Blocking Progression
Dugout Master ✓ Official Dugout Master drill
Catchers practice blocking balls in the dirt from multiple angles and recovering quickly to locate the baseball.
Catching⏱ 15 min👥 2-6 players
Setup
Catcher in full gear, including a cup and a chest protector, on dirt or grass — never on concrete. Coach stands fifteen to twenty feet away with a bucket. Start with soft-core balls and move to real baseballs once the technique holds.
Execution
- Catcher starts in the secondary stance with runners on: weight forward, glove between the knees.
- Coach throws a ball into the dirt straight at the catcher; catcher drops to the knees and blocks it to the front.
- Coach throws to the glove side; catcher drops and angles the shoulders back toward the plate.
- Coach throws to the arm side; catcher repeats the angled block.
- After every block the catcher pops up, locates the ball, and calls where the runner would go.
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