Catching is the key thinking position in fastpitch. If your catcher is on top of the game your pitcher will pitch better and your team will make plays with confidence. A catcher has many things to think about during a game. Not only that, she must react physically in executing on those thoughts. Her ability to anticipate situations and plays is critical for her success. For example, in handling her pitcher, she can actually increases her chances of controlling the outcome of balls hit by calling only for low outside pitches if she wants ground balls or fouls. Thus a good catcher tries to get to know or find out as much as possible about every hitter she'll face. Following are some questions she might pose to herself as she develops a plan on how to have her pitcher pitch to specific hitters.

1. 1. Where is the player standing in the batters box?
2. 2. How does she hold her hands?
3. 3. What kind of a stance does she display?
4. 4. At what level or plane is the batter taking her practice swings?
5. 5. What kind of bat is she using? What weight? Where is the sweet spot?
6. 6. Where is the hitter in the batting order?
7. 7. What did the batter do-up last time against the same pitcher? What pitches were called?
8. 8. Study the hitters body size; Short-tall-heavy-light-muscular-does she look quick-slow???
9. 9. Does she wear glasses? Does she display signs of an injury.
10. 10. Is she Confident or appear so?

For some of the following keys, you will have to have a book on a hitter. That is everytime you face or have faced a hitter you'll have to have someone keep statistics on their performance or compile information from old score books. Once a catcher has had some experience with a hitter, here are a few ideas for her to think about. Critical in catcher play is her analysis of hitters as they come to the plate. Thus what they have done in the past may be a key for what they will do under simular conditions in the future.

• Batting average; has the hitter been an above average, consistent, or inconsistent hitter this year?
• Run scored; is the hitter one of the top RBI producers on the team, is she a clutch hitter?
• What place is she in the line up?.
• What is the teams record? Are they noted for pitching or offense?

• Is the hitter a "swinger"; has a lot more strikeouts than walks?
• Is the hitter a "looker"; has a lot more walks than strikeouts?
• Is the hitter a first pitch "looker"; takes the first pitch 75 percent
• Is the hitter a first pitch swinger"; swings at the first pitch 75 percent
• Is the hitter super fast, OK speed, or slow as a runner
• Does the hitter sacrifice, or quick bunt often;
• What type of pitch (location and movement) does the hitter hit well?
• What type of pitch (location and movement) does the hitter tend to miss?
• What type of waste pitches work best on this hitter?
• What type of pitch (location and movement) does the hitter tend to strikeout on?
• Is the hitter one who tends to just "put the ball in play"; low number of walks, low number of strikeouts and low number of extra base hits, lots of at-bats.
• Does the hitter tend to pull the ball, go up the middle, swing late, or tend to spray the ball?
• Is the hitter able to "Go with the pitch"
• Where does the hitter tend to hit each type of pitch?

Some strategies to think about when calling pitches.

On first pitch lookers, go right after her and get a strike on her with your pitcher's best pitch, then come back with your pitcher's best stuff. Get her out quick and put pressure on her at once by using your best stuff.

A swinger should be thrown stuff just off the plate, because she'll swing at it. Deceptive "stuff" pitches might work well especially drops. Strike her out, remember she will chase pitches. On a "swinger" you may even want to waste the first pitch.

With a runner on second; and you know the hitter tends to pop up, Throw a rise-in, work to get the pop up, it is easier for the runners to advance on a ground ball than a fly ball; work to keep all runners away from third base.

When the hitter has no extra base hits for the season, pull everyone in and go right after her.

When the hitter is a home run producer; if the game is on the line, make her chase pitches, or walk her.

If your hitter is known as a clutch player, when the game is on the line, don't pitch to her.