, the throwing hand is slapping the ball into the glove and immediately retrieving it for a throw. What you are doing is creating an audible queue for what you are teaching, it really isn't meant to be taken literally.

-W