Softball Catcher Skills: Rapid-Fire Transfer Drill

Shore up your throwing skills with the rapid-fire transfer drill for catchers.

Catchers need to have great awareness of the entire softball field. When a baserunner is threatening to steal, all of your reflexes need to be sharp. In the event that a throw to first or second is necessary, you’ll want your transfer skills to be at their best.

“Transferring the softball from the glove to the throwing hand needs to be smooth and quick, especially when a baserunner is threatening to steal the bag,” AJ Hamilton, a former Division I softball player, says.

One drill you can use to practice transferring is the rapid-fire transfer drill.

“The rapid-fire transfer drill is a great way to create muscle memory and focus solely on the transfer between the hands,” Hamilton says.

HOW TO DO THE RAPID-FIRE TRANSFER DRILL

For this drill, you’ll need a partner to toss you the ball. To begin, start with your knees on the ground. The goal is to isolate the top part of your body. From here your partner will begin tossing balls.

When you receive them, focus on how you transfer to your throwing hand. The transfer should take place in the middle of your chest or close to your throwing shoulder. When transferring the ball, your thumbs will point downward.

From here, the frequency of the softballs will increase rapidly.

“This drill is a great way to get game-ready and takes very little time to complete,” Hamilton says.

Want to continue practicing your throwing technique? Learn how to fine-tune your footwork and improve your throwing accuracy with the ladder drill.