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The Focus Is On
The Individual Athlete
Imagine how good you’ll get because you just completed the most comprehensive catching program in the world.
All you need to become a great catcher is the right information, the right training, and the right work ethic.
Here at the Florida Baseball Ranch®, the focus is on the individual athlete. We follow a unique, proven process built on four specific pillars — and every camp is designed to develop your catcher across all of them.
Footwork & Throwing
Transitions
Receiving
Lower Your Pop Time
Efficient movement, a loaded back side, and a healthy, durable arm — the foundation of every accurate, powerful throw.
- Develop an efficient movement pattern of the lower half to put the arm in place to work — using the body to promote the most accurate, powerful throw.
- Develop the ability to rotate in space without getting the upper body in front of center (keeping the spine and hip loaded as the body rotates and moves forward).
- Train back-leg stability and back-hip load to get the body into the most powerful position to throw.
- Understand the forward movement of the body with a loaded back side, maintaining storage of power onto foot strike.
- Train the front foot to promote stabilization at ground strike — handling all the force production being moved forward.
- Maintain the integrity of your set-up as the ball travels toward home plate.
- Pocket the baseball and understand its location within the catcher’s mitt.
- Regardless of pitch location, get the ball to the bare hand to advocate an efficient, connected arm path.
- Promote a consistent 4-seam grip to increase true ball carry toward your throw direction.
- Keep the upper and lower half connected to maintain center of gravity slightly back of center on the footwork.
- Develop a healthy, durable arm — most players have little idea how, and conventional wisdom is a major reason arm injuries are at epidemic proportions.
- Develop a connected, efficient movement pattern — even many professional catchers are disconnected to some degree.
- Build a bigger motor with skill-specific strength for throwing a baseball — not powerlifting, bodybuilding, or football strength.
- Train neuromuscular firing by utilizing the under-load / over-load concept.
- Promote connected arm patterns to achieve accurate, healthy throws.
- Objectively measure velocities and ball-spin directions.
- Never ignore or minimize any pain or discomfort — there is always a reason for it.
- Have a personalized, specific plan for the off-season, pre-season, and in-season — because rest is not a plan.
- Systematically prepare the soft tissue of the shoulder and elbow — because rest is not preparation.
- Develop strength in the prime movers so load is not primarily dependent on the arm, elbow, or shoulder.
- Create strength balance, structural alignment, and physical symmetry — the body works as a synchronized unit.
- Eliminate and reduce mechanical inefficiencies and disconnections.
- Have a personalized warm-up and recovery process.
- Monitor sleep, nutrition, and hydration — all affect your ability to recover.
- Build a competent team around you who knows you, your goals, and your workload.
Enhance Your Set-Ups & Transitions
Present the best target, stay balanced and stable, and move with efficiency and athleticism through every transition.
- Review ALL set-ups and stances — sign giving, primary, secondary, knee down, kick stand, and all hybrids.
- Learn to get into positions that give us the best opportunity to present the best target to our pitchers.
- Get the body into a position with the most balance to athletically receive the baseball.
- Maintain stability through transitions, pre-pitch glove movement, and post-catch presentation.
- Enhance the mindset of visualizing that every ball is a strike until the umpire decides otherwise.
- Promote efficient transitions to deter any chance of pitch tipping.
- Move from the sign-giving set-up to any other set-up with efficiency and athleticism.
- Understand that inefficient, sluggish movement throws off timing and disrupts our actions.
- Cover all “traditional” and “new school” transitions to see which better fits the individual athlete.
Become an Elite Receiver
Glove loads, attack angles, pocketing, and glove finish — the details that turn borderline pitches into called strikes.
- Personalize the best set-ups to promote balance and stability pre- and post-reception.
- Identify the best glove load to suit your individual skills — including glove and body loads per pitch type.
- Understand how important glove attack angles are to beating the ball to the spot and not letting the ball move our gloves post-catch.
- Cover what “pocketing” the ball truly means, with a series of drills and tools to promote consistent catches.
- Master post-catch body movement — one of the major deterrents for umpires to call strikes, and a major focal point for our instructors.
- Refine your glove finish — arguably the most overlooked part of keeping strikes — through video review and drills.
Improve Your Blocking
It starts with a mindset — then the most efficient ways to block without compromising the rest of your game.
- It starts with a mindset: “Want to do it, or you won’t do it.”
- Take our catchers through the most efficient ways to promote successful blocks without compromising other facets of the game.
- Cover blocking from traditional set-ups to the more “new school,” innovative set-ups.
- Detail which positions leave us better prepared to read a ball in flight — and how to recover.
Catching Boot Camp Sample Itinerary
A representative two-day schedule. Exact times are confirmed for each scheduled camp.
- 8:30 AM Check-In
- Welcome & Introductions
- Wake-Up / Warm-Up
- Film Throws / Footwork
- Footwork & Throwing Presentation
- Lunch & Learning / Receiving Presentation
- Wake-Up / Warm-Up
- Receiving Practical Rotations
- Recap & Closing Remarks
- 8:30 AM Check-In
- DuraCatch™ Presentation
- Morning Mindset
- Wake-Up / Warm-Up
- Footwork & Throwing Practical Rotations
- Lunch & Learning / Blocking Presentations
- Wake-Up / Warm-Up
- Blocking Practical Rotations
- Recap & Closing Remarks
Testimonials
“Greg Brown developed me into the catcher I am today. I’ve worked with Brownie for many years and I still learn something new every time we work together. His understanding of receiving, blocking, throwing, and game calling helped me continue to grow in the game. Greg Brown will definitely teach your catcher something new he can implement into his game.”
“Eddy Rodriguez is the best catching coach I’ve ever worked with. The amount of knowledge he’s given me in such a short period of time is what has turned me into a major league catcher. The only thing that tops his knowledge of catching is the care he has for all the catchers he works with. If there’s one thing I know, it’s that if you work with Eddy, he will give his all to make you the best catcher you can be.”
“Coach Brown and the DuraCatch program have positively impacted my son’s development. Through the training he was able to elevate his play as a catcher. Brownie is an outstanding teacher and full of knowledge — not only as a catcher, but also the college recruiting process — and helped us as a family attain a lifelong goal for our son in committing to Florida State University. I cannot express enough gratitude for his influence on our son, and I recommend him and his program to all the catchers who want to elevate their game to the next level.”
“We have been to all of the Elite Catcher Boot Camps. Ron, Jill, Garrett, Alexa, Eddy & Greg always bring their best game! They really know how to make you feel like you are part of a ‘family of catchers.’ We would recommend this camp to any catcher who is looking to advance their skills to the next level.”
“The Elite Catcher’s Boot Camp is by far the best catching development money you can spend. The instruction is elite! The coaches are passionate about catching and just as passionate about the players. The service at the camp is like nothing we have ever experienced — they treat you better than family. The blocking and receiving aspects of the camp were my son’s favorite. If you are serious about catching, then this is a must!”
Ready To Get To Work?
Check the schedule for the next Catching Boot Camp and grab your spot.