Quote:
Originally posted by jkumpire
I appreciate all the opinions here about the old v. new face protection. But I can't understand how the following can be true:
1. Better vision with a helmet: How can this be? In a helmet, just like a mask, you have one gap to look through to call pitches. How much extra sight can you get? If there is more, is it really a value worth wearing the helmet for?
2. You feel cooler? How? By enclosing your whole head and neck in a plastic shell, usually if not always black, as opposed to a wool hat covering the top of your head, with a mask with open bars across your face? Even if you sweat through the hat (which I do regularly) it will help conduct heat away if there is a breeze. Better airflow with a helmet, how can it be when your neck, ears, and the whole of your head is covered in plastic?
3. Every helmet I have ever seen has very poor inside padding. I wear doeskin pads made in 1990 on my mask, and not only have I had great protection, good doeskin or other mask padding help your face to breathe well, and it fits comfortably. Good mask padding will help you stay cool and keep sweat from your eyes. I just don't see how helmet padding is superior in this respect.
4. One of the reasons why the new Fed rules for catcher's helmets are so bad is hearing. Talking to catchers is a very hard thing these days, kids can't hear you (their teammates, and their coach either) as well as with the old mask/helmet combination that did not cover the ears. Can you hear things you need to hear as well as an umpire with a helmet as opposed to the mask? It is hard to see how this can be.
5. I wear a 7 7/8 hat. No helmet really fits me at all, and even finding a mask and hat combination is hard to do these days. I would think I would have to pay several hundred dollars for a custom shell to fit my head. Not everyone has this problem, but for a few of us it is an important one.
I have a few other questions/objections to the helmet, but until I find a helmet that fits as good and works as well as my mask, I'm not changing.
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I will address your points below.
1. The mask on the helmet sits much closer to the face and the bars are thinner. You also don't have to contend with the forehead pad and hat bill of a regular mask. Believe it or not I can see the entire field through the center bars of my helmet when I'm behind the plate. I cannot see nearly as well through my regular mask (a lightweight +POS) You should give one a try, you will be surprised by the greater vision.
2. My helmet is well ventilated and has holes in the top and ears. The holes are big so the air can get through easily. A nice breeze really makes it through the vent holes and does a good job cooling you down. Initially I was surprised that I found the helmet to be as cool as it was. Also, My helmet follows my jawline pretty well so it really doesn't cover much of my neck.
3. I have an expensive helmet. It has sweat pads built into the pads that cover your head. (Cheaper helmets do not have this feature) The chin pad in my helmet is doeskin. I see your point though and to be honest the helmet isn't any better at soaking up sweat. I'm bald so I wear a skull cap to help with the sweat.
4. My helmet has ear holes so I can hear just fine. To be honest I haven't noticed much of a hearing difference. I haven't had any problems communicating with catchers either.
5. I wear a 7 1/2 so I have a similar problem. You definitely would not be able to use an Easton Stealth as they are only made in small and large sizes. I tried on a Battle Gear that comes in an XL and it would work for that huge noggin of yours. lol The only problem is the Battle Gear isn't quite as nice as my Easton as far as the inside padding and sweat protection. I believe All-Star makes an XL helmet for umppires that has all of the features of my Easton.
I hope I've addressed some of your questions satisfactorily.
Eric