Flinching

[Jeff C.]

I need some help men. I have started flinching when the batter is swinging. I'm not moving my head, I don't think, but I am blinking and closing my eyes. I'm going to miss something on the swing and I will look like a fool. Anybody have any drills or tips that will help? I seem to do it mostly on pitches that are up and in. This is really starting to bug me.

[Umpire in Chief]

Ive heard everything from chewing gum to standing behind a fense and having someone pitch at you to get use to it.

The best advice I've seen has been on this site by bluebomber.

[carolinablue]

I do it too on the up and in pitch sometimes. I think it is because the ball is right in your face and it's a natural reaction, almost involuntary. I have never missed anything because of it. I don't blink, just flinch my head a little. I agree it's an irritating problem and seems to happen more in the upper levels with the better pitching and the ball just explodes in your face on that pitch.

Don't know how to stop it, it may be one of those things that takes years of experience to overcome. It's hard to focus on not doing it because you never know when it's going to happen.

[BrianC14]

I had a bad case of the flinches early in the summer season.

The fastest cure I found was to have my wife and daughter (5 YO) take baseballs, and, from about 5 feet away, throw them at your mask as your down in your stance.

That cured me very quickly. Focus on the ball as it comes in. FOCUS. Track it. WHACK.

The first few will likely cause some flinching, but as you sharpen your tracking and focus, it will stop.

They threw maybe 15 to 20 times at my mask, and I was cured. The wife thought continue, for some reason.... and suggested that removing the mask might help even more... my 5YO daughter was about to try that suggestion, but thankfully, we stopped her in time.

I worked the dish the next day, and had one of my better games (with respect to calling a consistent zone).

[mstaylor]

I've done it with guys with tennis balls. You can throw them progressively harder as you work on the blinks.

[BrianC14]

I've done it with guys with tennis balls. You can throw them progressively harder as you work on the blinks.

See, I don't think it matters how hard you throw them - my wife & daughter were just tossing them, really - it's just a matter of re-training the eyes to follow it all the way in and remembering/realizing that you aren't going to get hit in the face with it, that your mask will protect you.

My 'flinches' came after a game with a particularly bad catcher (at one point I remember asking him if I could use his mitt.... he asks, "Why?", and I said, "Well, YOU'RE not using it..." )

You could use marshmallows for this drill if you wanted to - it's all about mind over matter. ;)

[mstaylor]

I agree 100%. I think you find flinching more at the lower levels because the catchers don't catch it out in front of them. They catch it way closer to your face than they should, generally thinking they are doing a good job because you aren't getting hit. Instead hey are taking pitches away from their pitcher.

[Umpire in Chief]

I flinch worse at the lower levels, I just don't trust those catchers.

[Stan W.]

I dont know about you guys, but I seem to have a stretch of the yips and blinks every year.....not sure what brings it on or even what cures it..

used to think it showed up after taking a hit....but its never been that predictible...its happened at all levels...and for me it usually disappears as quickly as it shows up.....

[Jeff C.]

Thanks guys for the advice. I'm going to try the baseball toss at the old coconut and see if that helps. I'll have my son do it because I think my wife might enjoy it too much:) Got a game on Tuesday so I will do the drill before then.

[cstenz]

Ive heard everything from chewing gum to standing behind a fense and having someone pitch at you to get use to it.

The best advice I've seen has been on this site by bluebomber.

Thanks for referring that article...it's an interesting and common-sense approach to cross-train for seeing the zone.

I had a pitcher last night that I wanted to "shoot"...ha,ha.

[Balk Hater]

try and blink right before pitcher delivers that has helped me big time and keep in mind you usually have a protective mask on

[bassfam11]

Think I got this here but I am not sure. A fellow ump advised to try think of it like shooting a gun. Control your breathing, inhale before the pitcher begins his wind-up then exhale and hold steady during the release. It has helped me a number a times when the blinkies have come around. :HD:

Edited June 27, 2009 by bassfam11
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[gixxershane]

Think I got this here but I am not sure. A fellow ump advised to try think of it like shooting a gun. Control your breathing, inhale before the pitcher begins his wind-up then exhale and hold steady during the release. It has helped me a number a times when the blinkies have come around.

That is the article that UIC posted a link to from this awesome website ;)

[willv28]

Yeah, that happens to me too. Usually it's on the HIGH pitch, not necessarily inside. But the funny part is, usually if I flinch it means it's a ball quite often, lol. For some reason, when they're going to go over my head is when it happens most. Yet, I'll stare right at one that's hit me square in the mask...

[BrianDawn95]

'Bout 2 weeks ago working a LL Majors game, the hardest pitcher I'd seen all year was throwing seeds in there. Finally, on one pitch up, the catcher never even got close to catching the ball. That thing whizzed by my right ear like 1000 honeybees. I didnt flinch at ALL.

Two innings later - same pitcher and catcher - another ball is coming STRAIGHT at my face as soon as it leaves the pitcher's hand. The ball is getting bigger an bigger and catcher's glove is NOWHERE to be seen. Finally, I give in and bail out. I pull my head back and tried to step back, only I tripped a little. At that point, I fell backwards straight onto my butt, and rocked back and forth like a giant rocking chair. The crowd began laughing hysterically, so I did what any self-respecting umpire would do: I promptly removed my mask, faced the crowd, and took a bow. Mind you, these were folks I know very well, and I tried to make light of it, but I was ashamed at my mistake and vowed it would never happen again. Since then I have taken 2 balls straight into the mask and never flinched. A little shame goes a long way!!

