The Low Strike

[jkumpire]

A few thoughts:

1. Visualize the "glass plate zone" in your mind, if any part of the glass is hit, it's a strike.

2. Are you bouncing? Sometimes people will bounce, or stand up a little, especially if their catcher will not stay down on the low pitch. Make sure you are locked in and your body and head are not moving. And if your F2 is bouncing, more than likely he is taking the low pitch from you. Tell him to stay down and let you see it.

3. Make the F2 stick the low pitch; a lot of HS F2's pull the low pitch all over, or try and catch it and pull it up, or catch it back real close to their body to give the image it's a strike. But if they have to do any of that, it isn't. This is the pitch where presentation mechanics are really, really important. The good F2 will stick this pitch and make it look like a strike, and you can call it. The mediocre F2's will butcher it. Being consistent on the low pitch is tough, that is why good umpires punish F2's who drop low strikes with a ball call, and F2's tell their pitch, "Sorry, my fault."

4. Slow your timing down. Always take the time to ask yourself if it is a strike or not. You may be so worried about being consistent with the pitch your are rushing yourself mentally to make a call. Slow down and see the pitch.

IMO, the low pitch is the hardest pitch to become consistent on for newer umpires. That is one reason why a lot of people say it takes 5 years to get a consistent zone. Sometimes it just takes seeing enough low strikes before you can cement the bottom of your zone in.

The other side of the coin is that if you work with good F2's, they will make sure you see the pitch for a strike. They try to sell, and you want to buy. Make them present you a low strike, and you will learn to give it to them.

I am also interested in other responses.