Quote:
Originally posted by LMan
I watched part of a game where the PU set up at a perfect 45* angle (in the slot) to the batter and catcher- he was facing F4 square away for every pitch. How do you call a zone when you have to look over your left shoulder to see the pitcher? Does Lance know about this? 
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I have not watched any of the LL World Series and will not be watching any so I did not see this umpire. However, that is the way the I learned to set up in the slot. Not at 45 degrees like you mentioned, but I am angled directly at F4 for a right hand batter. Likewise, my head is lined up with F4. My eyes are cocked to look at the pitcher but they are looking straight ahead as the ball passes over the plate.
I learned this method in 1991 from John Porter (who claims to have invented it), when all of the pro schools were teaching that the head should be aimed directly at the pitcher. I outlined this method in my first Internet article in 1999 which is still available on ABUA. I have noticed that there are several MLB umpires who now use this method. Over the years, I have mentioned several reasons why this method is superior, especially for umpires over age 25. You can be most accurate in pitch calling when your head is aimed straight at the strike zone. Being aimed straight at the pitcher provides no extra value. Where it leaves his hand is not important; where it passes over the plate is.
This method is harder to learn and one must be continually checked out in the cage by a teacher or he will tend to over compensate and get into other bad habits. From your description, this may have been what happened to the Little League umpire.
Peter