Title
This drill teaches catchers to block pitches in the dirt by keeping their knees wide and pushing forward, preventing knee pinch.
Compilation
If this video stacks several distinct drills back-to-back, split it into individual, draggable drills — each with its own clip, steps, and tags.
Coach's take
Great for building: Proper knee alignment and forward body posture when blocking pitches in the dirt.
Builds toward Efficiently blocking pitches in the dirt, preventing passed balls, and allowing for quick recovery to make a play.
What it is
A catcher starts in their crouch, then drops to block a simulated pitch. The focus is on widening the knees and pushing forward or kicking feet back to prevent knees from pinching inward.
What it practices
This drill trains proper catcher blocking mechanics, specifically maintaining wide knees and forward momentum to effectively block pitches in the dirt.
Focuses on improving
It targets catchers who pinch their knees inward when blocking, which can lead to missed blocks or injury. It promotes proper knee alignment and foot engagement.
How to run it
Perform 5-10 repetitions per set, 2-3 sets.Setup
- 1Catcher puts on all catching gear including glove, shin guards, chest protector, and helmet.
- 2Catcher assumes a primary or secondary crouch position on grass or soft dirt, facing a simulated plate.
Run the drill
- 1From the crouch, simulate a pitch coming into the dirt directly in front of the catcher.
- 2The catcher immediately drops into a blocking position.
- 3As the catcher drops, ensure the knees go straight down or slightly outward, not inward.
- 4Push forward over the balls of the feet or kick the feet back to keep knees wide and cover the gap.
Coaching cues
- Knees wide, not pinched.
- Push forward over your toes.
- Kick feet back.
- Land soft and absorb the impact.
- Eyes on the ball through the block.
Common mistakes
- Pinching knees inward, causing them to collapse or rotate.
- Landing on the inside of the feet instead of pushing forward or kicking back.
- Sitting straight down without forward momentum, allowing the ball to go between the legs.
Progressions
- Perform the drill without full gear to focus solely on knee movement and posture.
- Have a coach soft toss real baseballs or tennis balls into the dirt for the catcher to block.
- Introduce different pitch locations (left, right, straight down) to react to.
Coach notes
transcript
{
"backend": "openai",
"segments": [
{
"start": 0.0,
"end": 2.04,
"text": "Don't let your knees pinch in when you block."
},
{
"start": 2.04,
"end": 4.48,
"text": "When you do this, your knees go inward"
},
{
"start": 4.48,
"end": 7.04,
"text": "and you rotate on the inside of your feet."
},
{
"start": 7.04,
"end": 8.16,
"text": "That's why your knees come in."
},
{
"start": 8.16,
"end": 11.04,
"text": "So instead of coming in on the inside,"
},
{
"start": 11.04,
"end": 13.82,
"text": "think about going forward over the balls of your feet"
},
{
"start": 13.82,
"end": 16.68,
"text": "or kicking your feet back so your knees go straight down."
},
{
"start": 16.68,
"end": 19.32,
"text": "So send this to your teammate whose knees cave in."
},
{
"start": 19.32,
"end": 21.16,
"text": "I'm Coach Buji, I'll catch you later."
}
]
}