Member Video: Fittske24 behind the plate

[Fittske24]

Cajuncubsfan inspired me to post a quick clip of my plate work for you guys to dissect. It’s from last year’s USA Baseball Breakthrough series. In the clip you will notice the 2nd inn score of 13-1 so please don't critique the zone as it had gotten a tad bit wide, since the temp was 101 degrees on that fine July afternoon. Not much going on in this Half inning except a few strike outs. I'll look more on youtube to see if I can find a bit more action from the game.

http://youtu.be/d-3AavWjSWI

[JaxRolo]

Good Job.

I love the crisp Mechanics even on a Swinging strike.

[Umpete]

I remember watching a little bit of that game live on tv last summer, and then later learning it was you on the dish.

[Umpire in Chief]

First you look sharp!

Second nice mechanics on strikes and K3.

The only negative I have is your head height seems a bit low.

But Awesome, and we're glad you shared.

[JaxRolo]

I think we all know where are head should be. But we all know it does not always work out that way. Depending on batter and catcher set up.

[Guest]

First you look sharp!

Second nice mechanics on strikes and K3.

The only negative I have is your head height seems a bit low.

But Awesome, and we're glad you shared.

Its probably just the camera angle.

If the TV crew puts it on a platform just tall enough to see over the CF fence, usually it gives the perception that the PU's head is lower than it actually is.

[Fittske24]

First you look sharp!

Second nice mechanics on strikes and K3.

The only negative I have is your head height seems a bit low.

But Awesome, and we're glad you shared.

Ump24 nailed it. The TV camera makes it look worse than it actually is. Also the catchers durring this game moved around alot. The picture below is from the same game. It should give you a little better idea of my set up. The catcher in the photo is 6'7" I'm 5'8" on a good day :-) I can assure you I had no issues seeing the outside corners of the plate.

[johnnyg08]

Look sharp Fitts. Textbook stance!

[D62 blue]

you look solid back there !! very confident , considering the heat !!!

marc

[Thunderheads]

Flipping pure awesomeness! :D

[NWA_UMP]

Some guys have "borrowed" your image as their avatar..I will pay a bigger tribute to you and "steal" your k3 mechanic. The only issues I have are...I'm a lighter skin tone than you and I'm not as vertically challenged as you but that is one of the crispest moves I have ever seen...Thanks for sharing.

[sdix00]

I have this series on my XBox hard drive and had no idea you worked it. That's awesome. I went back looking for this exact game and couldn't find it, but I am sure I have it somewhere.

I love this stuff. I learned a lot in 4 minutes. Great post.

[Welpe]

Holy outside strike... but I know you already warned us about that one.

You look solid, good lock in and stone still watching pitches in. Good job!

[BT_Blue]

I think I watched some of this last year... probably right around this inning or so cause I remember turning it on and then changing the channel since it was a bit of a yawner. Wish I had known you were on the dish. Would have watched more.

[D62 blue]

i had my wife and son , come to my HS gm last friday and video tape . i have up loaded to my desk TOP . now i need to edit one of the better clips down , and will provide some entertainment for the group . maybe this weekend if time permits . i have watched most of the video clips , and noticed some minor adjustments i could make , for lack of a better word . stay tuned !!

marc

[Fittske24]

i had my wife and son , come to my HS gm last friday and video tape . i have up loaded to my desk TOP . now i need to edit one of the better clips down , and will provide some entertainment for the group . maybe this weekend if time permits . i have watched most of the video clips , and noticed some minor adjustments i could make , for lack of a better word . stay tuned !!

marc

Looking forward to it Marc!

[Texarkana]

I tell you what I noticed,

1- I know about 101 degree days and I would have been out in left field at the beer tent.

2 - Great mechanics.

[NoCal Blue]

Fittske...it's already been said but these are some of the most crisp mechanics I've seen. I love the lock-in and the K-3. I do have a question...the video looks like your using a GD stance..possibly modified. The still photo shows hands at the sides. Which one?

Great Job BTW.

Cheers,

NoCal Blue

[Fittske24]

Fittske...it's already been said but these are some of the most crisp mechanics I've seen. I love the lock-in and the K-3. I do have a question...the video looks like your using a GD stance..possibly modified. The still photo shows hands at the sides. Which one?

Great Job BTW.

Cheers,

NoCal Blue

That is my "On the rubber" starting position before I drop into my final position to call the pitch. At camps and clinics during cage sessions using pitching machines, instructors like to use the terminology, "On the rubber"...."Get set"...... Then they put the ball in the pitching machine. Some Guy's like to drop into their stance from a more up right or standing position. When I started out calling youth ball, I use to do this to. As I moved in to HS then into college ball, the pitching velocity was faster and I felt like my head movement was to drastic possibly causing me to miss some close pitches. So I decided to make my starting position a modified hands on knees set or GD stance then, I drop into more of a traditional box to protect my hands as the pitcher begins his delivery. This makes my head movement almost nothing.

[Welpe]

. As I moved in to HS then into college ball, the pitching velocity was faster and I felt like my head movement was to drastic possibly causing me to miss some close pitches. So I decided to make my starting position a modified hands on knees set or GD stance then, I drop into more of a traditional box to protect my hands as the pitcher begins his delivery. This makes my head movement almost nothing.

Fittske, just wanted to say that I tried this in the Colt game I worked on Monday and I felt it helped me quite a bit. The slight drop to fully lock in made it easy to watch the pitch in and my zone felt very consistent because of it. Thank you for this tip, it is much appreciated!

[Fittske24]

. As I moved in to HS then into college ball, the pitching velocity was faster and I felt like my head movement was to drastic possibly causing me to miss some close pitches. So I decided to make my starting position a modified hands on knees set or GD stance then, I drop into more of a traditional box to protect my hands as the pitcher begins his delivery. This makes my head movement almost nothing.

Fittske, just wanted to say that I tried this in the Colt game I worked on Monday and I felt it helped me quite a bit. The slight drop to fully lock in made it easy to watch the pitch in and my zone felt very consistent because of it. Thank you for this tip, it is much appreciated!

Glad it worked for you!