The process of throwing and catching a baseball is one of the first sports-related activities that fathers often do with their children. It is important to teach the process of catching the ball the correct way for many reasons, including safety. Catch it the right way and it could lead to lifelong enjoyment of the sport. Catch it the wrong way and it could lead to injury, pain and fear.
Turn Your Glove
Turn the fingers of the glove up toward the sky when catching any ball that is coming in at waist level or above. Turn the fingers of your glove down toward the ground if the ball is coming in below your waist level. If you have the palm of your glove and your fingers facing down and the ball comes in at chest level, the ball could bounce off the heel of your glove and into your throat or hit you in the face. This could lead to pain, shock, injury and broken teeth. Turn the glove the correct way and this cannot happen. If you have you have the fingers of your glove pointed up on a ground ball, there is almost no way to catch it unless you happen to get a lucky bounce.
Two Hands
Use two hands to catch the ball. This is one of the first things youth baseball coaches teach their players and it is one of the best pieces of advice. Get in front of the ball and open your glove. As you move your glove to the ball to prepare to catch it, take your throwing hand and get it ready to lock the ball in place. Eventually, you will use that throwing hand to dig the ball out of your glove and throw it, but the first thing you will do is cover the ball and secure it into your glove. A ball that is thrown or batted with velocity will continue to move and vibrate in your glove for a fraction of a second. You must control that ball and you can do that with your throwing hand.
Shade Your Eyes
Many baseball players seem to make impossible catches in the infield or outfield because they are seemingly looking right into the sun when they make a catch. It is difficult to make that kind of catch but you can do it by using your glove to shade your eyes. Move to an angle where you are looking at the ball on a bit of an angle. Raise your glove to slightly above eye level and then track the ball into your glove, always making sure to use the glove to keep the bright rays out of your eyes.
Get in Front of the Ball
Catching the baseball is much easier when you get in front of it rather than reaching at it from the sides. In some cases, you may have to reach for an errant throw or catch a line drive. However, in most cases you will be able to have a much better chance at catching the ball when you get directly in front of it. Some youngsters will hesitate to do this because of the fear factor. However, once they realize that they have a much better chance to catch the ball and that they can keep it in front of them by getting in front of it, they will get the lesson.
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