How to Catch a Baseball

Video Transcript

" Hello! My name is Adrian Arceo and I'm here with expertvillage.com. The next thing we are going to talk about is catching a baseball. I know it seems easy, but there is a lot more to catching a baseball than you think. The first thing you've got to consider is where the ball is coming to you at. So say if it is coming straight at you, okay, you want your glove sideways in front of your body. If the ball goes to the outside of your body on your glove arm, you want to turn your glove like this, and if it is to the other side on your throwing arm, you want to turn your glove all the way around like this. Also anything pretty much below your waist, you have to kind of basket your glove down here; and if the ball goes anywhere above your neck or if you are catching a fly ball, you always want your glove tilted upwards. The next thing to consider is going out and meeting the ball. When the ball is coming towards you, you never want to collide with the ball with your glove: that could cause it to pop out. What you want is to meet the ball where it is landing and bring it in to your body. What that is going to do is make it easier for you to catch the ball, and also it makes it easier for you to get the ball to your throwing arm so you make a more smooth transfer. I'll take a look at how a good catch would look. You see that I had my glove there ready to receive the ball, and as soon as I caught it, I brought it inside my body. Let's take a look at a bad catch. You see that I went out and I collided with the ball, and what it did was hit the inside of my palm and it just popped right out. Let's take another look at a good catch. You see there I go out and meet the ball and bring it into my body. The last thing you got to think about is keeping your eye on the ball. If the ball is one foot in front of your glove, you still got to watch it all the way in your glove. The second you take your eyes off that ball, you are going to drop it. Let's take a look at another good catch. You see that I got up and met the ball and brought it into my body. And that is how you catch a baseball. "