Catcher Drills

Dear Taz's Mom,

Regardless of your son's age or experience, you can find answers at the following excellent web sites for catchers.

1.  Jason Vittone's Art of Catching at eteamz.com

2.  Encyclopedia of Baseball Catchers

3.  Richard Todd's WebBall

The three web sites above contain information about practice drills to sharpen and improve catching skills.

Since you specifically mentioned weight lifting, information on strength training for baseball can be found at two fitness sites. At AllPro Training.com, there is much helpful information about exercise plans to enhance strength, agility, speed, and power. Strength coaches from various major league teams, including Gene Coleman of the Houston Astros, are profiled and they provide tips and advice. You may decide to purchase Gene Coleman's new book, 52-Week Baseball Training. The book describes a complete training regimen for athletes who play baseball. Coleman also includes several pages of alternative exercises that can be used for position-specific training, i.e., catchers, middle fielders, outfielders, etc. The 16 Basic Principles that he includes on pages 143-146 are outstanding. One of these principles is worth quoting here, "Train movements, not muscles." That simple idea is very powerful, and it forms the basis for developing a training program that is specific for baseball players. I think it is also the essence of your question, how can my son train to become a better catcher?

Training programs can be adapted for players of different ages. Older, more physically mature teens can follow Coleman's program with little modification. Younger players can adapt parts of the program to fit their physical maturity, performing exercises with light-weight dumbbells, stretch cords or dyna-bands, and smaller (2 lb. and 4 lb.) medicine balls. For any young player (including teens), supervision is essential. There are risks and dangers associated with physical training, and players should not be left alone to participate in any strength program that includes resistance exercises using weights.

At GymAmerica.com, you can examine details of different workout programs that several major league players use. Of special interest is Ivan Rodriquez's Off-Season Workout. Check it out! We marvel at his prowess behind the plate, and now we can see how his training is customized to optimize his physical skills so that he can gain an extra edge behind the plate. His workout is a good example of how a player customizes a program to fit the requirements of his position., e.g., the shot put throwing and leg exercises that includes long jumps and hurdling.

Your son can train as hard as he wants, and much useful information is available to guide him in his quest to improve his catching skills.

Respectfully,

Joe Zander