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"a) Call the zone of least resistance, use the catcher to help you decide the pitch. A pitch that bouces is virtually (99% of the time) a ball - exception is the big 12/6 curve that mirrors a slowpitch softball pitch."
Sorry, if it bounces, I don't care if is Barry Zito. Ball. 100%.
As for teaching the zone...I would say the resistence is from stubborness. Umpires as a group are perhaps the most resistent to criticism as any group. People need to be more open minded to get past the, "strikes are good" and "my zone is my zone" mentality.
The only way you can learn is from experience. Call some strikes, gauge the response. Nobody chirps? Try going further. Too far? Too much yelling? Reign it in a bit. Challenge yourself. Even the best miss pitches. The best advice I can give is twofold:
1) Lock your head position, track the ball all the way to the mitt.
2) Good timing means DECIDING late(r), not just pausing more.
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