Gerry Davis Mechanics

[mick]

Originally Posted by Dakota

...remember your high school geometry?

How deep is the plate?
How tall is your typical SB catcher when in the crouch?
Now, imaging this catcher jam up behind the plate.
How tall do you have to be to see the entire plate while in your stance 3,4,+ (whatever variation you use) feet behind the catcher?

One of two things... if you think you can see the entire plate,

You aren't really using the GD stance, or
You are kidding yourself (don't get mad).

Tom,
I use the GD system and I do not disagree with anything you are saying about the low outside pitch, but that disappearing [in front of the catcher's right shoulder] pitch can still be called because it is extemely easy to see the path of the pitch.
The front outside of the plate is very visible, because part of the system is that I sit up higher than chin-to-top-of-helmet behind the catcher. And eventhough, as you profess and as I agree, the outside back of the plate can be partially hidden, I do know where that corner is, cuz it ain't movin'.

But what I may lose on that back corner [and I still have a 50-50 chance of gettin' it right ] I feel that I have a much better command of all the other pitches in my outside zone. By watching the ball from the pitcher's hand to that back outside corner, it is effortless to determine where the pitch entered the zone and to interpolate the track of the ball.

Backing off the catcher never made much to me sense either. Again, I agree, you lose more of the plate than if you are up close, but as I back up, I sit a little higher and I get a longer [time] track of the pitch in return for seeing less plate. But again, the plate hasn't moved and strike zone remains clear.

The less fatigue thing is huge! Often, I would have to really mentally bare down in the 4th-6th inning, before the excitement of the 7th got my juices flowing for increased concentration. With that more upright stance and better look, a lot less energy (mental and physical) is consumed and the sharper I am in the last half.

2-3 years ago, I was really, really comfortable in the slot, but I felt I was losing [thus guessing] too many outside pitches, so I experimented. The "new" system, for me, is almost like sitting in an armchair and watching the balls and strikes on a TV screen.

It suits me. And like I said before, ..."great view!"
mick