Quote:
Originally posted by Jim Porter
What works, according to any reputable clinic, school, or camp, is to verbally call all balls to build consistent timing.
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Jim, I couldn't agree with you more................
Taking your time and making a low key announcement of the "ball" will build proper timing that will permeate into your "strike" calls. When you learn to take your time, you will soon be seeing the pitches better and making your decision about that pitch at a later time---taking all facets of the pitch into consideration.
This can sometimes be a difficult concept to grasp for someone whose timing is too fast, and who believes that slower timing ONLY means slowing down your verbal call. An umpire with fast timing will excuse his timing saying he is making his decision based on where the ball crosses the plate, and the catcher has nothing to do with the quality of the pitch.
He doesn't realize that his decision point is actually occurring just before the ball crosses the plate. As one whose timing was too fast for too many years, I speak from experience. Now that I've developed proper timing, those instances of calling a pitch and immediately knowing I blew it---I didn't call what I should have called---have virtually disappeared. So if that happens to you,
realize that your timing is likely too fast.
Realize that is an indicator of timing that is too fast and that you need to slow down.
Slowing down your timing is waiting longer to make your decision regarding the pitch, and not just slowing down your verbal call of an earlier decision. Once you develop proper timing, it takes a tremendous amount of anxiety out of the game, and makes it far more enjoyable to call. The lack of anxiety then makes it much easier to slow down your calls in the field, resulting in more accurate calls.
Just my opinion,
Freix