Quote:
Originally posted by Gre144
[Put the toe of your left foot even with the heel of the catcher's feet. Put the toe of your right foot even with the heel of your left foot.
For width, put the right foot at about the center of the plate (I go a bit wider). Put the left foot about double shoulder width away (again, I go a bit wider).
If you can't see in this position, stay higher.
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In the heel-toe position that you described ,Bob, should your back leg(right leg for a right handed batter) be stiff, or should it be bent, or should you choose the stance that is most comfortable?
Thanks,
Greg [/B][/QUOTE]
I know I'm not Bob, but I'd like to make a couple of comments.
When you drop, do it as though you are sitting in a chair. For those of us whose thigh muscles have atrophied a bit through the years, it's going to take a few days of pain to develop those muscles again. But DO IT!
Drop and lock - find some mechanism that will enable your body to consistently drop and lock into the same position each time. Some use their arm across their belly and atop their thigh.
Make sure you have good balance. If you are slightly off-kilter, this will cause head movement and inconsistency. That is to be avoided. When you drop and lock, your head must remain completely still, and you must follow the ball with your eyes
only - all the way into the mitt.
Slightly higher is always better than slightly lower. When you are working the slot, the lower you go, the more of the plate gets blocked out by the catcher's helmetted noggin. If you need to adjust, move up a bit.
When working the slot in today's baseball, there can be times when a batter can crowd the plate, and block your view of the pitcher. It is essential to watch the entire delivery, and see the ball leave the pitcher's hand. If the batter's arms are hanging in your way, gradually move over the center of the catcher in a box stance until the batter's arms are no longer blocking your view of the pitcher.
Remember to, "open the gate," on wild pitches, passed balls, and foul pop-ups behind home plate. Whichever side the catcher moves, pivot on your opposite foot, and open your body as if you were a door on a hinge.