Speed of softball pitch

[Linknblue]

I am in frustrated agreement with Prekowski's assessment of how a lot of umpires call good low pitches illegal. I too play and umpire.

It was a real eye opener to see the 6' pitch with a measuring device. Several of us tried to pitch at exactly the 6' height and found pitch speed is definitely ciritical to executing this pitch using the mat as a "zone".

It's really funny with players. They will complain about every 6 footer being too low but they'll not complain about the 12 and 13' pitches that consistently are not called. I find the higher pitches harder to hit than the lower pitches....but if you want to hit the lower pitches you have to be ready for one....higher pitches give you some decision time on whether to swing or not.

I haven't called many games with a real "zone" in slowpitch but when I did I enjoyed it more that a "mat zone" assignment. Like FP, you have to stay in the game.

It all comes down to a "physical" demonstration and a consistent UIC/Assignor to make sure his/her umpires call heights correctly.

[chapmaja]

When I umpire, I think it is pretty simple for me to judge the six foot limit. I am 5-9. My eye are usually about 5-0 when I get into a set position. I better be looking up seeing the ball come in on a pitch. If I am not having to look up, the pitch is too low.

I personally have more trouble with the 10 foot (or in our league 12 foot still) rather than the 6 foot.

[teebob21]

Non sequitur -- I don't play any more, but this is why I hated playing matball. I cannot pitch the high floater at (formerly) 12 or 10 feet. I can pitch to contact (which is what slowpitch is all about) and throw belt high strikes at 6-8 feet. A low pitch is necessarily "faster" in its horizontal vector of motion than a high pitch. Simple physics. As a result, I walked a lot of batters on three good pitches because they bounced "too deep". I also hated that the ball bouncing on the plate was a strike. Rule 7-5-B, people!!! (I am not playing Senior SP) Sigh...

BOO MATBALL. LONG LIVE THE SP STRIKE ZONE AS DEFINED IN THE BOOK.