Catchers helmet/added concussion protection

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Jun 19, 2012
306
18
Hey all video below is a shot my DD took while catching this weekend.
She caught a foul ball off the facemask(hockey style). Boombah brand gear.
Never complained about headaches double vision etc. Only complaint was that her jaw hurt. To be certain she went through concussion test and past the test.
https://youtu.be/mka-f78KCaQ

Was wondering g if anyone uses something to "deaden " the blow or reduce impact.

Have looked at several different types of products

1 Unequal SOLO supplemental padding
2 2nd skull
3 Force 3 catchers mask
4 Traditional catchers mask.

Looking for some input thoughts and suggestions.

Thanks
 
Oct 1, 2014
2,219
113
USA
Eric F has done significant research here and I'm sure he'll chime in soon. Additional/Replacement padding with the newer technology padding is a great idea and should be seriously considered (I'm guilty of dragging my feet here). You may also consider a mouthguard such as the BrainPad (or similar) which absorbs impact from being transmitted up through the jawbone (think of a knockout, upper cut punch in boxing). I understand possibly not wanting to use something like this full time but as a follow up, precautionary step after taking a hit such as your DD endured.
 

#10

Jun 24, 2011
398
28
909
A helmet's design can play a role on how it absorbs impact. My DD has caught for close to ten seasons and taken dozens of foul balls in the mask. She says her All Star mask absorbs the blow better than the Schutt she currently uses, due to the location of the facemask mounting screws being on the side of the helmet. This design allows a bit more "give" than other masks mounted directly to the front of the helmet.
 
Apr 16, 2013
1,113
83
I think the Force 3 helmet is a pretty good jump in tech. We have the older helmet and it's a massive step ahead of basic masks. She's take shots straight off the cage and said she barely felt it. That force 3 is on my Christmas list for my DD.
 
May 24, 2013
12,461
113
So Cal
Catcher's helmet design is an issue I've looked at very closely since my DD took a hard foul tip to the forehead 2 years ago, resulting in a concussion that had her out for 6 weeks. After that incident, I went the route of adding improved padding to her Easton M10 helmet, using a trimmed Unequal Gyro football helmet liner in place of the stock thin comfort layer. My DD commented that things were much better with the new liner. However, last December, she took another hard foul tip to the forehead. The concussion was more mild than the previous time, but it resulted in a few weeks on the bench. Recently, she switched to an Easton Mako II helmet (a change in color was the biggest reason), and we moved the Unequal padding layer to the new helmet. 2 weeks ago, she took yet another hard shot off her forehead, and is out of the game for a few weeks. Something has to change.

The design issues with the Easton M-series, Prowess, and Mako II helmet are the forehead mounting points for the cage, the layer of rigid EPS foam, and very little soft material to allow the head to travel while impact forces are being absorbed and dispersed. The Unequal padding helped, but it's not enough for this helmet design.

Easton has a new Pro-X catcher's helmet (https://www.easton.com/baseball-equ...KSILVER&cgid=baseball-catchers-helmet#start=1) that is about to hit the market which addresses the cage mounting point issues, and uses a much better combination of padding materials, including a layer of Poron XRD which is great stuff for this application. It looks like they did a really good job putting thoughtful design into the helmet. Unfortunately, it's not available right now, and I need something right now.

Yesterday, I received the new Force3 Version 2 helmet (https://www.force3progear.com/defender-hockey-style-mask-2.html). It is easily the most protective catcher's helmet on the market. The cage is mounted on springs at the temples and chin, and extends upward to cover the forehead. This means that all of the hits my DD took would have hit the cage, where the energy would have been transferred away from the forehead, being absorbed by the springs. Additionally, the padding is 3 layers of varying-density foam. The downsides are that it's a bit heavy, and it looks a little different due to the extended cage. My DD hates the way it looked in the pictures, and seems to have already made up her mind that she won't wear it. I think it looks much better in person, but she hasn't seen it yet. I also ordered the youth size (my kid has a small-ish head), but I don't know if it will fit her.

I have also ordered an All-Star helmet. Our previous attempts with this helmet were cut short because she didn't like the way it fit. My intent is to remove the soft internal padding, add a layer of Unequal material inside the shell, and then replace the soft padding, making whatever adjustments I need to make it fit her head in a way she is comfortable with.

My DD hasn't had any concussions that have been so significant that she has lost consciousness, or had her coordination or balance compromised, but these little bumps add up. It will break her heart if she has to give up catching, but if we don't get something better figured out, that's the road we will be heading down.
 
Last edited:
May 24, 2013
12,461
113
So Cal
A helmet's design can play a role on how it absorbs impact. My DD has caught for close to ten seasons and taken dozens of foul balls in the mask. She says her All Star mask absorbs the blow better than the Schutt she currently uses, due to the location of the facemask mounting screws being on the side of the helmet. This design allows a bit more "give" than other masks mounted directly to the front of the helmet.

The forehead cage mounting points are a pretty big deal. All-Star was the first to make a change, but others are following, including the Wilson Pro Stock and the soon-to-be-released Easton Pro-X.
 
May 24, 2013
12,461
113
So Cal
Hey all video below is a shot my DD took while catching this weekend.
She caught a foul ball off the facemask(hockey style). Boombah brand gear.
Never complained about headaches double vision etc. Only complaint was that her jaw hurt. To be certain she went through concussion test and past the test.
https://youtu.be/mka-f78KCaQ

Was wondering g if anyone uses something to "deaden " the blow or reduce impact.

Have looked at several different types of products

1 Unequal SOLO supplemental padding
2 2nd skull
3 Force 3 catchers mask
4 Traditional catchers mask.

Looking for some input thoughts and suggestions.

Thanks

That's a pretty hard shot. I'm glad she's okay.

FYI - A traditional catcher's mask (separate mask and skull cap) is not approved for softball.

EDIT: This is the one that got my DD last December...https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=FgHxDoSuyTM
 
Last edited:
Mar 4, 2018
24
3
NorCal
My DD is currently using a Wilson Shock FX 2.0. The padding isn’t the best but it’s taken a blow straight back and she didn’t feel anything at all. You can hear the difference on impact. Bballmonkey still has some A5520 sm/med navy’s on clearance.
 
May 24, 2013
12,461
113
So Cal
My DD is currently using a Wilson Shock FX 2.0. The padding isn’t the best but it’s taken a blow straight back and she didn’t feel anything at all. You can hear the difference on impact. Bballmonkey still has some A5520 sm/med navy’s on clearance.

The Shock FX2.0 was a great helmet - one of the best ever. It's really too bad that Wilson discontinued it, but it goes along with a lot of other bad decisions Wilson has made.
 

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