On Monday January 20th, 2020, Tuckahoe Sports was proud to host the Firm Foundation Catching Camp with former Major League Player Danny Sheaffer and his son David, a minor league player from the Seattle Mariners organization.
Danny played 8 years in the big leagues, managed in the minor leagues, and was a MLB Catching Coordinator. He brought over 40 years in professional baseball to the TSI Training Center, sharing his knowledge with the players and parents.
Firm Foundation Catching Camp Recap
To start the day Coach Sheaffer reviewed some of the most important facets of being a catcher and why the position is one of the most important on the field.
Baseball and softball players then prepared to make throws down to second base and get their pop time recorded as a baseline – so at the end of the camp, we could then see the improvement that was made.
Coach then proceeded to talk about the stance, emphasizing the glove position, and throwing hand placement. Most of the participants were corrected and put in proper position to maximize glove/ball transfer. In addition to this, both Danny and David worked with each catcher on tag plays at the plate as well as proper tracking skills.
The best part of the camp was the second phase of pop times. Every single catcher improved their time to secondbase with a few key improvements they made while attending the camp. The campers loved the interference drill and had some great questions during the Q&A at the end of the camp.
Coach Sheaffer is planning on coming back to TSI in late summer early fall to dive into deeper topics and check on the progress of the campers. Click the button below to join our free email mailing list and stay connected to important event announcements like the next Firm Foundation Catching Camp.
Four Key Lessons for Baseball (and Softball) Catchers from the Firm Foundation Catching Camp:
- Glove ball transfer position is critical in improving pop time. This must be a key teaching point when working with younger players.
- The stance of the catchers has to be practiced every day with runners on and off the bases.
- Catchers must be a team leader. Has to control the pitching staff and fielders during the game. You are the general.
- The number one rule: Catch the ball no matter what!
TSI instructors offer private catching lessons throughout the year. Visit our instructors page for more information.
Speed and Agility Classes Begin Feb 5