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Originally Posted by Andy
I have been told by several veterans (whose opinions I respect) in my area that one of the "little" things that makes you appear to be a better umpire is not constantly looking at your indicator for the count, outs, or clearing it after a play. Several of these umpires have taken a file and carved a notch in the wheels at the zero point so that they can clear their indicator without looking at it.
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There is nothing wrong with learning how to become part of your indicator. OTOH, there is nothing wrong with checking a tool of the trade to make sure you have properly reset your indicator. One of the first things I tell new umpires is to get an indicator, go home and sit in front of the TV watching a baseball game with an indicator in the left hand. Try to keep count with the HP umpire without constantly looking at the indicator.
And I suggest you learn to read it from an arm's length. Nothing tips off the teams and evaluators to a rookie quicker than the umpire frequently bringing the indicator up to eye-level.