Drill library
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Catcher Framing — Low Strike
Catching · Full field · 10 min · ages 9-12, 13-15
20 low pitches, catcher works the bottom-of-zone receive.
- catcher gear
- 10 baseballs
For kids
How to explain it: 20 low pitches. You receive quietly with your thumb up. Don’t pull the ball up — present it, hold it, give the ump a beat.
What good looks like: 14 of 20 caught quiet, no glove pull.
Why it matters: Umpires reward catchers who don’t move. Steal a few low strikes a game and you save your pitcher’s arm.
Catcher Blocking — 3-Ball Sequence
Catching · Full field · 10 min · ages 9-12, 13-15
3 short-hop balls in a row: left, right, middle. 4 rounds.
- catcher gear
- 9 safety baseballs
For kids
How to explain it: Three short-hops in a row — left, right, middle. Knees down, chin tucked, ball stays in front of you.
What good looks like: Keep 9 of 12 balls within 3 feet of you.
Why it matters: Catchers who block keep runners from stealing free bases. Pitchers throw braver when they trust you back there.
Cradle the Catch (Bean Bag)
Catching · Full field · 10 min · ages 6-8
Teach soft catching hands: hands out, watch, catch, cradle to the body.
- bean bags
- wiffle balls
For kids
How to explain it: Hands out, watch the ball all the way, catch it, then cradle it into your body like you’re catching an egg.
What good looks like: Soft hands — the ball doesn’t bounce out. Fingers up for high catches, fingers down for low ones.
Why it matters: Catching soft means the ball stays in your hands. That’s the whole game on defense — catch it, then make the play.