Catcher pop flies are, in general, not practiced enough. They can be much more difficult than they look and require a lot of practice. This is one of the skills that we practice most often. It is also important that you know your field (how much foul area, warning track, etc.) as well as the ground rules (is the top step of the dugout in play or out?).

Chapter 1 - Pop Flies from Fungo

The coach will throw the ball into the air and hit a catcher pop fly with the fungo. This can be done in the outfield if you're not able to use home plate area. Coaches, the more you practice this, the better you will get!

Chapter 2 - Pop Flies from a Machine

It is also great to shoot pop flies out of a machine at home plate. With a machine, we can shoot the balls higher into the air, and it is easier to work on specific balls (near first base dugout, close to fence, by the pitchers mound, etc.). A variation of this drill is to shoot multiple balls out of the machine, with a pause between each ball, and have the catcher catch them all. This requires the catcher to keep his feet moving and to find the next ball to catch quickly. I don't recommend using more than 3 balls for this drill.

Chapter 3 - Fouled Off Bunts

Lastly, we will practice catching bunts that were fouled off. We may not have many of these during the course of a season, but I firmly believe that you can't do something well in a game unless you have practiced it first. The coach/partner will throw the ball at a small arc to a distance that makes the catcher extend himself or dive. This is definitely a momentum changing play!