Gerry Davis still not good ASA/USA

[Manny A]

Originally Posted by Rich

This must be one of those softball-only concepts.

I have no desire to get down to the top of the zone. I want to be locked at the same spot for every batter, head just above the top of the catcher's helmet.

I don't need my eyes there to know where it is. Just like the outside corner or the knee.

Don't know why softball wants our eyes at the top of the zone. I thought maybe it was to judge the rise ball better, which you don't see in baseball. But most rise ball pitches are way above the zone as batters swing at pitches that the catcher virtually has to stand upright to catch.

To this day (ten years after switching from baseball), I still get the occasional critique that I'm setting up too high, but I feel I can judge the pitches at the top of the zone just fine. And most good softball pitchers are going after the corners at the knees, so I don't get to judge too many pitches at top of the zone to begin with.

[Colo Blue]

What gets me is, the CCA manual and instructors tell you to set your head height no higher than the top of the strike zone, and your chin should be no lower than the top of the catcher's helmet. That only works when you have a tall batter and a small catcher.

[teebob21]

Originally Posted by Colo Blue

What gets me is, the CCA manual and instructors tell you to set your head height no higher than the top of the strike zone, and your chin should be no lower than the top of the catcher's helmet. That only works when you have a tall batter and a small catcher.

I got gigged for being too low at camp. The way it was explained to me was that the first "stop sign" is the top of the catcher's head: never go lower. If you CAN get down to the top of the zone, stop there.

[AtlUmpSteve]

Originally Posted by teebob21

I got gigged for being too low at camp. The way it was explained to me was that the first "stop sign" is the top of the catcher's head: never go lower. If you CAN get down to the top of the zone, stop there.

And, yet, if you are where you belong (in the slot, forward enough to be looking across the zone), the catcher's head should be immaterial and of zero consequence.

So exactly WHY is that too low?

[teebob21]

Originally Posted by AtlUmpSteve

And, yet, if you are where you belong (in the slot, forward enough to be looking across the zone), the catcher's head should be immaterial and of zero consequence.

So exactly WHY is that too low?

I agree, and I even asked the evaluator if my setup height was affecting my zone. They said no. Best I can come up with is that it's too low because they say it's too low.

[IRISHMAFIA]

Originally Posted by teebob21

I got gigged for being too low at camp. The way it was explained to me was that the first "stop sign" is the top of the catcher's head: never go lower. If you CAN get down to the top of the zone, stop there.

You would have a helluva time working behind Stacey Nuveman.

[Tru_in_Blu]

Originally Posted by Manny A

And most good softball pitchers are going after the corners at the knees, so I don't get to judge too many pitches at top of the zone to begin with.

The majority of good softball pitchers will pitch to their strength and/or the situation as the game dictates. For many of them, that may not include corners at the knees.

When I pitched, I worked the top of the zone with a lazy rise/curve ball. I wasn't good enough to spin it fast enough to get a pure rise with lots of movement.

Tie game, late inning, runner on first with no outs, most coaches will have batters other than 3 through 5 bunting. This typically calls for the pitcher to throw to the top of the zone to try to induce a pop up.

Slow batter runner at bat with a runner on first base would call for drop balls to try and get the ground ball for a chance at a double play.

Not all pitchers can command every type of pitch. They're probably comfortable with their fastball and one other pitch that moves, and maybe 7% of the time, a change up.

Even HS varsity pitchers aren't all accomplished hurlers. Every once in a while I come across one that has electric "stuff". It's a work in progress for most. A few years back, the pitching distance was changed from 40 to 43 feet. I think part of that was due to simply speed. Good fastball pitchers were dominating the game. When the distance was pushed back, I think dominant pitchers now need a mix of speed and ball movement.

[CecilOne]

I follow the toe-heel, squat in the slot, eyes at top of zone adjusted for batter. I don't get complaints, just a few ooohs and groans in the course of a game.
Yes, the top of the zone is often the question, pitchers and coaches wanting neck and shoulder strikes, which I can see clearly from the correct height.



Like the old line: Coach, I looked all over the strike zone and couldn't find it.