This drill teaches pitchers and catchers to work together on pitch location and tempo — keeping the catcher set up at the corners so the glove barely moves when the pitch is on target.
Equipment: Bucket of balls, pitching plate, home plate
Players needed: 2 or maybe 3
1. Set up a pitcher’s plate (pitching rubber) at the correct distance for your league and a home plate.
2. Have a catcher catch for a pitcher.
3. Work on signs with the catcher where you will signal if a pitch is to be inside or outside.
4. Have the catcher move to the corners before the pitch so it’s more natural for them to catch an inside or outside pitch — their glove won’t have to move if the pitch is on target. If they set up over the middle of the plate and the pitch is outside, they have to reach for it. If we need a pitch on the outside corner, the catcher has to set up there so their glove doesn’t move when the pitch is on target.
5. Have a coach or another player stand with a bat and not swing — just to give the pitcher a feel for having a live batter.
6. Work inside and outside, and if a pitch is a strike, send in a sign quickly. I find it helps young pitchers that if they throw a strike to stay in the groove and throw another pitch quickly.
7. A pitch really far off the strike zone is a good time to have the pitcher take some time — get their head together, take a few deep breaths, and get back on the mound.
What to work on: You want to work tempo — how long between pitches — and setting up catchers so they aren’t moving to catch an inside or outside pitch.
If this drill helped your battery work click over and grab the free Quick Start Guide — there’s a lot more where this came from.
