Sports
What I Know And Remember About Baseball - Soft Hands by Mitchell Dowdy
[Apr 06, 2008]
All too often baseball players perfect the art of collecting the ball in the pocket of their gloves. This is particularly true for the younger players that are still in the learning curve of using two hands for all catches. An expertly broken in glove will assist in the catching of the ball. Yet relying on the glove to perform all the functions of the catch is just too risky.
The addition of the second hand will help in the control of the baseballs energy but even then a missed alignment can cause the path of the baseball to take just enough geometry to find its way out of the glove. Again, the scramble for control is on.
With predictable proper control during the catch, the rhythm of taking the baseball from the glove and completing the throw action is guaranteed a higher level of success. Repeating a series of events developed through practices and drills is what delivers the baseball from the player who caught the ball to the player who needs to receiver the following throw.
Soft hands allow the baseball player fielding the ball to transfer the energy of the ball into the players arms. The action is similar to that of a shock absorber found in automobiles and motorcycles. Starting fast and out front with the initial contact, then retreating the hands quickly to dissipate the energy put into the baseball from being struck by the baseball bat.