Edited June 28, 2009 by BrianDawn95
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[evansgrad13]

Any of you guys read Bruce Webers "As They See Em' " he attended the Evans academy and Jim noticed he was flinching on his pitches. Jim rapped a baseball hard off his mask and told him "You have to trust your equipment,"so he set up a chair in front of him and started throwing baseballs at him harder and harder at about arms length and Bruce said that after about a dozen or so "I could track the ball all the way into my mask and absorb the blow without even blinking." If it's good enough for one of the greats it's good enough for me

[kwiggie]

I flinch worse at the lower levels, I just don't trust those catchers.

I agree!

Working PU behind a HSmen's league catcher is much more comforting then a LL catcher.

True story;

PU a month ago and took a direct shot to the mush... dead on, peelded the mask d@mn near off my head. No flinching as a result, not even worried. Couple of innings later took a shot to the cup in flight, untouched by the catcher. Head flinched like crazy for the rest of the game. What is that all about....?

When I get "flinchy" I try to relax and remind myself to "Trust Your Equiptment" as mentioned in previous posts. This helps me get through a rough inning or three, usually. However,This didn't help at all during the "cup shot" a month ago.

I am, going to try the BRASS system as an experiment tommorrow behind the plate, sounds logical.

[Umpire in Chief]

I admit I flinch, jump and have happy feet when the pitching and/or catching is bad. I can/do lock in when there is good catching.

But the number one rule about moving flinching is keep your equipment square to the pitch. I saw an umpire turn away from a high inside pitch, which wasn't caught then he got hit right behind the ear and he was wearing a traditional mask.

I haven't had any experiences that bad but know when I've been hit while moving it's because I've exposed myself. You have to protect yourself first.

In this blog I wrote about being behind an adult catcher who couldn't catch, and I got lit up. If you read the attached eval my evaluator mentioned it would have been nice to call him from behind the backstop. I did lock in even knowing I'd be hit there because my equipment would protect me and if I moved I'd expose myself.

It took about 2 weeks for all of my bruises from that game to go away.

[crazyaboutcoues]

I've been calling 12u USSSA for the last two months and early on I never got hit because I didn't move from my stance. I was used too the high school divisions where I rarely got hit. Then in one game I got hit twice, once in the noggin and the other on my hand (hurt like a mother). Now I get hit at least once every game because I bail out of my stance. Last week I focused on not moving no matter where the ball is coming and I never got hit. It was bothering me so much that my strike zone was being affected.

On Saturday I called the local HS aulmni game. At first I was flinching alittle because the ball is coming in the mid 80's:wow: BUT the catchers are WAY better. So I got back in my comfort zone by the top of the second inning.

It's a "Jedi" mind trick we just need to relax and just not think about the ball hitting us. sometimes it's very hard to do...

[rainier]

I've also do the soft-toss at the head thing. It works well. Just need to train your brain to trust that your gear will do it's job. I had to do it after getting a mild concussion from a fastball that the catcher seemed to just forget to attempt to catch. Worked well.

[mstaylor]

I've been calling 12u USSSA for the last two months and early on I never got hit because I didn't move from my stance. I was used too the high school divisions where I rarely got hit. Then in one game I got hit twice, once in the noggin and the other on my hand (hurt like a mother). Now I get hit at least once every game because I bail out of my stance. Last week I focused on not moving no matter where the ball is coming and I never got hit. It was bothering me so much that my strike zone was being affected.

On Saturday I called the local HS aulmni game. At first I was flinching alittle because the ball is coming in the mid 80's:wow: BUT the catchers are WAY better. So I got back in my comfort zone by the top of the second inning.

It's a "Jedi" mind trick we just need to relax and just not think about the ball hitting us. sometimes it's very hard to do...

I was working a men's league double last night. It was all good until the catcher complain about his arm bothering him. His manager replaced him with a kid that just graduated HS, good ball player, but as he goes back to get a couple of warm-ups he says, " You know I'm not a catcher." He was correct but he did a good job just on natural talent. :wave:

[MCLEOD36]

MS.

Those are the guys that are JUST BAD..... I still feel the best thing is tossing balls to the face (no Bri, not LIKE THAT), it relaxes you in time. The other thing is just refocusing, step the heck away for a couple of seconds if necessary and just recoup, that helps during gametime.....

[Nate]

I flinch worse at the lower levels, I just don't trust those catchers.

I hate working a lower level division game then doing a top division game the next day. It really screws me up. The lower the level the more horrible the catching is.. I did a game where the catcher didn't want to catch so he didn't catch anything and I basically had to dodge every pitch coming in. No so fun. Tonight I flinched a two times that I can think of and both balls were at my face and the catcher was setting up way outside.. If I didn't move on one of them I would have got hit in the head. But the other one the catcher caught.

Nate

[willv28]

I hate working a lower level division game then doing a top division game the next day. It really screws me up. The lower the level the more horrible the catching is.. I did a game where the catcher didn't want to catch so he didn't catch anything and I basically had to dodge every pitch coming in. No so fun. Tonight I flinched a two times that I can think of and both balls were at my face and the catcher was setting up way outside.. If I didn't move on one of them I would have got hit in the head. But the other one the catcher caught.

Nate

A couple of weeks ago I had minors BB, majors SB (lob pitching though), minors BB, majors BB on 4 out of 5 days. Surprisingly I wasn't too messed up by it.