How (Not) to Catch a Softball With Your Glove

Are your young players making defensive miscues when catching softballs with their gloves?

Here is a simple three-step process that newbie softball players can use to cleanly field a softball thrown or hit to them and help improve your squad's overall team defense.

Catch, Don't Grab

Catching a softball that is hit or thrown does not involve grabbing it with your glove. If the ball is sitting still or rolling slowly you should grab (or pick it up) with your bare hand but you should never grab the ball with your glove.

Instead, you should:

  • Open your glove
  • Wait for the ball to hit the pocket
  • Then close around it

Actually in most cases your hand and glove will close around the ball automatically from the impact.

Time is Money

Grabbing the ball with your glove hand requires that you time the closure exactly upon impact and if your timing is slightly off the ball will hit the edge of your closed glove causing an error.

Open it wide and let the impact of the ball signal closure.

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