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MadMax/Schutt XV retrofit


BT_Blue
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So an odd twist happened this weekend, @BT_Blue. At a complex hosting a series of games for the USSSA's MLK Tournament weekend, there were four games about to start. 4 PU's, and half of them were wearing Schutt XV's (yes, I was one of the two). I didn't want to sidetrack my colleague from stepping onto his field on time, but I noticed, and hinted at, that his stock XV wasn't fitting him well. It hung down like a shop apron, exposing more of the clavicles than it should, and just looking bulky up front. This colleague is a recognized fixture in our group, calling a lot of games on behalf of USSSA. So, I figured on giving him a hand with fitting his XV and making his umpire life easier and safer. After our third game, I went back to the parking lot to changeover, and went looking for him... 

Instead, I passed by one of the other PU's cars, and lo-and-behold, what do I see in the trunk? Another XV! Thinking this was the first guy's car, I fished it out and placed it on the top of the pile of gear in the trunk, and looked around for the owner. The owner was not who I expected, so I remarked, "You've got a Schutt too?" "Yeah. Worst CP I've ever owned. I hate it." I began to counter, but as I started to speak, I went into designer / researcher mode, and asked, "What don't you like about it?" Picking it up, he replied, "It doesn't fit right, it makes me look fat... well, fatter than I am. That, and I took a shot with it and it hurt. I haven't worn it since, and it just sits in my trunk." I sized him up, and a thought struck me that he wouldn't be open to changing his mind regarding the XV, and any attempts at persuasion or convincing would be fruitless. "How much you want for it?"

Well, toss some cash out there, and I now have a little-used XV here, a bit neglected and abused from being left in the trunk of a car for eight months. With Arik's XV on its way here, I can use them both in the video review, and will have them retrofitted in short order.

The only thing better would have been to run across a Schutt rep or employee at this tournament and show him what's-what.

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I'm really looking forward to it.

My first clinic will be the veteran umpire clinic for my HS association. I imagine I will be the only one there with a Schutt. But the looks and questions should be fun. The next week is the Wendelstedt local clinic. Will see a mix of guys from LL to HS. That will be the true test of how many XVs there will be in my area.

Has @Stk004 shown you photos of his mods he did? I still haven't seen the final product.

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7 minutes ago, BT_Blue said:

I'm really looking forward to it.

My first clinic will be the veteran umpire clinic for my HS association. I imagine I will be the only one there with a Schutt. But the looks and questions should be fun. The next week is the Wendelstedt local clinic. Will see a mix of guys from LL to HS. That will be the true test of how many XVs there will be in my area.

Has @Stk004 shown you photos of his mods he did? I still haven't seen the final product.

Oh, I didn't send you the final pictures?

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37 minutes ago, BT_Blue said:

If one is inclined to believe the USPS tracking page. @MadMaxshould have my Schutt in hand.

At time of reading this (and posting a reply), MadMax does not have Schutt in hand; instead, MadMax is flat on his back trying to recover and allow his body to hastily repair the wear-and-tear that a 11-hour overnight shift at Big Rainforest warehouse afflicts him with... only to have to repeat the whole f#€king experience again in 6 hours.

This job is for fools.

I guess it's off to the mailbox...

... in a few minutes.

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@BT_Blue, your Schutt XV is now here as my visitor and guest. I like the box you sent it in... it's already starting to train and curve the shoulder arch plates. I'll get my supplies tomorrow, call in my sidekick (to work the camera), and see if we can knock this out this weekend!

@KenBAZ, if your phone rings, it's because I might need ya to work that camera if Teegardin ain't available. :cool:

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6 hours ago, MadMax said:

@BT_Blue, your Schutt XV is now here as my visitor and guest. I like the box you sent it in... it's already starting to train and curve the shoulder arch plates. I'll get my supplies tomorrow, call in my sidekick (to work the camera), and see if we can knock this out this weekend!

@KenBAZ, if your phone rings, it's because I might need ya to work that camera if Teegardin ain't available. :cool:

SO! Not only do I get a @MadMax retrofit. But I get it under the careful watch and and the cinematography talents of @KenBAZ!

I will have to give original credit for that to who ever originally packed it at Ump-Attire. They packed into a box with an All Star S7. So it was already starting to train itself.

Ken, what are your thoughts on the Schutt? We all know Max's. Was wondering about yours?

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Guys, I just picked up that you had reached out to me on this. Max's Schutt is as sweet a rig as you'll ever see. However I'm a Force3 guy. Max helped me get my version 1 readjusted after a dropped some weight and I won't wear anything else. I have 4 or 5 CPs at home and a WV Gold in the car as a backup but I haven't worn anything but the Force3 for the past 300-400 plates.

Sent from my SM-G935T using Tapatalk

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  • 3 weeks later...

I have the two "patient" XV's here, with all parts and materials, and all my tools ready to go. I even have a "script" jotted out, and have kinda rehearsed what I'm going to say in my review while I'm at work... on these overnight shifts at "Big Rainforest" Warehouse, while I'm doing the same activity for 10 hours straight.

The only holdup is locating and using a camera. My own camera may not give me the results I want because this the only model of DSLR that doesn't attach an additional microphone, and the audio pickup might not be good enough to give the clarity that I want in the review. Scott Kennedy established the base-root level of 2-minute Review. Now, I have to equal or surpass it. I certainly can with what my subject matter is – archaic Wilson vs. new modern Schutt. :fuel:

I hear ya, @BT_Blue, you need your rig back soon. I can assure you the mod takes me less than an hour to do, and as soon as it is done, it will be priority shipped back to you.

