Head Injury Reduction/Prevention

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May 24, 2013
12,461
113
So Cal
No one wants to see this happen to their kid...


This resulted in my DD's second concussion in the past 7 months from the same thing - a foul tip to the helmet (edit: she is now clear from the concussion). This also happened after she out-grew her Wilson FX 2.0 helmet and moved to an Easton M10. Maybe the change in helmet was a coincidence, but the more I looked at it, I think the helmet was probably a contributing factor.

I started looking at helmet shapes, padding materials, and cage-mounting methods used in the construction of some of the masks out on the market. The more I did, I realized that the Easton M10 has some issues...

https://i.imgur.com/n95VHv5.jpg
https://i.imgur.com/3CfGgRM.jpg

Padding - The M10 padding consists of a layer of fairly rigid EPS foam, and a thin, removable "comfort" layer (approx. 1/4" thick). This is very similar to what you would find in a bicycle helmet. It does great for minimizing the potential of a skull fracture, but comes up short (IMO) in providing meaningful impact protection for this kind of application. In comparison, the Wilson Shock FX 2.0 has a much deeper layer of softer material which will allow the head to travel a some distance inside the helmet shell while decelerating. All-Star also uses a softer padding material. Schutt uses a multi-layer padding technology that they borrow from their football helmet lineup. (Unfortunately, my DD hated the way both of those helmets fit her head.)

Cage Mounting - The typical method of mounting the cage to the shell is with 6 screws - 2 at the forehead, 2 at the temples, and 2 at the chin - rigidly connecting the two sections. The downside of this is that impact forces to the cage are directed very quickly to the shell, especially to the forehead. A couple of manufacturers have mitigated this issue. All-Star moves the forehead mounts around to the side of the shell, and includes a flexible mounting point, allowing some movement between the cage and shell on impact, reducing impact forces transmitted to the head. The Wilson was exceptional - spring mounts at the sides, and flexible mounts at the forehead and chin.

Shape - Comparing the M10 with the Wilson, the forehead slope of the Wilson is laid back more, which will create more of a glancing blow in many situations, further reducing impact forces. All-Star's forehead slope also seems to be pretty laid back. Schutt appears about the same as Easton.

Since my kid really likes the way the Easton fits her, I started investigating ways I might be able to make improvements to the level of protection she was getting. Short of tearing out all of the padding down to the bare shell (which I considered), I decided to make improvements in the softer padding layer between the rigid foam and her head, using materials designed for impact absorption and dispersion.

Here's what I came up with...

https://i.imgur.com/M2J1wAu.jpg
https://i.imgur.com/9fG6Ym6.jpg

Grey layer - 1/8" Shocktec Air2Gel (shocktec.com) - forehead and temples
Green/black layer - Unequal Technologies Gyro football helmet liner (unequal.com) - forehead, temples, top


I am currently looking into ways to create some flexibility in the cage mounting screws. I have an idea. I just need to source the parts.


Through all of this, one thing became really clear...The Wilson FX 2.0 helmet was exceptional. Damn you, Wilson, for trashing yet another piece of great gear.
 
Last edited:
Sep 29, 2010
1,082
83
Knoxville, TN
Wow! Looks like that shook her pretty bad. Hope she gets cleared quickly. DD uses an LS youth helmet, as her head is really small. While the padding is just a fairly dense shock absorption foam, it has protected her well over the years. Her HS pitcher and former travel teammate who throws a great low rise, has caused DD to take a couple dozen of these hits over the three years they have played together. We’ve never had any concussion issues with this helmet, even though it doesn’t “look” as nice as some of these others with dual density padding. Maybe she has just been lucky, but she won’t wear anything else and we have tried several. Have you searched to find any helmet studies? I may try to this evening.
 
May 24, 2013
12,461
113
So Cal
She got past the impact in the video in a couple of weeks. The first one (in June) took her 6 weeks to get cleared.

IMO, A big part of it is just luck on how/where the ball hits the helmet.
 
Jul 29, 2013
6,782
113
North Carolina
Sorry to see that Eric, happens in way less than a blink and there's nothing she can do about it! Hope she gets cleared fast with no lasting effects!
 
