borderline pitches

[EsqUmp]

Originally Posted by gr8fuldiver

Along the same lines as this thread....I have a habit of calling low strikes. I try to keep my head still, have been told by others watching me that I put my head at a good height (just above the catchers head (but in the slot)), and try to follow the pitch into the glove. But for some reason, I still have the habit of calling pitches low. I would appreciate any and all the help I can get. There has to be someone out there who has had the same problem that found a way that helped him/her correct this error. Is there a "trick" I can use to help me get into the habit of being able to tell the pitch is low? It's really frustrating because I honestly DO give it my best effort, but seem to ere in this area.

Thanks in advance....

Many umpires tend to track pitches as a batter would. They get an initial read of the pitch and make their minds up too early, since this is what batters need to rely on to determine when to swing. Umpires have the luxury of being able to take substantially longer since they aren't swinging a bat. Make sure you track the ball all the way into the catcher's glove. Even if you do that, make sure you aren't making up your mind beforehand anyway. The odds are if the majority of the ball is crossing the majority of the front knee, then it isn't catching the back knee.