CATCHERS | Is Traditional Stance Outdated? 3 MLB Catchers & Coaches Answer the Question

Greater than half of MLB catchers now want to make use of one-knee-down stance.

And the present development has that quantity is rising yearly.

Some progressive MLB organizations have their lower-level catchers studying one-knee down virtually solely!

So does that imply conventional stance is a factor of the previous?

Is it a waste of time to study and excellent it?

{Many professional} catchers and catching coaches say NO WAY. It’s completely nonetheless important to study conventional stance first.

However don’t take it from me. Let’s hear it straight from these concerned:

🔵 Randy Knorr, Washington Nationals Catching Coordinator:

“Younger [Low & High A, AA] catchers ought to study to catch on two ft earlier than mixing in a knee-down stance.” – Randy Knorr, Nats Catching Coordinator (Supply)

He defined {that a} conventional stance is the bottom of catching, permitting catchers to dam extra pitches and be able to throw out base stealers. Knorr, who has been teaching with the Nationals since 2005, needs them to grasp that earlier than switching to a knee-down stance in Class AAA or the majors.

🔵 Ryan Lavarnway – Chicago Cubs MiLB Roving Catching Coach; Former Purple Sox Catcher

“100% I like to recommend studying the standard stances first.” – Ryan Lavarnway, Cubs Roving Catching Coach

In keeping with Lavarnway (who’s liable for coaching up the Cubs up-coming catching expertise), right here’s why:

It’s best to be capable to do all the things properly. This isn’t a small matter. It could possibly make the distinction between success and failure. It’s all the time good to have extra choices, extra instruments in your toolbox.These are the basics of catching. Regardless of how superior the methods might get, these are ADVANCED methods. And you’ll solely begin doing superior methods when you’ve got the basics down.The extra wild a pitcher is, the extra you would need to be sacrificing to go to a knee. The explanation Main League catchers can do it’s as a result of they’re catching essentially the most correct pitchers on this planet. At each stage beneath that, you want increasingly athleticism.At youth, newbie, highschool, and even faculty ranges, they don’t seem to be measuring the metrics in the identical approach… the benefits you achieve from one knee are much less. There are nonetheless advantages, however they’re much less measurable.On the youth, highschool, and faculty ranges… controlling the operating recreation is a HUGE deal. So understanding how to do this essentially the most successfully is vital. MOST catchers throw and block higher from a conventional stance. SOME enhance on a knee to some extent the place they’ll do it higher… however like I mentioned above, the standard stance is a part of the basics… and the one knee stances are superior on prime of that information

🔵 Riley Adams, Main League catcher, Washington Nationals

“Ideally, yeah, you might be knee-down in virtually each scenario, simply because I believe that offers the pitcher one of the best likelihood to succeed. However I’m not ever going to do this with two strikes as a result of, for me, it’s not value it,” Adams continued, “Some guys do. I love them. However I would like a mix of the 2 to get via a recreation and catch to one of the best of my means. There’s lots that goes into that.” – Riley Adams, MLB Catcher

So, if you’ve ever questioned in the event you ought to nonetheless be studying conventional stance, go forward and put these doubts apart.

It’s true that some catchers might be higher on one-knee.  Our Elite Catcher teacher Ryan Lavarnway’s receiving metrics improved 10-12% on the metrics instantly upon going to a one knee stance.  And in 2022, 5 of the six greatest blockers in MLB used a one-knee setup. 

However others will want conventional.  For instance.. the #1 greatest blocker in baseball in 2022, Adley Rutschman, used a standard setup.

And nonetheless others will all the time use a hybrid method.

The best state of affairs is to study each, side-by-side, in an age-appropriate approach.

It’s vital to know the professionals and cons of every, and to start to develop your personal identification as a catcher. .

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Play laborious,

Doug Bernier

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From Ryan Lavarnway’s Quarantine Problem:

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“Sure! Ryan is one of the best factor that has occurred to my 11 12 months previous son. […] To have a professional catcher work with him has put a smile on his face. Ryan we will’t thanks sufficient.” – Mother of 11 12 months previous, Ormand Seashore, Florida

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I simply need to thank Ryan as a dad in addition to a coach. As a dad I can present my child the drills, having a professional catcher clarify it’s higher than dad doing it. From a Coach standpoint, it offers me the instruments to assist practice my gamers eager to play catcher.” – Father of catcher from Dallas, NC

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