Catching the pop-up.

It all starts with the catcher reading the ball as it comes off the bat

Though not classified on the same level as receiving, throwing, and signal calling, catching pop-ups remains one of the basic staples in the catcher's repertory of skills.

Every catcher has to be able to catch the pop fly - fair or foul - in the vicinity of the plate. If he is playing on a ballfield for the first time, he must acquaint himself with the geography of the site - distance to the fences, dugouts, and any other obstacles that might interfere with his approach to the ball.

He must also check the ground rules, wind currents, and the location of the sun.

In addition to the physical factors, the catcher must know how to read the ball off the bat in certain locations of the strike zone. When an inside pitch to a right-handed batter is fouled off, he should expect the ball to veer off to the right side of the infield. When the outside pitch is fouled off, he should expect the ball to soar to the left side of the infield.

This concept must, of course, be reversed for the left-handed hitter.

This kind of information will enable the catcher to get a quick start for the ball, eliminating the necessity of hesitating to read the drift of the ball or starting in the wrong direction.

The moment he realizes that the pop-up is in his fielding area, he should reach up and grab the bottom of the mask with his thumb underneath the chin and the fingers in front - pulling the mask up and away from the face. Once he discerns which way the ball is descending, he should toss the mask in the opposite direction, to avoid stumbling over it.

Rule of thumb: Pop-ups behind the plate, down the foul lines, and in fair territory between first and third will tend to drift back as they come down.

The catcher should position himself with his back to the infield so that the ball will curve into him rather than force him to lunge forward for it.

The prescribed way to catch a descending ball is to sight it over the top of the glove held at shoulder or head height, with the fingers pointing up, and catch it with two hands.

While applying these fundamentals, the catcher can be moving forward, backward, or laterally to make the catch without losing visual contact with the ball.

Several variables may interfere with the catcher's opportunity to catch the ball. Communication is a must. He must stay alert for a call by the first or third baseman. If either calls for the ball, he must get out of the way and let the caller take it. The point to remember is that the other infielders are moving in for the ball and have a better angle on it.

The sun and wind can also provide problems for the catcher. The other infielders should back him up if he loses the ball in the sun or the wind carries the ball away from him.

The infielders should be the catcher's eyes for the extension of the play. They should never allow him to run into a fence or a corner of the dugout. They should warn him about the danger or let him know he has the room to make the catch.

If the catcher has to slide to make the catch, he should do so on his shin guards to protect his legs from scrapes, or worse.

The only way to become efficient at catching pop-ups is by working at it every day. The catcher has to learn how to read the pop-up off the bat to get the true effect of the infield drift - the ball curving back to the infield. He cannot become skillful at this by having someone throw balls up in the air for him.

He needs a more realistic approach - having a coach hit pop-ups at home plate or in the outfield. The only equipment needed is a bucket of balls and a fungo. It can be done during pre- or post-practice.

The coach should emphasize two points to the catcher. First, find the baseball and turn the back to the infield. Second, use two hands in catching the ball to avoid having it pop out of the glove.

At Grimsley, when the weather prevents us from going outside, we have our catchers work on pop-ups in the gym. Instead of using a bat and baseballs, we use a tennis racket and tennis balls. We have the catcher position himself in his normal stance, then have a coach, manager, or back-up catcher hit tennis balls in the air.

Since it is very difficult to catch a tennis ball in a glove, the drill offers a challenge to the catcher. It may not be the real thing, but it does allow the catcher to work on the fundamentals during a rainy-day workout instead of going home and doing nothing.

If you would like to challenge your catcher a little more with this drill, have him lie down on the gym floor and, as soon as the tennis ball is hit in the air, jump to his feet, find the ball, turn his back to face the ball, then catch the ball (with or without a mitt).

We use this drill during our individual drill session in practice. It gives our catchers a chance to catch a lot of pop-ups in a short period of time.

To be able to do anything well consistently, an athlete has to practice it on a daily basis.

William Hardin, Baseball Coach, Grimsley H.S., Greensboro, NC