I am a young female Umpire who used to umpire slow pitch softball, however I now umpire 16U fast pitch softball. Me being a female I found that soft style protectors offered much more comfort and come in smaller sizes.I was wondering if getting a soft style chest protector would give me a enough chest protection against foul and tipped balls.

Erika

I'm a large guy and use the Honig's K2-Fastpitch Elite protector. It took a couple of games to get used to it. Can't say if it would provide you enough protection or not.

http://www.honigs.com/detail.asp?Cat=2&Sub=58&Item=363

Know several people who use the Ump and love it.

http://www.honigs.com/detail.asp?Cat=2&Sub=58&Item=605

I personally don't like the hard-shell protectors...they look too bulky.

Erika,
That is what my wife wears, and most every SB umpire I know wears (male and female). I wear the Schutt Lite myself, but do use another for baseball. Have you ever seen a catcher wear anything other than the soft? It should protect you just fine, assuming you have no health issues which may come into play.

Erica,

I am a female ISF Fastpitch umpire umpiring the Senior Division Men & Women (World Series Level)

I wear a WestVest hard shell protector for two reasons.

1 - I encourage all our umpires to invest in the best protection they can afford. The safer you feel, the more likely you are to stay in the slot and watch the pitch.

2 - Most women of a slighter build have to do something 'extra' to present the 'on-diamond presence' in the same way those umpires more solidly built do.

It does make you feel like "wonder-woman" to begin with until you get used to it. However I feel very confident wearing it and have been hit with foul tips from our NZ Black Sox pitchers without feeling anything and that is what all good chest protectors should do.



[Edited by nzumpire on Apr 6th, 2005 at 04:45 PM]

I am a female umpire and I use the ump. I feel comfortable doing a mens' fastpich game using it. I sometimes use bicep protectors in the mens' game. I tried the K2 from honigs but it doesn't protect what I need to protect and I sent it back.

The Ump
 

I am a baseball convert...and now use "The Ump" and love it.

I have been using the Schutt Lite for a couple of years switching from the Ump. I find it to be great. I can take shots and not notice anything and it is much cooler than my ump. Feels like a breeze blowing through between the protector and undershirt. A lot of college level females here in Texas use it.

The wife wears something similar to the Honigs K5C for all her plate games....From 10-U thru NCAA D1. She is looking at the Ump5C from Honigs as a possible replacement.

You should be able to try several and get what is comfortable to you .
The ump is fine for slower pitching but the NZUmpire is correct in saying get the best you can afford .
When you work in the slot and know that if you get hit you will not feel it you can then concentrate on balls and strikes .
Now I am talking 120 km per hour plus here .

When I was young and stupid, I got hit in the shoulder without having a protector on. It was a men's A pitcher, who supposedly topped 90mph on a consistent basis. I thought my shoulder was broken.

Last game I ever did without a protector.

In another thread some weeks ago a new schuut chest protector was mentioned that was supposed to be comeing out for this season .
Is it out yet and from where .

The new schutt protector should be out the first of June. I know that Playball Sports will carry them. They showed them at the 18 gold last summer and then had a sample at the Batbusters Thanksgiving tournament and showed some at the NCAA regional clinics