Expert: John Priest - 11/21/2008

Question
hey John ima catcher for my high school baseball team and ima junior and i was wondering how can i improve my accuracy and Arm strength because my accuracy is on a scale of 1 to 10 10 being the best its about a 3 or 3.5 to 4 but i would have a 1 in 10 chance of making the throw to second base my arm is good its just the accuracy on my throw is off any tips on this and i would like some pointers on my hitting i have a great swing and power but i just cant put the bat on the ball i would really like some help with this with baseball season being a couple of months away and all??

Thanks

Answer
Chris,
Keep practicing your throw.  Accuracy comes from repetition and and getting your release point down to a reaction and not a thought. Just like a pitcher needs to get their release point down to throw strikes, you need to do the same but with some strength because you need to throw the ball 60 ft. farther.  some catchers have trouble because they loft the ball to second base or when they were younger and needed to reach second base by lofting the ball.  You say you have a strong are but was it strong when you first stepped on the MLB diamond size?  Did you have to loft the ball to make it the 120 ft. in the air?  Many catchers make this mistake and develop a bad release point at a younger age.  Make sure your throw to second if just like your throw back to the pitcher just quicker and stronger.  There are some mechanical issues that can be looked at as well.  Stepping straight, lining up the front shoulder, leading with the chest, staying on top, are all possible things that could go wrong in making a throw.  My suggestion would be to go see a pitching instructor.  Even if you are not a pitcher, they will be able to help you with your overall throwing mechanics.  This will also help because as a catcher you need to know the correct pitching mechanics so you can help your pitchers.  
With hitting give me some more details about your swing so I can help more.  Do you swing rotational or linear.  A rotational swing keeps the bat in the contact zone longer so you have a better chance.  If you give me more details about what you do from your step to the finish I can give you a more exact answer as to why you may not be getting contact.  I will be on vacation until 11/30 but feel free to ask more questions.

Thank You,
John Priest