Gray Area Strikes

[Kevin Finnerty]

If there's somewhere I would go to stretch out my zone, I would go daylight between ball and belt first, so that sounds a lot like where I would end up when I'm done stretching.

[DG]

The bottom of a batters elbows are generally midway between belt and shoulders, in a normal stance, or at rest. If you guys are not calling a strike unless it nicks the belt or is no more than a ball above you are not calling the high strike and cheating the defense. Stand in front of a mirror, spread your hand as wide as you can and touch the top of your belt with your middle fingertip. The top of your thumb will be appoximately same as bottom of your elbows. Call the hand and you will be calling the high strike. The hand will be at least two balls and close to three, above the belt.

[Kevin Finnerty]

Originally Posted by DG

The bottom of a batters elbows are generally midway between belt and shoulders, in a normal stance, or at rest. If you guys are not calling a strike unless it nicks the belt or is no more than a ball above you are not calling the high strike and cheating the defense. Stand in front of a mirror, spread your hand as wide as you can and touch the top of your belt with your middle fingertip. The top of your thumb will be appoximately same as bottom of your elbows. Call the hand and you will be calling the high strike. The hand will be at least two balls and close to three, above the belt.

Three balls above the belt is too high, and I must repeat, only if a hitter's hands are too low to hit properly are they at the midpoint that is the top of the strike zone. A majority of hitters' elbows are not held that low.

I'm going to raise the top of my zone this year, but the top point will be the pit of the stomach or slightly below. Some uniforms have a logo that creeps down that far, some uniforms have a number in the perfect spot, some uniforms have a button in the right spot. But if a hitter's hands are in proper hitting position, his elbows are too high to use.

[Umpmazza]

Originally Posted by DG

The bottom of a batters elbows are generally midway between belt and shoulders, in a normal stance, or at rest. If you guys are not calling a strike unless it nicks the belt or is no more than a ball above you are not calling the high strike and cheating the defense. Stand in front of a mirror, spread your hand as wide as you can and touch the top of your belt with your middle fingertip. The top of your thumb will be appoximately same as bottom of your elbows. Call the hand and you will be calling the high strike. The hand will be at least two balls and close to three, above the belt.

I agree 100%