position and seeing the whole plate

[noumpere]

You guys are truly lucky to be in an association that offers cage sessions during the season. The only cage session we get is the one during our clinic right before season.

You dont' need your association to provide a formal cage session to get some review / help / feedback during the season.

Get together with some other umpires you trust (you'll need 3 others at least -- picher, catcher, umpire, observer) and work on stuff.

[Dragon29]

That diagram may be from AK - It's been floating around LL for as long, or longer, than I've been involved and is included in all of our annual handouts around here.

26101ump - As others have suggested, it sounds like you may be calling the pitches too quickly, but something others have not mentioned is the need to keep your head still - follow the pitch with your eyes only. If you move your head, your frame of reference changes causing you to call an inconsistent zone.

An informal cage session would be a great idea - work on following the pitch with your eyes only and all the way into the catcher's glove before making a decision about it. Notice I didn't say, "before calling it"? I tell every new guy I work with to slow down, slow down, slow down. When you reach the point where you feel as if you are way too slow, you may be close to slow enough.

[fbara]

I've also found it's helpful to have someone video tape me for a few batters or a few innings. I can see how I'm setting up and which calls I'm missing (which never happens, right?). I have my 13 yo son setup in center field, behind the fence, and video me similar to the view on MLB. He can get closer to direct center because he doesn't have any advertisements to show behind HP.

frank

[mstaylor]

Remember there is a section here to summit video for advice. If you can get some footage, put it up and maybe we can help.

[yawetag]

An informal cage session would be a great idea - work on following the pitch with your eyes only and all the way into the catcher's glove before making a decision about it.

Everytime I do machine-pitch work, my eyes have trouble following the ball. As far as I can tell, I do a great job on the field, but can't seem to do it with a machine. I think my problem is that the motions are completely different.

Anyone else have this problem?

[Umpire in Chief]

From camp and clinics I know what you're talking about. With a pitching machine even if they tell you the pitch is coming it's not the same thing as watching a pitcher work his delivery mechanics.

I think it is because you are watching the "barrell" of the machine waiting for the ball rather than seeing the whole picture. With a pitcher you never loose sight of the ball. With the machine you loose it for a split second as it fires then you are behind the pitch right from the start.