In the world of baseball, catchers play a crucial role in their team's success. They are responsible for catching and throwing pitches, blocking balls in the dirt, framing pitches to make them look like strikes, and even managing the game from behind the plate. Xan Barksdale, a former professional catcher and current coach for USA Baseball, comes on to discuss strategies for catchers to improve their game.
One key strategy for catchers is blocking. When a pitch is thrown in the dirt, catchers must quickly get their body in front of the ball to prevent it from getting past them and allowing runners to advance. Barksdale recommends practicing blocking drills to improve a catcher's reaction time on how quickly they can retrieve the ball.
Another important area of focus for catchers is framing pitches. By subtly adjusting their glove and body positioning, catchers can make borderline pitches look like strikes to umpires.
In addition to blocking and framing, catchers must also be aware of key performance indicators (KPIs) that can help them evaluate their performance.
Finally, Barksdale notes that catchers must also develop a strong rapport with umpires. By communicating effectively and building a relationship with the umpire, catchers can improve their chances of getting favorable calls on close pitches.
Give him a follow and check out his website:
@xanbarksdale
Catching-101.com
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