Varsity Pitcher-Catcher Battery Practice Plan

Get bodies hot and start the arm with intent (not just “playing catch”). Flow: - 0:00–3:00 dynamic (hips/T-spine, shoulder activation) - 3:00–9:00 progressive catch 60–120 ft - 9:00–12:00 6 throws on a line with partner calling “glove-side/arm-side” on the chest Coaches: - Pitching coach stands open-side to watch posture and direction through release. - Catching coach is behind the receiver to cue quiet hands and glove path. Standards to move on: ball is coming out clean, partners aren’t chasing throws, and catchers are receiving every warm-up throw like it’s a strike-steal rep.

Purpose: install the day’s non-negotiable—fastball execution to both lanes before we touch shape. Setup: bullpen plate or flat ground at 60’6; lane discs or taped zone showing glove-side third and arm-side third. Program decision: define each lane as a ball-width inside the edge to one ball-width off the plate (we’re not rewarding “paint” that’s actually off by a foot). Rep script: each pitcher throws 12 fastballs—6 glove-side, 6 arm-side; catcher calls lane and height (top/mid/bottom). Rotate every 3 pitchers; one coach charts hits/misses, one coach watches catcher presentation. Coaching points: miss is off the plate, not back over; catcher sets early and holds; pitcher keeps direction through the catcher’s mask, not to the dugout. Common bust: catcher drifts the target late—freeze the rep, reset target, rerun same pitch. Competitive standard: 8/12 in the correct lane with at least 4/6 to each side.

Purpose: give catchers a dedicated block to clean up glove path before velocity and movement increase. Setup: two receiving lanes with a coach or pitcher throwing firm from 45–50 ft; strike zone target behind. Script: 3 sets of 8 balls—glove-side edge, arm-side edge, then mixed; catcher resets stance every rep. Coaching points: set early, present late; receive through the ball (no stab); keep the pocket under the ball and win it back to the zone with the body, not a wrist flip. Common bust: reaching instead of moving the feet—stop and require a shuffle to beat the ball. Standard: glove stays quiet and the ball doesn’t pop out of the pocket on edge pitches.

Quick reset and two non-negotiables before we add secondaries. On the whistle: - Catchers hydrate in gear and check straps/mask. - Pitchers check rosin/towel and confirm their next station. Staff message (keep it to 20 seconds): - Lane targets must be stable (no late drifting). - Every secondary starts in the fastball window. Coaches: pitching coach gives one cue for direction/posture; catching coach gives one cue for target stability.

Purpose: build consistent shape with clear intent before we blend pitches. Setup: three stations—slider/curve (one), changeup (one), and catcher block footwork (one). Rotation logistics: 6 minutes per station on a whistle; pitchers stay with their catcher the whole time; one group is always at blocks while the other two groups are throwing. Rep script: pitchers throw 10 secondaries total (5 to each glove-side/arm-side start window) with catcher setting the glove in the fastball window; catchers rotate through receiving the breaker/change and then 8 block reps (4 to each side) off short hops. Coaching points: breaking ball is thrown with fastball arm speed; changeup sells heater and finishes below; catcher tracks the ball to the glove and keeps the head down on blocks. Common bust: pitcher “casts” the breaker and it starts outside the window—immediate correction: move the target back into the fastball window and demand it starts there even if it doesn’t finish perfect yet. Standard: catcher can call out whether the pitch started in-window on at least 7/10 reps.

Purpose: connect fastball lanes to secondaries so the hitter sees one window. Setup: bullpen/flat ground with catcher; hitter stands in track-only (no swing) to give visual feedback. Rep script: 4 sequences of 4 pitches per pitcher (16 total): (1) glove-side FB, (2) slider/curve off it, (3) arm-side FB, (4) changeup off it. Catcher must verbalize the intent before each sequence: “same window, different finish.” Coaching points: catcher sets the glove in the same starting window for the paired pitches; pitcher repeats release and posture; two-strike pitches finish below or off the plate with a plan for a bounce. Common bust: catcher gives away the pitch by setting low/early—reset and run the same sequence again. Competitive standard: at least 3 of 4 sequences show matching start windows on video from behind the catcher.