... and yes, I hope +POS takes inspiration from videos like Scott's and mine... I will be wearing umpire-esque slacks, an umpire shirt (or at least a polo), and I will not be wearing a hat backwards.

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Sounds like you need to get yourself a new camera. :lol:

I look forward to getting it back and hope you don't take my excitement as nagging or anything else. Just chomping at the bit to get to test drive my MaXV (still waiting on your approval on this name) and show it off!

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  • 11 months later...

No, as Max has been strapped for time and cash.

As I've received various umpires' CP's to modify, I tell myself I'll do a video... then I realize I don't have that GoPro or other camera with good audio pickup to do the video capture with... then to get the money to buy said camera, I have to work games and do design work... then I end up using that money to pay bills (having to outlay $500 for a deductible on my Umpire Vehicle after we got rear-ended by a 19-year old on her phone hurts), and get more gear, and pay for an Umpire Camp (will tell details later).

Then, the umpires invariably want their CP's back so they can start using 'em. :D

I'd like to coordinate with Warren ( @Umpire in Chief) in getting videos like this posted in the same format / style as his Quick Tip videos, perhaps posted under the same account. However, the more I do this mod, the more I realize that I can't just give this process away, especially when Schutt isn't exactly ringing my phone off the hook in trying to seek out my input and opinion on how to improve their CP.

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55 minutes ago, MadMax said:

No, as Max has been strapped for time and cash.

As I've received various umpires' CP's to modify, I tell myself I'll do a video... then I realize I don't have that GoPro or other camera with good audio pickup to do the video capture with... then to get the money to buy said camera, I have to work games and do design work... then I end up using that money to pay bills (having to outlay $500 for a deductible on my Umpire Vehicle after we got rear-ended by a 19-year old on her phone hurts), and get more gear, and pay for an Umpire Camp (will tell details later).

Then, the umpires invariably want their CP's back so they can start using 'em. :D

I'd like to coordinate with Warren ( @Umpire in Chief) in getting videos like this posted in the same format / style as his Quick Tip videos, perhaps posted under the same account. However, the more I do this mod, the more I realize that I can't just give this process away, especially when Schutt isn't exactly ringing my phone off the hook in trying to seek out my input and opinion on how to improve their CP.

Thanks Max. I totally understand.  I don't blame you for not wanting to help them (or give them it for nothing), when they won't take the time to reach out.  Your mod is a huge improvement over the yoke they provide. 

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On 2/2/2018 at 10:43 PM, chadozee said:

Is it true that Schutt is no longer making this CP?  I went to buy a new one, (my old one is fine, just has some cosmetic dings right where the logo shows) and the Schutt website showed them as discontinued.  

Not necessarily, @chadozee, but it may be possible. The website store lists them as "NA" or "Not Available", but if you were to click on just about any other product, you won't find an active store page for it. The entire webstore is likely down.

Manufacturers will occasionally do this as they are mitigating costs and inventory. They often need to turn their inventory over, and will outlay them to third-party vendors (such as Ump Attire, Sports Unlimited, etc.) so as to get their ledgers back in line so they can order another production run. It doesn't mean that the planform is ending or being retired. I mean, look at Wilson's CP's... those haven't changed in over 15 years, and are still priced on their own website at $200+!

Sure, the hope is they'll be updating the XV, with some design/planform adjustments... such as dropping that stupid poorly designed harness.

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On 2/5/2018 at 12:09 AM, MadMax said:

Not necessarily, @chadozee, but it may be possible. The website store lists them as "NA" or "Not Available", but if you were to click on just about any other product, you won't find an active store page for it. The entire webstore is likely down.

Manufacturers will occasionally do this as they are mitigating costs and inventory. They often need to turn their inventory over, and will outlay them to third-party vendors (such as Ump Attire, Sports Unlimited, etc.) so as to get their ledgers back in line so they can order another production run. It doesn't mean that the planform is ending or being retired. I mean, look at Wilson's CP's... those haven't changed in over 15 years, and are still priced on their own website at $200+!

Sure, the hope is they'll be updating the XV, with some design/planform adjustments... such as dropping that stupid poorly designed harness.

Schutt is still making it but using the trade name "Adams" for the CP. I bought one in October to replace the original Schutt CP made like it (whatever it was called.)  Even with the weird harness it fit me well, but Max might be seeing it soon too! .

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Waaaaaiiiitaminnnnnute...

According to that photo, @wolfe_man, I spy a... D-ring on the trailing edge of the shoulder arch plate. Thus, that means no sewn-on Y-yoke harness, and no need for my MaXV modification!

I don’t know whether to be relieved and jubilant, or saddened and slighted.

 

... and I don’t need any foo-foo bicep protectors.

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2 hours ago, MadMax said:

Waaaaaiiiitaminnnnnute...

According to that photo, @wolfe_man, I spy a... D-ring on the trailing edge of the shoulder arch plate. Thus, that means no sewn-on Y-yoke harness, and no need for my MaXV modification!

I don’t know whether to be relieved and jubilant, or saddened and slighted.

 

... and I don’t need any foo-foo bicep protectors.

It does look that way my friend. And I would say you be the former. Not the latter.

It will free you up to work on other projects you have bouncing around your brain.

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11 hours ago, MadMax said:

Waaaaaiiiitaminnnnnute...

According to that photo, @wolfe_man, I spy a... D-ring on the trailing edge of the shoulder arch plate. Thus, that means no sewn-on Y-yoke harness, and no need for my MaXV modification!

I don’t know whether to be relieved and jubilant, or saddened and slighted.

 

... and I don’t need any foo-foo bicep protectors.

I did that from my phone and didn't even notice that!  You're right. Hmm... now I'm curious how much of an improvement they made.

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