Weak Points

[poppyfor3]

How do you guys self analyze and improve the weak points in your game? I usually predetermine to work on one aspect that needs improvement, i.e. keeping my head still and tracking eyes only. When I over focus on this aspect, I believe that other parts of my game suffer. I relax between pitches and remind myself to see the whole picture, but inevitably revert to concentrating on the single task I'm working on. I do not ask my partner to observe as I feel this might take away from his game. Right or wrong? Should I just work on this for an inning or 2 and let it go? My goal is to strengthen my weak points to the point it is acceptable to me and becomes second nature and move on to another of my "failings." Would appreciate any help in this area.

[Mr Umpire]

I do not concentrate on that one area to try to improve it. What I do is do my normal game. Then, when I do what I am trying to break, I remind myself about it to say "I should/shouldn't have done that".

For example. I use to call "Dead Ball" when a batter got hit. After learning to call "Time", it was a hard habit to break b/c I had always heard "Dead Ball" and did it for a long time. So, batter got hit and I would call "Dead Ball". Then, thought to myself, I should have said "Time" and pointed the batter to 1B. I didn't concentrate on it so hard as to forget the rest of my game. I would just remind myself every time I did it to say "Time" after I had already called "Dead Ball".

It got to where I was calling "Dead Ball" and mixing in "Time" until now, I call "Time" every time so far since then. So, I say keep doing your normal game. But, when you do something you are trying to change from, simply remind yourself of how you want to do it. Then, it will eventually come without messing with the rest of your game.

[catoblue]

I'm with Mr Umpire on this one. I tried the "focus on one thing" method you described, and found the same problem you have found - too much focus on the one thing and it hurts my game. After getting bit a couple times on blown calls because I was thinking about whatever my thing-to-fix was at the time, I started using the "remind myself method" as Mr Ump describes, and it has worked. Now, don't be disappointed when you find that you don't fix things quite as quickly. The point is that you fix it over time without sacrificing other aspects of your game.

I've also found that my list of things to fix is remarkably similar to my "honey-do" list. Every time I get to where I can cross one off, I've added at least three more to the list!!!

[Stan W.]

How do you guys self analyze and improve the weak points in your game? .

I keep a game journal....its a simple columnar journal where I mark down the date, the teams, the fee, results, Partner and base or plate. I have a column marked down for comments...

I do a quick self evaluation of my performance and lean heavy toward being critical... A good game might warrant a comment of "remember to watch all touches" if I got a bit careless. If I had a bad game or some rule issue, its all marked down for followup and study....

I learned a long time ago that I did not learn anything if my partner and I walked off the field slapping each other on the back saying "good game"....

I also pick a game aspect to work on each year....I have usually taken it from a clinic criticism that I attended....(like timing, stance, focus, mechanics etc.. )

This year, I had a comment to maintain a consistent head height while calling pitches...I am lucky to have a fairly regular partner and this year also I had the opportunity to call with some very highly regarded officials...I asked them to note my head height several times during the game and to let me know how I did.....

you cant stop trying to improve your game.....

[Umpire in Chief]

I do keep a game journal and I do also concentrate on what I want to work on. This year one of my major areas of concentration has been when I'm in B and a pick off to first situation. My bad habit was just opening the gate to make the call. Now I nearly always make the correct jab step towards the 45 with my left foot then open the gate. I've really corrected this problem over the past season.

Once I feel I've completely niped that one I'll pick something else for the bases. Right now I think It would be not to over hustle and get too far ahead of the runner rounding first from the A position. I need to read the play and then determine if I need to be on the move to second. It's a bad habit I've developed since changing from the pivot to the glance. The pivot built in that timing mechanism.

At the plate I'm currently working on my timing, and next I will work on my happy feet in lower level games. Its strange but you give me a guy throwing heat from 60'6" I'm fine give me a kid from 45-50' and a 40 mph fastball and I am a Mexican jumping bean.