Velocity vs accuracy

[LEsoftballdad]

Too many horror stories of parents catching their daughter's pitching workouts and missing pitches and getting injured by the ball.

Warning on catching machine pitches~
Note that often the ball flying out of a pitching machine has a much higher rotational spin rate and that can be Troublesome if not prepared.




Be careful and wear a mask!

I wear full gear and still broke my toe.

 

[radness]

I wear full gear and still broke my toe.

Sorry to hear about your toe.

Did you learn where its better to put your feet when the pitch is coming in? Do you have any suggestions for others to avoid that happening?!!

( not getting beat up by the ball is one of the reasons I teach catchers to field dirt pitches, can control majority of dirt pitches and not have to get pummeled by them)

 

[LEsoftballdad]

Sorry to hear about your toe.

Did you learn where its better to put your feet when the pitch is coming in? Do you have any suggestions for others to avoid that happening?!!

( not getting beat up by the ball is one of the reasons I teach catchers to field dirt pitches, can control majority of dirt pitches and not have to get pummeled by them)

So, the pitch was a change-up. I was sitting on a bucket facing forward because all of my protection was designed for impact on the front of the body, not the side. Simply put, I just whiffed on the pitch. An inch lower, it bounces off the turf and into my mitt. An inch higher, it lands in the webbing of my mitt.

My recommendation for those of us still sitting on buckets is to get a pair of umpire shoes. I can no longer stay in a crouch for an entire bullpen session, so the bucket is the best option to save my knees. I see some of these bucket dads sitting on a bucket with their hard-throwing daughter launching all different pitches at them, and they're not wearing any protective gear or even a catcher's mitt. They must be nuts.

 

[radness]

So, the pitch was a change-up. I was sitting on a bucket facing forward because all of my protection was designed for impact on the front of the body, not the side. Simply put, I just whiffed on the pitch. An inch lower, it bounces off the turf and into my mitt. An inch higher, it lands in the webbing of my mitt.

My recommendation for those of us still sitting on buckets is to get a pair of umpire shoes. I can no longer stay in a crouch for an entire bullpen session, so the bucket is the best option to save my knees. I see some of these bucket dads sitting on a bucket with their hard-throwing daughter launching all different pitches at them, and they're not wearing any protective gear or even a catcher's mitt. They must be nuts.

How about maybe a lower bucket or like a one step stool to sit on where can reach the ground in front of your foot.

 

[LEsoftballdad]

How about maybe a lower bucket or like a one step stool to sit on where can reach the ground in front of your foot.

That's not a bad idea. Sitting on a bucket leaves your feet in a target zone that they wouldn't be if you were in a crouch. The umpire shoes should solve the issue, but they're not cheap.

 

[daywalkerdad]

I do not try to catch the ones on the ground. I move my feet out of the way. I am not for sure if this is viable at 60 mph or not.

 

[Jeffrey]

I do not try to catch the ones on the ground. I move my feet out of the way. I am not for sure if this is viable at 60 mph or not.

It gets harder to get out of the way at 60, but yeah, option 1 is definitely get out of the way - and I wear shin guards! Mask & chest protector outside as well, but on turf just the shin guards and a very strategically placed hand.

 

[radness]

So, the pitch was a change-up. I was sitting on a bucket facing forward because all of my protection was designed for impact on the front of the body, not the side. Simply put, I just whiffed on the pitch. An inch lower, it bounces off the turf and into my mitt. An inch higher, it lands in the webbing of my mitt.

sooo the change up threw you off and you whiffed...
did you know she was throwing a change up?

 

[LEsoftballdad]

sooo the change up threw you off and you whiffed...
did you know she was throwing a change up?

Yes, she was working on her change that day. Her change tends to break away from righty batters, so it went low and away and got my right big toe.

Full disclosure: I finished the bullpen session despite the throbbing pain.

 

[DonnyS]

I wear full gear and still broke my toe.

That had to hurt...I've bloodied a toe real bad and gotten a bone bruise on my shin. I now wear shinguards but still rock the flip flops. I just olé my feet out of the way on a pitch I can't stop. Not recommended, of course. But I've been thinking about adding a mask...another MPH or 2 and I think I'll have to. It's getting harder and harder to track the ball.