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Don't worry, this is the extent of comparing my talent level with Kurt Suzuki. This is what I'm referencing: So last night I was in a high school varsity game. No super-stars on the team, I'm guessing pitches were in the low to mid 70's. Fast ball comes in high, the catcher completely whiffs it, and the ball hits my F3 Defender v2 right about in the same place as it does Suzuki in the video from the above link (just below the eye opening, and almost dead-center left-to-right). And darn if I don't have an abrasion and a bruise right where he did. Today I got my mask back out and I think I figured out why. The back of the bracket the springs are attached to is right behind the stitching of the padding, so there's essentially no padding there. It seems like if the mask gets torqued downward, the brace can hit your chin with very little padding. Don't get me wrong, if I was wearing my old Diamond with the memory-foam pads, I'd have probably had a concussion, but it's still frustrating that I got hurt wearing what should be the best thing on the market. Here are some photos I just took https://photos.google.com/share/AF1QipPAODLBoWknDserLMt52N7iiYM07uIMWYrTbd19sB2WxDZbF5r9PMEl1p0sbJGNYQ?key=aWhPUXdBWVhFVFRhWUJpNGVweW5YT3dLazIxZkN3 1) The bruise and abrasion on my chin 2) How the mask sits on my face (yes, I know the straps are twisted, I was just trying to show the positioning 3) A close-up of the brace and the padding (or lack thereof) in that location.

Looking for a used but in good shape F3 Hockey Style mask. Just don't have the money at the moment for a new one. The Wilson Shox that I am currently using needs new pads but I would spend half of a new mask to replace them most likely. Plus the headache of replacing them! Help a brother out!

I'm sitting in a Texas Roadhouse after calling 9 baseball games over the past 3 days in 117°+ Arizona heat, watching the Mets get shellacked yet again by the Dodgers, when I notice the camera zoom way, way, waaaaaayyyyy in on Travis d'Arnaud and the Force3 Defender mask he's wearing. Travis is new to the Defender TM, having previously used the Mizuno Samurai HSM. The Samurai is one of the most thoroughly padded HSMs on the market, but doesn't get enough play besides the sleeker, more sculpted All-Star System 7's and Easton M-series. With the camera zoomed in on the telltale, trademark springs of the Defender, I begin reading the closed captioning of the two ESPN broadcasters discussing the details of the mask, and how it is progressively suited to reducing impact force and the likelihood of concussions. The camera pans to show all three spring points, and even shows the profile shape, with the broadcasters pointing out the standoff distance. They go on to say several catchers in the league are now using it, and there is now a hockey-style version on the market (the Defender HSM). In a move of directorial brilliance (the guy in the truck should get an Emmy nomination), the camera then pans to zoom in on Lance Barksdale as PU for tonight's game... wearing a Wilson Titanium Low Profile... with Wilson leather wraparound pads... Sigh. Facepalm. The broadcasters then contrast the Defender TM against the Wilson TiLP, and how little protection it affords the umpire. Barksdale's nose is on the verge of poking out of the eyeport, and the mask is nearly flat on his face. One of the broadcasters laments, "I never saw the point of that mask". #TimeForChange #GetWiseOffWilson #OtherOptionsExist #HeadInTheGame

... and you better be on Ump-Attire.com buying a new CP!!! Really. $40. Forty Dollars and a few days of waiting on shipping it to you is all it takes to stop looking like a yutz, a schmuck or a doofus, and putting yourself at increased risk of injury. I was a catcher, and I used my ol' catcher's CP for my first year of umpiring... Forget it. Might as well wear a sheet of cardboard. Are you using a cheap softee-shell that you got from the local sporting goods store? Makes you look like a meatball? Pfffft... Donate it to the nearest tae-kwon-do or martial arts studio for use as a sparring vest, for all the good it'll do you in baseball. Own a DavisShield?... ... ... You may be beyond hope. That Champion Hardshell CP sitting there, offered by U-A, is the ideal entry-level CP. Hard plastic carapace, contoured body panels, segmented padded liner/vest, decent hardware, substantial shoulders, but no-where near as hulking as a WestVest nor as pricey as the better CP's. You don't need a sports car for the daily commute, right? You just need a simple, reliable hatchback or coupe for the daily drive to save up for and get the sports car someday! This is that commuter car. Heck, it even has a better harness than most of the other, more expensive CP's come stock equipped with! But don't stop there, I advise you... Get it, and with a few extra bucks, purchase a Flex-style harness for it. The Force3 Flex isn't bad; the All-Star DeltaFlex is good, but it only fits slim-to-average builds on a non-All-Star CP like this; but if you want to think serious, contact @Razzer and commission one of his ULFH "RayFlex" units. You can take it with you into that sports-car CP you'll one day get, and if you get it personalized (you should! Ray includes it in the cost), you're allowed to feel a little vain and self-serving at Christmas. And I better not catch you wearing Catchers' Shinguards either, mister! Those Champion shinguards offered on sale alongside the CP? Those will work swell. You'll actually be able to move in them without toeflaps and sideflaps flopping all out the bottom of your pants... Oh, and you'll actually be able to fit some good pants over them, because these are nowhere near as bulky as catchers' shinguards. Now, where is @gnhbua93 hiding so as to talk up the fact that U-A is offering the Force3 Defender V2 on sale, too?!!! PS- Go ahead and get the '15 All-Black Umpire shirt, especially at that price, if all you've got is that lone Navy shirt that some ol' codger in your association said "This 'ere navy one is all ya need!". Those of us with all the different styles of black umpire shirts (there are 4) won't mind. We'll work a game with you, no sweat!

Has anyone used the new force 3 mask? If so what is your feeling about it. Thanks Lefty

Just thought I would start a new thread on this mask instead of Hijacking the Mask Porn thread. After many years of designing, prototyping and testing, Force3 is proud to introduce the next generation of baseball face masks, the Force3 Defender. The Defender is truly an amazing technological creation that will revolutionize equipment forever. Independent tests conducted by one of the four independent National Operating Committee on Standards for Athletic Equipment (NOCSAE) approved testing facilities in the world, concluded that nothing comes close to the protection as the Defender. With virtually the same footprint of a traditional mask, the Defender’s patent pending technology reduces the Severity Index of most impacts by up to 50% in most cases. G-Forces were also reduced with impressive results. Tests included impacts by 70mph softballs (NOCSAE standard), and 100mph baseballs (results available upon request). Currently the Boston Red Sox and Atlanta Braves are early adopters of the mask, and have several within each organization. Features: - Lightweight tubular chrome alloy - Patent pending dual mask system with the Shock Suspension System (S3) built in - Single bar construction for optimal view - Unequal Kevlar lined padding - 4 different high-impact foam padding construction with special memory comfort foam on chin and sides - Powder coated for superior finish - Weighs less than 29oz. - Pads available in Black, Navy, Royal, Red. Will also offer Maroon and Green in the near future. - Includes nylon carrying bag ($9.95 value) - EXTENDED LIMITED LIFETIME GUARANTEE!!! We will replace, refurbish, or fix your mask after normal game impacts, up to 3 times within 5 years of purchase of your mask for only $99 each time. *Details available upon request, and included with every mask. 29 ounces seems a bit high