New Mask

[mrm21711]

Originally Posted by MajorDave

that this has been discussed here before. I know it has on umpire.org.

The strap wear and pad placement on the mask is key to avoiding injury (so long as the mask bars hold up). I wear the side straps on my masks around the outer ear protector bar. It makes the mask easy to pull off and when in my stance awaiting a pitch the mask rests loosely on my chin. When hit the mask spins left or right and sometimes right off of my head. It never hurts and rarely even stuns me. A lot of ooohs, aaahs and "you okay blue?" from various onlookers. Never so much as a bruise, sore anything or headache in last three years. I have been hit dozens of times in mask at various levels of baseball from NCAA D-1 on down to 13 yo level in both the standard style pads in doeskin and the newer Wilson wraparound style pads in leather, amara suede and vinyl/leather. My two cents. If a mask ever bends, I will not use it anymore.

I bought a new Dyna Lite with the wrap around amara suede pads and cant get used to it. The mask feels really heavy and I dont really like the padding. Maybe I just need a switch of the pads.