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Balloons


Tksjewelry
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I wouldn't suggest one. A buddy and I went in 50/50 on one a few years ago for a tournament that was 2 weeks long in the middle of the summer and we were doing 6-8 games a day for 14 days straight in 105 degree weather. Worked great for staying cool but the down side was the youger kids tend to throw the bat and I had one go over the balloon and hit me in the collarbone. Haven't used it since.

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I haven't used one in years, but hung onto it...kind of like my skinny ties, maybe it will make a comeback. Agree that it doesn't look as professional these days, and cuts down on your movement a little, and your arms and hands are very busy (you've got to choreograph getting your mask off and into your left hand, along with everything else), but if the question was does it protect enough, the answer is unequivocally yes, as some have already said! You can get it right under your chin, and your arms and hands and pelvis are fully behind it. The thrown bat over the shoulder someone mentioned is a pretty freak thing, more likely a bat is gonna plunk you in the elbow, which the balloon would nicely protect against. Plus, if you react quickly enough and are holding it properly, you can kind of use it like a shield and fend such things off! There are reasons to not use it, but it could be good under the right circumstances and I think probably gets more abuse in amatuer ball than it should.

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I wouldn't suggest one. A buddy and I went in 50/50 on one a few years ago for a tournament that was 2 weeks long in the middle of the summer and we were doing 6-8 games a day for 14 days straight in 105 degree weather. Worked great for staying cool but the down side was the youger kids tend to throw the bat and I had one go over the balloon and hit me in the collarbone. Haven't used it since.

 

I'm having trouble picturing how this could happen with a properly worn baloon, and how an iside protector would be any better in this situation.

 

I haven't used one in years, but hung onto it...kind of like my skinny ties, maybe it will make a comeback. Agree that it doesn't look as professional these days, and cuts down on your movement a little, and your arms and hands are very busy (you've got to choreograph getting your mask off and into your left hand, along with everything else),

 

You just take the mask off with your left hand, just like you do with an inside protector.  That part is no different at all.

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Well, that's not how I was taught to use it. What I did I'm pretty sure was this...left hand holding middle balloon strap and indicator, after ball is hit, remove right arm from strap, take mask off with right hand, stick mask in left hand behind the balloon, so that hand is now holding the balloon strap, indicator, and mask. Now the right hand and arm is completely free for making calls, and you're still hanging on to the balloon. If you're not, it flops around and you really can't run with it. (all this nostalgia is gonna want to make me pull it out!)

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That's wrong.

 

Put your hands through the strap from the inside, so that if you just stand there it hangs on your shoulders.

 

Now wrap your hands from the outside "under" the straps and grab the little handle with your left hand and pull the protector up to your chin.  Both hands / elbows tucked behind the protector.

 

Your right hand is free to signal strikes.

 

When the ball is hit, your left hand lets go of the handle, comes out from the back and grabs the mask.  At the same time, your right hand is pulled back from under the strap, so  the balloon is now only on the left shoulder.  With only the left hand, or maybe iwth the right hand giving it a little push, tuck the protector under your left arm / on your back.  You've got the indicator and mask in your left hand, the protector under your left arm, your right arm is free, the protector isn't flopping around....

 

You would't want to run a marathon (or heck, even a 5k) this way, but you can quickly and easily make ti the 90' or so you need to.

 

(And, there are probably better ways to describe this)

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You would't want to run a marathon (or heck, even a 5k) this way, but you can quickly and easily make ti the 90' or so you need to.

 

And be careful of the now free right shoulder strap, which can be tripped on as I found out wayyyyyyyyy back in the day.

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There is one guy in my area who still uses one; he's a complete dweeb and highly annoying. Has been officiating several sports for years and has never worked varsity games, mostly because he's a fairly lousy umpire/basketball official/football official although he thinks he's fantastic. He's also the only guy I have blocked on Arbiter. 

 

I used a balloon when I first started because I used the equipment provided by the league I worked in; I got my own stuff after one year. I will say this, there isn't a single inside protector on the market that's as protective as a balloon. It gives you great protection; however, I wouldn't wear one. 

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I wouldn't suggest one. A buddy and I went in 50/50 on one a few years ago for a tournament that was 2 weeks long in the middle of the summer and we were doing 6-8 games a day for 14 days straight in 105 degree weather. Worked great for staying cool but the down side was the youger kids tend to throw the bat and I had one go over the balloon and hit me in the collarbone. Haven't used it since.

 

I'm having trouble picturing how this could happen with a properly worn baloon, and how an iside protector would be any better in this situation.

 

I haven't used one in years, but hung onto it...kind of like my skinny ties, maybe it will make a comeback. Agree that it doesn't look as professional these days, and cuts down on your movement a little, and your arms and hands are very busy (you've got to choreograph getting your mask off and into your left hand, along with everything else),

 

You just take the mask off with your left hand, just like you do with an inside protector.  That part is no different at all.

 

With an inside protector if fitted properly you collarbone is completely covered all the way across. Now I don't know if I was technically using the ballon correctly as I only had about 5 games of experience with it when I got hit with the bat and I haven't ever worked with anyone who used one before that point. Either way it was enough to make me not want to use it again.

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