Gerry Davis Mechanics

[Justme]

Originally Posted by Dakota

I'm not trying to convince you of anything JM. Do what you want. You're set in your (erroneous) beliefs.

However, 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).

Dakota;

I do not get mad, I enjoy the banter....hearing other umpires opinions is helpful, regardless of whether or not it's accurate

I have found that softball umpires tend not to like the GD stance while it is becoming more widely used in baseball, especially by us ‘older’ umpires. My knees just won’t hold up for a long game using the more traditional stances and I’ve tried them all over the years.

I guess that I have used the GD stance so much that I know longer have the limitations that you mentioned, or I have learned to work around them. I can see where if the catcher crowded over the plate it would be difficult to see the outside corner but I still have a good visual (in my mind) of where it is. Like Mick says “the plate doesn’t move.”

The overall view of the strike zone that is afforded by the GD stance far outweighs, IMHO, any of the ‘faults’ that are said to the associated with it. As I’m sure you know, this stance, like anything you try new, needs to be learned properly (not just by reading about it) and practiced.

[IRISHMAFIA]

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.

Mick,

If you were in the slot and not seeing the outside pitches, is it possible you were not set up in a heel-toe, toe-heel position?

What the Gerry Davis stance really reminds me of is that illustration shown in the back of the ASA "Umpire Edition" rule book that demonstrates the correct stance for slow pitch softball!

Brett,

The book illustration exaggerates the FP set position. The ASA stance is basically the same for both games, just that you may need to drop a little lower to see a higher pitch in the SP game come through the strike zone.

Now, some you FP only guys are probably thinking how ridiculous, you don't drop to a set position for SP. Well, yeah, you do and be a better umpire for it.

[mick]

Quote:

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.

Originally Posted by IRISHMAFIA

Mick,

If you were in the slot and not seeing the outside pitches, is it possible you were not set up in a heel-toe, toe-heel position?

Hi Mike,
I felt that I was seeing the pitches just great! I could see the pop into the mitt.
I was in tight and up close... just shy of personal.

What I was uncomfortable with was the pitch location on the edge of my outside zone, particularly the letter high, breaking-away ball, but generally all the strikes in my outside zone.

By setting higher and deeper, that outside zone opened-up for me, in large part because my nose [now lined up with the inside edge of the plate, regardless of the catcher] was easily 6" closer to the outside zone, and I could clearly see the pitcher's release (to track the ball) without any visual blocking by a wiggly batter or antsy catcher.

mick

[IRISHMAFIA]

“the plate doesn’t move.”

No, but the batter, ball and catcher do and not necessarily after the ball passes the plate. The ball is the primary focal point. You cannot have a call without the ball. Which, IMO, means the umpire needs to know where that ball is all the time, not just when it approaches the plate. And if someone believes that is 100% attainable without moving one's head to track the ball, more power to you 'cause I don't think it is possible to do that and have full view of the strike zone.