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Two of the most important skills a catcher performs are blocking a bad pitch and throwing out a runner attempting to steal a base. Blocking bad pitches many times involves leaving the crouch position to throw oneself in front of the pitch and keep it from passing behind one. The nature of the crouch position reflects three important principles of stability: A broader base of support increases stability. (A catcher’s stance places feet more than hip-width apart.) Centralizing the line of gravity inside the support base increases stability. (A straight back and head held upright centralize the line of gravity.) A lower center of gravity increases stability. (Crouching’s deep knee bend lowers the center of gravity.)
Many times, stability depends on an athlete’s ability to put the line of gravity towards an oncoming force. The movement temporarily unbalances the athlete, but then the impact of the force re-balances him or her. But for the catcher blocking the bad pitch, this is not the case. Despite its velocity and momentum, the baseball has very little mass. This means that the catcher must first quickly throw his line of gravity in front of the ball, then also quickly re-balance, exploiting the advantage of the baseball’s force. It is for this reason the catcher often blocks a pitch by dropping to the knees. Dropping to the knees lowers the center of gravity even further, providing the catcher with greater stability. Balance comes in all levels of difficulty. The line that separates superiority in a specific sports skill is the concept of stability. Stability is measured in the level at which one can retain one’s balance while experiencing factors that disturb balance. In short, stability is described by the answer to the question, “How balanced are you?” Skilled athletes are able to employ certain tactics to increase their stability under oncoming forces, practically bracing themselves to be immovable.
Some sports depend almost exclusively on an athlete’s control of the center of gravity and the ability to balance during the sports activity. As soon as the athlete loses balance, he or she loses the contest. The following sports fall into that category:Cycling Speed skating Judo Figure skating Diving Weightlifting Skiing Gymnastics Fencing Wrestling
Other sports require athletes to stay balanced while moving in relation to a moving object (a ball or puck, for example) or teammates. These sports have similar movement patterns and include the following: Baseball and softball Ice hockey Football Tennis Basketball Field hockey Soccer Volleyball
