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How To Fit Baseball Catcher Equipment

Baseball & Softball Apr 07, 2021
How To Fit Baseball Catcher Equipment

To be a catcher, you need confidence, guts and a no-fear attitude. To play your best, you need to have confidence in your equipment. Protective gear must guard against foul-tips, balls in the dirt and wild pitches, yet be light enough that you can still be mobile around the plate.

Here are the protective pieces needed for the position of catcher:

Catcher’s Helmet

The head is the most important body part to have fully protected. Generally, there are two styles of catcher helmets to choose from: Goalie Mask Design or Traditional Design.


Goalie Mask Design

Traditional Design

  • Resembles a hockey goalie mask
  • Gives additional front, side, and top protection
  • More comfortable than the traditional style
  • Added strap adjustments for chin pad
  • Comes in youth and adult sizing, based on hat size
  • Includes a backward earless helmet
  • Typically preferred by high-level players
  • Easier to toss off
  • Increased field of vision
  • Includes a top and 2 side adjustable straps

 


NOTE: Additional throat protective pieces can be bought and attached to the helmet.

 

Chest Protector

A chest protector is designed to protect against foul tips, and missed catches that could hit ribs, heart, collarbone, and stomach. A good protector will have enough padding to guard all these parts while still being light enough to move around in. Measure the length from the bottom of the throat to the naval (bottom pad of the protector) to determine size.

 

Leg & Shin Guards

Shin guard equipment is crucial in protecting against batted balls and other players’ cleats. Proper sizing is crucial, as improper fit will impede your performance and comfort when kneeling for most of the game. Some of the best features are moisture-wicking linings in pads to keep legs and knees dry; extra knee coverage with double or triple knee caps; toe cups, to protect against low driven foul tips to the foot and ankle; knee savers to decrease the amount of stress a catcher puts on their knees throughout a game.

 

Catcher's Mitt

A catcher’s mitt has been designed to protect the catcher’s hand from hard pitches as well as focus the pitcher with a nice large target. A large hand pocket replaces separate finger holes that can be found on other baseball mitts. This system gives the catcher more padding to be able to take hard fastballs from a pitcher. Catchers will also need the ability to take the ball out faster to throw to base.

 

We Fit Your Game

Get in the right advice for you game from the exports in the field. Our staff is professional, experienced, and deeply knowledgeable in baseball and softball equipment. We'll find the right gear for you game, style of play, and budget and ensure you'll leave with the gear that is right for you. Period. Source for Sports. We Fit Your Game.






For expert advice on baseball gear and equipment that is right for your game, level of play, and budget, come see us at your local Source for Sports baseball store near you. We Fit Your Game.

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