Purpose: install how we’re calling a game so the live block isn’t random. Setup: batteries in pairs with a coach; use a simple hitter card or lineup order and a count script. Run it like this: each catcher runs 6 “at-bats” on paper/whiteboard—call 0-0, 1-0, 1-1, 2-strike, and a runner-on situation; pitcher must confirm lane and miss (where we can’t miss). Program decision (chart shorthand): write calls as “GS-M” (glove-side mid) or “AS-B” (arm-side bottom), then grade the result as H (hit lane), E (edge miss off plate), or M (middle). Coaching points: first-pitch strike mindset with a lane; expand with advantage counts; with two strikes, don’t throw the ball back over the plate. Common bust: catchers chase a missed spot by moving the target—correction: reset the lane and re-earn the edge. Standard: catcher can explain the why on every call, and pitcher can repeat the plan back before the sign goes down.

Hydrate, set the live rotation, and assign jobs. Assignments: - On-deck battery charts from behind the backstop/netting with a clipboard. - One coach runs tempo/pitch clock. - Pitching coach is open-side of the mound for posture and release consistency. - Catching coach is just outside the hitting lane to watch target stability, receiving, and block decisions. Safety check: only the active hitter, catcher, and the designated coach/umpire are allowed in the hitting lane.

Purpose: game-week execution—battery competes inside a plan with real feedback. Setup (make it safe and runnable): run this as true live ABs either (A) on a full field with clear boundaries, or (B) into a cage/net. For this plan, use a field: pitcher throws off the mound to home plate; catcher is in full gear; a coach stands behind the catcher as the “umpire/tempo” and is the only other person in the hitting area. Do NOT use an L-screen to “protect” a pitcher throwing off a mound—an L-screen is for protecting a coach/feeder during front toss or short overhand work. Hitting area rules: only hitter + catcher + the designated coach/umpire are inside the dirt circle/plate area. On-deck hitters stay in the on-deck circle with helmets; all charting groups stand behind the backstop (or behind a portable net directly behind the plate) with balls/bats down. Batted-ball rules: no live fielding. All fair balls are treated as dead on contact; hitters run through the swing and stop. If a ball is hit outside the defined safe zone (past the mound line, into a dugout area, or toward another station), call “TIME” immediately and reset. Foul ball & retrieval procedure: catcher/coach calls “BALL” and everyone freezes; only the on-deck battery retrieves balls after the rep is dead, entering the field from the backstop side. Pitcher stays on the mound until the lane is clear and the catcher signals ready. Rep script: each pitcher faces 6 hitters or 18–22 pitches max (whichever comes first). Each “AB” starts 0-0; catcher must call a lane fastball early in the AB and a finish pitch with two strikes. Rotate: pitcher/catcher stay together; next battery is on deck charting. Coaching points: pitcher executes the lane first, then expands; catcher steals edges with quiet glove and blocks anything that hits dirt with two strikes; both control tempo—no long mound visits. Common bust: pitcher tries to nibble after a hard-hit ball—call time, remind: ‘Next pitch is a strike in a lane,’ then resume. Competitive standard: 65% strikes overall with at least 2 executed two-strike finishes (below/expand) in the set. Film note: capture behind-catcher angle for tunnel and receiving.

Purpose: lock in what we’re taking to the next battery day and what gets corrected on video. Script: catchers turn in charts (lane hits, blocks, stolen strikes); pitchers report pitch counts and any grip/feel notes to the pitching coach. Staff checklist: fastball lane percentage, secondary start window consistency, and any catcher target drift on edges. Close with one clear assignment: each battery watches 3 clips tonight—one glove-side FB, one secondary off it, one two-strike pitch—and writes down whether the pitch matched the plan.