Feb 12, 2011
7
3
My daughter has been catching since 9 years of age and she is playing in college as a catcher. We bought many catching helmets over the years, different brands, colors, etc. I have raced motorcycles and snowmobiles, and have crashed more times than I care to count. One thing I have learned after pulling my face out of snow and dirt after crashes is that if your helmet does not fit properly, it really hurts. When it comes to catcher helmets (baseball/ softball) if the helmet does not fit the person's head correctly it really won't matter how good the padding is. All these helmets are designed to spread the load out upon impact and to deflect the to lessen the impact. My personal opinion parents should check how well the helmet fits the forehead, and does the chin pad fit properly. My daughter has had many foul tips like Eric's daughter, and has been fortunate to not have any concussions. My best advice is to make sure the catcher helmet fit your kid's head to the best you can make it. Every brand is different so find what works for you. The All-Star brand works really well for my daughter, it deflects the balls quite well with the shape of the cage, and this helmet fits her head quite well. Yes, we had to make a few adjustments.
 
May 24, 2013
12,461
113
So Cal
My daughter has been catching since 9 years of age and she is playing in college as a catcher. We bought many catching helmets over the years, different brands, colors, etc. I have raced motorcycles and snowmobiles, and have crashed more times than I care to count. One thing I have learned after pulling my face out of snow and dirt after crashes is that if your helmet does not fit properly, it really hurts. When it comes to catcher helmets (baseball/ softball) if the helmet does not fit the person's head correctly it really won't matter how good the padding is. All these helmets are designed to spread the load out upon impact and to deflect the to lessen the impact. My personal opinion parents should check how well the helmet fits the forehead, and does the chin pad fit properly. My daughter has had many foul tips like Eric's daughter, and has been fortunate to not have any concussions. My best advice is to make sure the catcher helmet fit your kid's head to the best you can make it. Every brand is different so find what works for you. The All-Star brand works really well for my daughter, it deflects the balls quite well with the shape of the cage, and this helmet fits her head quite well. Yes, we had to make a few adjustments.

Very important point, and thank you for bringing it up. Proper fit is absolutely critical, and is the very first thing to pay attention to.
 
Nov 18, 2015
1,585
113
Ever since my roommate, shortly after college, showed me I was wearing my bike helmet incorrectly, it’s ironically become a pet-peeve of mine to watch kids ride by with their helmets on, but tilted up with so much of their forehead exposed, they may as well just wear a ball cap. As my buddy pointed out, you rarely fall backwards off a bike.

Back on topic - glad to hear Maddie is back in action.

Santa just brought me a Force 3 Defender (http://www.force3progear.com/product/defender-mask/) mask (It may have been the inspiration for the Wilson FX). I’m surprised how stiff the springs are - thought it would have a little more give. Will be trying it out in FL in two weeks - product review to follow.

They make a hockey style mask as well - no idea if intermediate sizes are available, or how they fit, as I only bought the face mask.

Lastly: +1 on the fit, which includes the padding resting ON the chin (many kids will want to wedge their chin ABOVE the padding).


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk
 
May 24, 2013
12,461
113
So Cal
Ever since my roommate, shortly after college, showed me I was wearing my bike helmet incorrectly, it’s ironically become a pet-peeve of mine to watch kids ride by with their helmets on, but tilted up with so much of their forehead exposed, they may as well just wear a ball cap. As my buddy pointed out, you rarely fall backwards off a bike.

Back on topic - glad to hear Maddie is back in action.

Santa just brought me a Force 3 Defender (Defender Mask – V2! – Force3 Pro Gear) mask (It may have been the inspiration for the Wilson FX). I’m surprised how stiff the springs are - thought it would have a little more give. Will be trying it out in FL in two weeks - product review to follow.

They make a hockey style mask as well - no idea if intermediate sizes are available, or how they fit, as I only bought the face mask.

Lastly: +1 on the fit, which includes the padding resting ON the chin (many kids will want to wedge their chin ABOVE the padding).


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

I spent over a decade racing bicycles. I completely understand the sensitivity to correct bike helmet fit and positioning.

I'm aware of the Force3. I'm considering purchasing one, but haven't pulled the trigger yet.
 
Feb 19, 2016
280
28
Texas
I'm so sorry that Maddie took one to the head like that again. I hope all is well, and I'm glad she's clear.

The concussion thing is so scary for DW and I that we avoided even looking at Easton, because people on this forum had mentioned that they'd seen more concussions with Easton brand helmets than with other brands. Just a statement like that from experienced DFP'ers without any supporting evidence was enough to get us to steer clear. My DD loved her Shock FX2, and the DW was excited to buy it just based on the design to try prevent concussions. We have been very disappointed with Wilson's decision to discontinue the line.

I'm glad you're taking a proactive approach to solving the situation. Keep us updated on your progress.
 
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