Fundamental of Receiving: The Pre-Pitch Move
Before the ball ever gets to the catcher, the glove is already moving.
We generally refer to that movement between the target and the catch as the pre-pitch move or glove load. It can be subtle or aggressive, straight down or back toward the body, consistent from pitch to pitch or adjusted based on location.
There isn't one pre-pitch move that every catcher needs to make.
What matters is what that move allows you to do when the ball arrives.
WHY MOVE THE GLOVE AT ALL?
Watch enough good receivers and you'll see plenty of differences in how they move. You'll also notice that very few catchers simply hold a rigid target and wait for the baseball.
Some amount of relaxation or movement can help put the glove in a better position to react to the pitch and begin the receiving action with rhythm.
That's really the purpose of the pre-pitch move: put the glove in a position from which it can move efficiently and on time.
How you get there can vary quite a bit.
Here are a few common examples.
SUBTLE RELAXATION
This is probably the simplest version of a glove load.
After presenting the target, the catcher relaxes the forearm, wrist, and glove around release. The glove may move slightly down or back toward the body before working toward the baseball.
It's a small move, but it can prevent the glove and arm from becoming overly rigid while still giving the catcher plenty of freedom to adjust to pitch location.
WORKING TOWARD THE GROUND
Some catchers use a much more noticeable pre-pitch move, bringing the glove toward or near the ground before working back toward the baseball.
This can create more space for the glove to accelerate through the receiving movement, particularly on pitches near the bottom of the zone.
The tradeoff is timing.
Get started too early and you may already be moving away from where the pitch actually goes. Get started too late and you may be trying to cover too much distance before the baseball arrives.
The size of the move only works if the catcher can consistently get back on time.
NEUTRAL OR BACK TOWARD THE BODY
Another option blends those first two ideas.
Rather than moving all the way toward the ground, the catcher allows the glove to work down and somewhat back toward the body. For some catchers, this creates a comfortable neutral position from which the glove can move in multiple directions.
Again, there's nothing inherently better about this position. Its value depends on whether it helps the catcher stay adjustable, strong, and on time.
NEGATIVE LOAD
Some catchers will work the glove farther underneath or behind its starting position before redirecting toward the baseball.
This can create rhythm and space for the eventual receiving move, but a larger load also requires the catcher to manage more movement.
If you're going to make a bigger move, you still need enough time and freedom to adjust when the pitch doesn't go exactly where you expected.
SHADING
The pre-pitch move doesn't always have to be identical.
If we have a strong expectation of where a pitch is going, we may subtly bias—or shade—our glove load toward that location.
For example, if we're expecting a fastball down and away, the glove may begin working slightly toward that area during the pre-pitch move. That can create a more efficient path if the pitcher executes.
Of course, there's a tradeoff: the more aggressively we anticipate one location, the more difficult it may become to cover the miss.
Understanding the pitcher, count, pitch type, intended location, and your own ability to adjust all matter.
TIMING MATTERS MORE THAN THE SHAPE
This is probably the biggest point.
Two catchers can make very different pre-pitch moves and both receive at an extremely high level.
One may barely relax the glove. Another may work all the way to the ground. One may load underneath the body. Another may shade toward anticipated pitch location.
The important question isn't:
What does the move look like?
It's:
Does the move consistently put the glove in a position to get to the baseball on time?
If your load is so large that you're regularly late, it's probably too much. If you're starting so early that you lose adjustability, that's a problem too. And if eliminating the load altogether makes you rigid or reactive, that probably isn't the answer either.
The pre-pitch move has to fit the catcher.
GLOVE ANGLE
You'll also see differences in glove angle during the pre-pitch move.
Some catchers present a relatively traditional target before changing glove orientation later. Others begin with the glove at an angle that more closely resembles where they expect it to be during the receiving movement.
Neither is automatically right or wrong.
The orientation of the glove should work with the rest of the catcher's movement—not exist because we're trying to reproduce a particular picture.
WHERE THE CRT BELT FITS
This is one area where resisted receiving work can provide useful feedback.
The CRT Belt adds resistance to the glove throughout the pre-pitch and receiving movement. That can make it easier to feel when the move becomes unnecessarily long, when you lose connection, or when your timing forces you to fight the resistance rather than move efficiently through it.
But the belt isn't there to create one specific glove load.
A catcher with a subtle load can use it. A catcher who works toward the ground can use it. Different glove angles and receiving movements can all be trained with resistance.
The goal is to challenge the movement you actually use.
FIND YOUR MOVE
Your pre-pitch move doesn't need to look like someone else's.
It needs to help you arrive on time, maintain adjustability, and consistently execute the glove actions you want around the zone.
Experiment with different starting positions. Change the size of the load. Pay attention to when you initiate it. See what happens when you anticipate different locations.
Then look for the things that remain consistent when you're receiving well.
Fine tune what makes you, you.
Keep the Game Simple.
