Art of Baseball

From Brent Mayne, another tip in the Art of Catching


"Do you know the main difference between Little League and high school ball, high school and college ball, and college ball and the pros? It's the speed of the game. Especially behind the plate, where things happen so quickly. Here's the deal. Regardless of your athleticism, your game must adapt to increased speed if you've any interest in advancing levels. How do we do this? Simple. We streamline our movements and make them efficient. We analyze our actions and make sure there's a purpose for every twitch we make … or we get rid of it. Especially if it involves receiving, blocking, or throwing.

"For example, do you really need that glove movement/timing mechanism as the pitch is coming? Really? Ditch it and simplify. Make sure you're just going from point A to point B to get it done. Ditch the point C and the game will slow down. If you want to see this principle in action, flip on any Division I women's softball game. That's right, I said women's softball. Their game is so compressed and quick that it doesn't allow for any excess movement. It's extremely efficient and simple. Us baseball folk can learn something from those ladies.

"Still don't believe me? Try this quote from a guy who knew a thing or two about how things work:

"'Simplicity is the ultimate sophistication. -- Leonardo da Vinci

"Or how about this guy … he was fairly masterful at his craft.

"'The height of cultivation always runs to simplicity.' -- Bruce Lee"