Drop 3rd strike mechanic

[youngump]

Originally Posted by IowaBlue

You are failing to grasp the simplicity of the concept being presented by introducing variables that are not relevant.

It does not matter if you are 90 degrees from the throw in most instances. That is an antiquated idea and of little value. Obviously, you need to be able to see the ball and avoid being hit by it, or a "180" as you like to call it.

On a force play at 1st, the only thing that is relevant in order to make that particular call is your angle with respect to the BASE, and nothing else. Everything that happens in that play is going to happen at the base. The entire rest of the field ceases to matter at that point. There is even a school of thought, among some VERY high level umpires (multiple Divison 1 College World Series appearances) that you don't even need to watch or pay attention to the throw anymore, just focus on the base.

And I can assure you that D in your example does not involve a 135 degree path to the runner, as that is default position on a play at 1st in every mechanics manual at every level of softball in the world, and everyone teaches that as the optimal position to take the call.



A pulled foot, bad throw, or swipe tag can ruin your angle on nearly any play from virtually any position on the field. There is no spot that is immune to this, where you can see everything with crystal clarity. This is why you need to be cognizant of the changing play and be prepared to adjust your angle accordingly, as the play develops.

You're failing to grasp my argument for reasons that aren't clear. The base is a point. There is no such thing as an angle to the base. You can contend that any of the four angles which are symmetric about the base lines give the same view. I don't really care though it seems unlikely to me but it is interesting and might be right. But what you cannot do without being analytically wrong, is to contend that geometry dictates you are right because the angles are the same. As I've shown, it does not. (I mean analytically wrong in the formal sense here.)
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