About Knee Savers

Being a catcher can be the most exciting part of Baseball. You're like the Quarterback of the field, calling the shots, including the pitches for your pitcher. You get to pick people off, throw out runners trying to steal, and even tag runners out at home. You wear your gear like a warrior ready to take their position on the battle field.

But for all of the cool stuff that goes along with being the catcher, there's also some downsides. Your body has to get used to wearing extra gear, as it weighs a few pounds. It also puts pressure on body parts that aren't used to that gear. And, most important, it puts added stress on your knees. As someone who caught for many years, I was excited to see these "knee saver" products floating around.

Now that I'm coaching, I don't like catchers being out there without them. When I became a teenager, my left knee suddenly had many issues. I sprained it badly on several occasions, and then, at the age of 16, my knee buckled and my patella forced itself to the side of my leg. While it wasn't the most painful injury I had as an athlete, it was the most painful to see.

This is where knee-savers come in. These products will help to keep your tendons from over-stretching and keep you on your toes a bit more, without putting so much stress on the joints. 

The problem with the knee savers are that most of them do not come with clear instructions on how to put them on. So, let's get to it.

Instructions for Easton Knee Savers

1. Completely remove the 2 lower straps of your shin guards.
2. Place the knee savers on the back of the shin guards with the gray side towards where the calf would be. The knee saver logo should be facing away from the calf.
3. With the knee saver in place re-attach the straps. Loop them through the knee saver loop first, then through the metal loops on the shin guards. The straps should go under all 3, then over the last loop, under the next loop so that it's tight.
4. Make sure that the straps are tight and that you can clip them onto the other side of the shin guards.
5. Now have the catcher (or yourself if that is you) try them on. If they're too tight, try loosening up the straps a bit. If they're too loose, tighten them up. 

Tip: Be sure to pay attention to the catcher to ensure that he/she is not uncomfortable due to the knee savers being too tight, loose or too large for their legs.

Have your catcher do some drills to get used to hopping up, blocking bad pitches, catching throws to home, etc. This will help them get used to wearing the knee savers, which could cause issues at the beginning.

I hope that this article helps, but let me know if you have any questions or suggestions (or tips) below!