Catching & Catcher Drills

Two-Hand Catch Reinforcement 4-5 min

Equipment

1 ball per pair, gloves

Setup & Execution

Partners 25-30 feet apart. Every throw must be caught with two hands - glove secures, bare hand covers immediately. No one-hand catches allowed. Coach watches for lazy hands and calls them out.

Coaching Points

Glove-side catches: thumb down, pinky up (above waist)
Glove-side catches: thumb up, pinky down (below waist)
Bare hand covers immediately - "squeeze and secure"
Move feet to get in front of the ball when possible
Give a target before the throw

Pro Tip

This is about building habits. At 9-10, lots of dropped balls happen because the bare hand isn't helping. Drill this until it's automatic.

Quick Hands (Catch & Transfer) 4-5 min

Equipment

1 ball per pair, gloves

Setup & Execution

Partners 20 feet apart. Focus on the catch-to-throw transfer. Catch the ball, move it to throwing hand, and get to throwing position as fast as possible - but don't rush the actual throw. Emphasis on quick HANDS, not quick throws.

Coaching Points

Catch the ball near your chest/belly - easier transfer zone
Bare hand is already there to grab it
Feet should be moving to throwing position during transfer
Don't wind up - short arm action for quick release

Skills Focus

Transfer speed Footwork Infield rhythm

Ball Tracking Drill 5-6 min

Equipment

Tennis balls or baseballs, colored tape or markers (optional)

Setup & Execution

Partners 25-30 feet apart. Thrower tosses ball, receiver must say "BALL-BALL-BALL" out loud while tracking it, then "CATCH" as they catch it. Forces eyes to stay on the ball. Variation: mark balls with colored dots - receiver calls out the color before catching.

Coaching Points

Eyes track the ball the WHOLE way - don't look away early
Saying "ball-ball-ball" keeps focus on tracking
Watch the ball INTO your glove - head stays still
If they can't see the dot color, they're not watching closely enough
Same skill applies to hitting - track the ball to the bat

Pro Tip

Many dropped balls and missed hits happen because kids look away too early. This simple drill builds the habit of tracking the ball all the way in - critical for both fielding AND hitting.

Catcher Stance - Sign & Receiving 5-6 min

Equipment

Catcher's gear (at least mask), home plate

Setup & Execution

Practice two stances: (1) Sign stance - squat deep, knees together to hide signs, glove blocks view from third base. (2) Receiving stance - more athletic, weight on balls of feet, butt up higher, ready to move. Transition between them on command.

Coaching Points

Sign stance: knees together, deep squat, give clear signs
Receiving stance: feet wider, butt up, balanced and mobile
Always give a good target - glove where you want the pitch
Quiet body - don't bounce around
Transition is quick when pitcher comes set

Pro Tip

At this age, don't overcomplicate signs. 1 = fastball, 2 = changeup (if they have one). Focus on mechanics over complex systems.

Framing Drill (Advanced/Optional) 5-6 min

Equipment

Catcher's gear, bucket of balls, coach or pitcher

Setup & Execution

Catcher in receiving stance. Coach throws pitches to different locations. Catcher catches and "sticks" the ball - hold it still for a beat, don't yank it toward the zone. At 9-10, focus on CATCHING the ball cleanly first - framing is secondary.

Coaching Points

Catch the ball with soft hands - absorb, don't stab
Just hold it still - don't worry about turning the glove
At this age, umpires call what they see anyway
Prioritize: catch it cleanly → hold it still → everything else later

Pro Tip

This is a LOW PRIORITY drill for 9-10 year olds. Spend more time on blocking and throwing. Only use this if your catcher already catches consistently and you have extra time.

Blocking (Ball in Dirt) 8-10 min

Equipment

Full catcher's gear, tennis balls or soft baseballs to start, regular balls later

Setup & Execution

Catcher in stance. Coach bounces balls in the dirt from 20 feet. Catcher drops to knees, glove fills the "5 hole" (between legs), chest absorbs the ball, chin tucks. Progress from directly in front to left and right.

Coaching Points

Drop straight down - don't dive forward
Glove goes to the ground between your knees
Shoulders round forward - create a "wall"
Chin down to chest - protect your throat
Ball should stay in front of you - don't try to catch it

Variation

For balls to the side: same technique, but angle your body toward the ball. Goal is to keep everything in front and toward the field.

Throw Downs to Second 6-8 min

Equipment

Full catcher's gear, second base, balls

Setup & Execution

Catcher receives pitch from coach. Stand up, get balanced, and make an ACCURATE throw to second base. Shortstop or second baseman gives target. At 9-10, prioritize accuracy over speed - a good throw beats a fast bad one every time.

Coaching Points

Catch cleanly first - secure the ball before anything else
Stand up, get balanced, THEN throw - don't rush
Aim for chest-high at the bag - accuracy over velocity
A throw that bounces or sails gives the runner extra bases
It's okay to take an extra half-second if it means a good throw

Pro Tip

Forget "pop time" at this age. A 4-second throw on target beats a 2.5-second throw in the outfield. Build good mechanics first - speed comes with age and strength.

Fielding Bunts & Pop-Ups 5-6 min

Equipment

Catcher's gear, balls, home plate area

Setup & Execution

For bunts: catcher sprints out, fields the ball with two hands, turns toward first, throws. For pop-ups: locate the ball, tear off mask, find ball again, catch with two hands. Pop-ups drift back toward field - turn and face the infield to catch.

Coaching Points

Bunts: always circle to field ball facing your target
Bunts: bare hand on top, scoop toward glove
Pop-ups: mask off and AWAY from play (don't trip on it)
Pop-ups: turn your back to the infield - ball curves that way
Call for it loud! "I got it! I got it!"

Skills Focus

Bunt defense Pop-up tracking Communication

😷 CATCHING & CATCHER DRILLS