Catchers' arm protection

Jeff,
These are some thoughts and suggestions you may wish to consider.

1. Your son should be wearing a pair of wristbands (4 or 5 inch). I tell catchers that wristbands are not optional equipment; they are an important part of their standard gear. Other than wristbands, I would avoid other arm pads, e.g., elbow padding like the type that roller bladers wear.

2. For blocking drills, you can use the softer low impact balls and/or tennis balls. These can be just as effective as regulation balls. Blocking drills are done to help catchers develop and practice a sequence of precise movements. Catchers are being trained to develop an instinct that is unnatural (catching a ball with the chest is not a normal or a first reaction), and one that requires constant conditioning. What is important in blocking drills is the quality of the catcher’s movements. As a coach, this is what you are observing and helping your catcher to learn. The use of low impact balls is quite compatible with this objective.

3. From my coaching experience, I believe blocking skills are both mental and physical. Teaching the physical movements is one part of the equation, and teaching the brain to cooperate is another. A catcher must learn to think decisively, reacting with certainty to any pitch that will bounce before the plate. Blocking a pitch in the dirt begins with a decision, a commitment to perform a specific response. Mind and body must be synchronized, and when a player is synched he plays with confidence and strength. Because mental training is so important, I try to be sensitive and eliminate unnecessary distractions during drills. In blocking drills, pain or fear of pain can be one of these distractions, and for this reason I use soft balls in drills throughout the season. Handling pain is something a catcher must learn, but it must be balanced with other goals in developing positional skills.

In your son’s case, I think his reluctance to participate is a valid signal. Change up the drill by using soft balls and let him seize the opportunity to focus exclusively on making the blocks. After he begins to practice with more skill and confidence, you can start to alternate drills with soft and regulation balls.

4. As you noted, the batter’s box in your cage is beat up. You probably want to correct this before continuing with the drills. The condition of the surface you practice on should resemble the fields where your son will play. If the bounces are so wild in your cage, the effectiveness of the drill is compromised. Leveling the surface will improve the efficiency of the drills.

Respectfully,
Joe Zander