Top 5 Receiving Drills For Catchers (BEST FRAMING DRILLS)

Knowing how to receive well as a catcher will be the difference in being a starter or not.

Catching is a demanding position that requires a unique set of skills. Among those skills, receiving is perhaps the most critical. A great catcher can turn borderline pitches into strikes by framing them properly, and that can be the difference between a win and a loss, especially with the number of times this happens throughout a game and a season.

If you don’t know who I am, my name is Anj Bourgeois and I’m the founder of Catching Made Simple. I transitioned from infield to catcher my Junior year of college, having never caught before, and now have a passion for teaching other catchers the fundamentals of the game.

I’ve helped hundreds of catchers get into a better stance, learn the fundamentals of the game, and get their mindset right.

By the end of this article, you’ll learn my top 5 receiving drills that will guarantee improvement in your skill set as a catcher.

The Top 5 Receiving Drills

Drill #1: Receiving on Your Knees

The first drill is to receive pitches while on your knees. This is a great drill for working on your framing technique.

Start by taking your L-turn upside down and placing your elbow on the ground. Make sure your shoulders are right on top of your knees and have your partner roll you some balls.

Work on catching the ball back to the zone and maintaining a good angle as you go up. Make sure you're catching the ball in the C or L shape of your glove, not the top of your hand.

@catchingmadesimple

Best receiving drill for catchers. Stay down so you can catch the ball back up to the zone on the low pitch. If we come up too early, we BOUNCE ❌

♬ To Stay - PLÜM

Drill #2: Receiving Pitches in the Air

The second drill builds on the first one.

Put your glove on and have your partner throw pitches in the air. Try to throw the ball right down at the bottom and catch it up, rather than bouncing it.

As you go down, make sure your glove approaches the ball from the bottom. If the glove approaches the ball from the top, it will bounce when you bring it back up. If the pitch is high, approach it from the top and catch it always going to the middle of the zone.

Drill #3: Angle Receiving

The third drill is angle receiving.

Have your partner stand at the third baseline and the first baseline and really work around these pitches.

Make sure you're not catching it too far out, but let it get back. Make sure your partner throws it right around the center of the zone.

This drill is great because it forces your glove to get to where that right-handed sinker or that left-handed slider is going to come from. You need to figure out where the line is for where you flip over your glove.

Drill #4: Receiving with a Weighted Ball

The fourth drill is with a weighted ball or a medicine ball.

Work on catching the ball all up and really using the muscles that you have right here in your arm. Think about having your arm in a cast as you do this.

Keep your arm bent so that you can catch it nice and strong again. Try to catch it in that C shape, not necessarily in the whole hand.

Drill #5: Catching with Your Glove On

The fifth drill is catching with your glove on.

This is a deceptively simple drill, but most catchers don't actually get enough reps catching with their glove on because they spend so much time working with their barehand or trainer glove. You need reps with the glove you’ll use in the game.

Stand in front of your partner like a pitcher would, and have them throw you pitches. Focus on catching it perfectly in the pocket, not in the palm or web of your glove. Try to get that good sound every time.

Make sure you have a good pre-pitch, your thumb is down, and you can see the ball nice and solid.

You should hear that pop every time. If you catch it wrong and don't hear the pop like that, adjust your eyes and track it all the way in.

Next Steps to Improving a Catchers Skill Set

You came wondering how to improve on your receiving skills as a catcher.

Now you know my top 5 receiving drills that have transformed my receiving skills.

At Catching Made Simple, I create content, courses, and coaching programs to help thousands of catchers increase their mobility, strengthen their mental game, and develop the physical skills they need to catch at a high level.

Book a call for a free 15 minute Catching Consultation with Anj if you want to get an expert take on what you need to do to get better.

And if you’re not yet ready to talk with me, check out these other resources:

• 7-Day Stance Challenge to get a stance like the pros in 5 min a day
• Top 5 Catcher Stances Every Catcher Needs
• Top 5 Catcher Blocking Drills (Turn Passed Balls into Brick Walls)