Quote:
Originally Posted by blindofficial
I keep getting told that if the catcher doesn't have to turn his glove, as if to scoop it, it's a strike no matter how low it is or where it's at.
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It sounds like you're getting some well-intentioned advice that is just slightly off the mark. A strike
no matter how low or where it's at? At the ankles? A foot off the outside corner?
Where the catcher sets up and how he receives the pitch will have the greatest impact on calling
borderline pitches- those that are just barely skirting the edges of the strike zone. And those pitches are the ones that will usually cause the most controversy. Everybody can see when a ball is right down the middle. It is those pitches on the edge that will cause you problems.
Here's a link to an article that better explains the concept of "calling the glove". It is similar advice to what you've been given, but goes into a lot more detail and fleshes out the concept beyond "call it a strike no matter where it's at".
The Ten Unwritten Rules of Calling Balls and Strikes
Again, let me emphasis that these techniques are best applied to
borderline pitches- the ones that we catch the most grief about. Before you fall back on these principles, you need to develop the basic skills of calling strikes. You first need a good concept of the strike zone, proper timing and consistency before the concept of "calling the glove" ever comes into play.