The difference between “loud and violent” glove actions and “quiet and soft” glove actions when handling tough hops.
When the glove and wrist get stiff or attack the baseball with too much energy, it creates a collision that makes tough hops even harder to handle.
Instead, think loose, flexed wrist with the fingertips staying down, helping keep the palm on top of the baseball. Loud actions often cause the fingertips and palm to work underneath the ball, making it much more likely to kick out of the glove.
The goal is to absorb and suppress the energy of the baseball rather than collide with it. Loud actions also eat up valuable time on plays where we need to get rid of the baseball quickly.
Loose wrist. Flexed wrist. Fingertips down. Suppress the energy of the hop.
Quiet and soft hands make plays. 👊⚾