Took a pretty good pounding at DD's last pitching lesson. Pitching lane is dirt, but plate is on a thick mat, so there is about a 1" lip about a foot in front of the plate. DD threw fairly well, but had wild streak in the middle of the lesson. I can keep my legs safe if the lip isn't there. Because of the lip, I'm protecting the face and the legs got hammered. Thinking about swallowing my ego and gearing up some. How far do you guys go with gear?