Catching

Quite as many catches are missed by faulty positioning or lack of balance in the catcher as by any failure of the hands to grip the ball.

The essentials of safe catching are:

      (1)    Do not move until you have sighted the ball, then:

      (2)    Get on to the line quickly, be relaxed and keep your head still.

      (3)    Really watch the ball all the way, e.g. tries to sight its seam.

      (4)    Make a wide but relaxed “web” of your  hands and fingers: the ideal place to catch the ball is at the base of the fingers which then automatically close round it.
 

    (5)    Try to catch the ball wherever possible at eye-level: it is impossible to re-focus a ball dropping past the eyes.  

     (6)   Let your hands “give” with the ball.

In  catching the fast hit straight at his body, the fielder should move it  slightly to one  side or  the other, thus making it possible for the hands to “ride with the ball”: in catching the ball at or  above  the level of  his chin,  the web  of his hands will be  pointing upwards.