What Are Some Tips For A Catcher Attempting To Catch A Pop Fly?

Perry Roth is the assistant coach of the Birmingham Southern College Panthers. In his second stint with the Panthers, Roth is responsible for catchers and hitting instruction. In his career, Roth has coached at BSC (two different occasions), Bradley, Illinois St., Springfield Calvary Academy and his alma mater, Greenville College.

Roth said that if the catcher goes about the foul ball with proper technique and style, he shouldn't have any problems bringing it in for the out.

"Don't panic," Roth said. "Take short choppy steps, and hold the mask in hand for as long as you can. Try to keep your back to the infield and stay behind the ball."

The most important thing to remember when catching a pop fly when you're the catcher is communication with the rest of your teammates.

As difficult as it is for a catcher to catch a fly ball, if there are circumstances where he can get away from the baseball and allow another teammate to make the play, most coaches will agree that that is the best option. However, if the baseball is coming down in a position that only the catcher can get to in time, then it's alright for him to make the play. This usually will happen on foul balls.

For baseballs hit in the field of play or either down the third base or first base line, the catcher should be aware of the other incoming fielders and be ready to play second fiddle to the infielder.

Now, if the baseball has been hit behind the plate in foul territory, this is obviously a ball that is more suitable for the catcher to corral.

And according to Roth, there are certain techniques that the catcher should remember so that he can make the catch with as few problems as possible.

The ball will generally come back to the infield," he said. "Always try to keep the ball between you and the fence. It's going to come back to you unless the ball is at the fence. You want to get to the fence and work away from it. Try to catch it above your nose. It's harder to catch it basket-style as a catcher."

The last detail for a catcher to think about when catching a pop fly is what to do with his face mask.

A lot of coaches will tell you to get it off your head as soon as you can so that you can make the necessary sight adjustments for the baseball.

But, as anyone who has played the catcher position will tell you, your initial outlook on a pop fly may not be the same on its downward flight. Meaning, if a baseball appears to be on the left side as it's going up, it could very easily end up on the right side coming down.

So what experts such as Roth advise young catchers to do is to take their mask with them until they locate where the ball is coming down. This allows you to make sure the mask is out of your way as you are about to make the play.

"You have to sprint after the baseball and drop the mask when you need too," Roth said.