YES CATCHERS CARE ABOUT SPIN ~ relates to communication working together!

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radness

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Dec 13, 2019
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Read somewhere on the forum recently a poster put catchers don't care about the spin they only care about the speed of the pitch.
Not so! 🙂 but its a good topic.....

*Catchers care about
Speed & Spin + Location!

👉Catchers do care about the spin on pitches because it relates to potential for movement while the pitch is in the air. But also...
👉Critically important because it can relate to how the pitch is going to move when it hits the dirt!!!
To the Left
To the Right
Skim and/or chipping short hops occur do to spin and dirt conditions.

*can also see spin effecting hit pitches, the spin on a hit ball effecting direction and bounce.

Catchers and Pitchers communicating is essential.
Beyond the pitch is a very important factor called
'The Defense'

Here's a pic of a catcher and pitcher talking about that exact thing.
Communication Working Together!
Screenshot_20211102-085736_Gallery.jpg
 
Last edited:
May 13, 2023
1,538
113
Bumping this post because this past week there was a pitcher who was throwing her own pitches.
Whatever she wanted at whatever time.

For whatever reason (not sure if the coach knew that was happening)
( possibly the pitcher was not wanting to visibly shake off what pitches were being called and was throwing what she wanted anyway🤷‍♀️)

Definitely should be including a catcher with whatever the pitch is going to be.
IF there's a pitcher out there who's deciding to throw what she wants instead of what the pitch is called that could affect the person who's trying to catch it.
( by doing something you think is the better thing to do, could be inadvertently causing a difficult defensive situation on the other end)

Particularly important if there's going to be changeup's mixed in!
 
Aug 1, 2019
962
93
MN
Bumping this post because this past week there was a pitcher who was throwing her own pitches.
Whatever she wanted at whatever time.

For whatever reason (not sure if the coach knew that was happening)
( possibly the pitcher was not wanting to visibly shake off what pitches were being called and was throwing what she wanted anyway🤷‍♀️)

Definitely should be including a catcher with whatever the pitch is going to be.
IF there's a pitcher out there who's deciding to throw what she wants instead of what the pitch is called that could affect the person who's trying to catch it.
( by doing something you think is the better thing to do, could be inadvertently causing a difficult defensive situation on the other end)

Particularly important if there's going to be changeup's mixed in!
Smaller scale, but had a pitching student do that the other day. Finishing session alternating between drops and change-ups. Bucket dad with no gear on sets up low for a change, pitch zings up by his face. He was able to react fine, but his eyes were pretty wide on that one. The ensuing conversation went like this:
Me: "What the heck was that?"
Her: "I wanted to throw a rise to finish."
Me: "Good pitch, but next time let your catcher know."
Bucket Dad: "YEAH...THAT!"
 
Oct 4, 2018
4,611
113
Bumping this post because this past week there was a pitcher who was throwing her own pitches.
Whatever she wanted at whatever time.

For whatever reason (not sure if the coach knew that was happening)
( possibly the pitcher was not wanting to visibly shake off what pitches were being called and was throwing what she wanted anyway🤷‍♀️)

Definitely should be including a catcher with whatever the pitch is going to be.
IF there's a pitcher out there who's deciding to throw what she wants instead of what the pitch is called that could affect the person who's trying to catch it.
( by doing something you think is the better thing to do, could be inadvertently causing a difficult defensive situation on the other end)

Particularly important if there's going to be changeup's mixed in!

We have a player on the high school team who does that. Drives the catchers crazy. Coaches are oblivious.
 
Jan 20, 2023
219
43
Particularly important if there's going to be changeup's mixed in!

My daughter was on a team where the coach decided to only call locations but the pitchers should throw whatever pitch they wanted to that location. So many dropped 3rd strikes. So many. Eventually my daughter any her catcher came up with their own calling system on top of the coach’s. Because at that point her change up was her best strikeout pitch- but for the same reason was a pita for the catcher.
 
May 13, 2023
1,538
113
My daughter was on a team where the coach decided to only call locations but the pitchers should throw whatever pitch they wanted to that location. So many dropped 3rd strikes. So many. Eventually my daughter any her catcher came up with their own calling system on top of the coach’s. Because at that point her change up was her best strikeout pitch- but for the same reason was a pita for the catcher.
Good for the players!
 

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