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Originally Posted by rwest
A ball hit perpendicular to the ground wont get the bounce I'm talking about and have witnessed. A chop does not require action that is perpendicular. When chopping down a tree, the axe is swung at an angle. The definition of a chopped ball does not require it to be perpendicular. Your description is very similar to what I've seen and I am talking about. The only exception is that the ball is not hit directly ( at a 90 degree angle to the ground) down.
Imagine a pitch that is about 6 feet off of the ground in front of the plate. The batter brings the bat over his/her head and on top of the ball and drives it down at an angle. That is, in my opinion, a chop. In all the clinics and camps I've been to I've never had a a chopped ball described or illustrated. It seems fairly obvious to me what a chop is.
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Ever chop wood that didn't involve taking down a tree? That log would be horizontal to the ground, unlike a tree which is vertical. BTW, when felling a tree, not all swings are in a downward motion.
From all the clinics and schools I have attended, what you are describing in not considered a "chopped ball" for the purpose of applying 7.6.H.
Now, I will not argue that it may not be the same way you have been instructed. Many of us who have been around a while often get different takes from different instructors. It is also possible that the feeling of the NUS has changed, but if so, I've never seen nor heard of any indication of such.
A slapper (yes, there are slappers in SP) often brings the bat downward at an angle, but you do not call that a chop, do you?
Our differences are based on perception and teachings of a chop. The original issue with a "chop" came from the little ball game. Go here for information:
http://www.answers.com/topic/baltimore-chop
In today's game, with the bats, balls and field conditions, a "chopped" ball would be of little to no use in any of the levels I have worked. BTW, slappers in FP often use this technique to try and bounce a ball over an oncoming F5's head.
I see a chopped ball as no more dangerous to anyone on the field than any other sharply hit ball.