The coaching manual says that you must watch the ball at all times and the most effective way of the catching is done above or just below eye-level. It also says that the palm of the hand should face the ball. The hands then gives the ball to absorb its force.
Boer(1973) claims that in catching, the possible rebound out of the hands can be prevented by effecting the gradual loss of kinetic energy of the ball by:-
- Using as much distance in your arms, shoulder and hands movement as possible to reduce its velocity.
- Increasing the area which receives the force of the impact ( the baseball glove )
- Increasing the time over which the force is absorbed ( with arm movement )
- Making use of all the shock absorbers of the body ( knees, ankles , hips, shoulders , elbows, wrists etc)
Hand Position in catching
- Biomevhanical consideration. The two main issues concern
- The need to absorb force
- The need to catch the ball as late as possible in order to get a longer and better sight of the ball.
The extent of the elbow extension in outfield catches
- The coaching manual says that the elbow should be bent all times amd give on impact of the ball with the hands
- Biomechanical consideration- Hay (1973) states that if the elbow is slightly bent as the player reaches his hands out to meet the ball, the force it exerts as it strikes the hands initiates further flexion needed to cushion the impact.
- If the arms are extended, the force exerted by the ball tends to act along the line of the extended arm and this has a tendancy to cause the arm to bend.