metal vs molded

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May 7, 2008
2
0
Estancia NM
What is your opinion or thoughts on the new rule allowing HS player to wear metal which is best. is there and advantage

the best explanation for not is if girls play club ball molded is best because asa and usssa dont allow them so why make the change
 
May 7, 2008
8
0
I do not know for sure which is actually better, but I will say that I am still playing some softball at the college level, and I got my first pair of metal. I love them, the pair I found is so light, and my traction is a whole lot better.
 

FastpitchFan

Softball fan
Feb 28, 2008
465
0
Montreal, Canada
There is no right or wrong. It depends of how you look at it.

Safety perspective - not a good rule; it is more dangerous.

Performance perspective - a good rule; it makes you faster and quicker.

It depends of the philosophy of the league and the overall feeling about it.

Personally, I am in favor of it because I think you stand more chance of getting hit by a ball or getting injured because of a hole in the ground or tore an ankle sliding into a bag that doesn't move than getting injured from metal cleats.

However, there has to be ZERO tolerance for attempts to injure opponents with cleats.

My opinion.

Marc
 

Ken Krause

Administrator
Admin
May 7, 2008
3,911
113
Mundelein, IL
I'm against it. The quality of fields at the HS level varies too much to justify metal cleats. If they stick on a bad field a knee or ankle can get torn up.

The other thing about it is that the quality of players varies a lot more at the HS level. You don't worry about the experienced players. You worry about the inexperienced ones with little control. Without trying they can wind up spiking someone due to poor technique. When I took Tae Kwon Do I never worried about getting kicked in the knee by the higher belts. It was the beginners who worried me -- and did the most damage.
 
May 7, 2008
4
0
Binghamton, NY
ASA is going to start allowing metal at 18U and I believe 16U either this year or next. This topic came up at our complex the other day and I don't remember exactly when the rule goes into affect. (My DD plays 14U so I did not actively participate in the conversation.) I know there are those who argue that metal gives better traction thus reducing injury from slipping, etc. Then there are the other concerns that have been listed here. I'm still undecided at this point.
 
May 8, 2008
9
0
Pennsylvania
We got a pair at the beginning of the season and were only wore twice. M is a pitcher and felt they dug in to much and was uncomfortable wearing them. The other night we played Williamsport and as you enter into their complex at Elm Park there is a big sign. "NO METAL SPIKES". They may be legal but it seems you better stick to rubber until they are accepted. Metal anyone?
 
May 5, 2008
358
16
Like Ken said, it's the inexperienced ones that are cause for worry (not that experienced players can't get hurt).

Quality of fields is definitely something to think about. I tore up my ankle pretty badly wearing metals because of a lump in the outfield grass. Not fun. Maybe keeping a pair of non-metals would still be a good idea in case you play at a field where wearing metals isn't worth the risk. Then again, not a lot of high school players can get their parents to buy them 2 pairs of shoes for one season.

In Hawaii they didn't go with allowing metals for the season, but for some reason they decided to allow them for the state tournament. I don't know why you would make a switch DURING a season like that, but that's what they did.

Sometimes our head coach told our kids was that the allowance of metal cleats is going to change the way he makes decisions on what players he keeps and what players he needs to cut. Metal cleats do create a safety issue for everyone to be aware of and consider.

I'm always on my middle infield to clear the base path when turning their double plays. Probably stems from my own experience in playing with metal cleats, now that they'll playing with them too, I'm glad I've been on them so much to clear that base path.

Marc, I like your zero tolerance idea.

Personally I'm for using them. I loved them so much more than rubber cleats once I got to use them....plus, baseball boys get to use them. I feel girls are just as capable. I always felt it was unfair that they boys got to use them and we couldn't. However, as a coach, it's definitely something that we'll have to address as far as safety goes and something we'll be responsible for teaching our players so that we reduce the risk of injury.
 
not a fan

I think a big problem with implementing metal spikes into the high school level is that there are a lot of players at that level that to be honest, are not very serious players. I have seen a lot of high school players that just play to do something or because their friends play. These are the girls that are going to get hurt when they play the serious player that now is armed with metal spikes. A serious player goes into second to break up a double-play,and if the second baseman or shortstop does not grasp the concept of getting out of the way, you might a hospital trip on your hands. I feel the spikes should be kept at the college and pro levels only. At that level, you hope that players understand what they are doing and know how to avoid spike injuries.
 
May 5, 2008
358
16
At that level, you hope that players understand what they are doing and know how to avoid spike injuries.

There IS certainly a safety issue involved. However, I do believe that fastpitch softball players are just as capable of "understanding what they are doing" as high school baseball players are. Usually your middle infield are not the ones that are out there just to socialize.

Then again, there is also a great variance from one league to another as far as level of play. Each should make it's own decision. For example, in Hawaii, it might be a better idea to approve metals for the DI division, but not for the DII division. Like I said in my post, our head coach said that use of metals is going to change his decision making process as far as what players to keep and what players to cut. Of course, not all high schools have that situation where they have twice as many players trying out as positions available.

Bottom line is that IF metals are approved in the league you coach in, the responsibility falls on you to prepare the girls and train them as best you can for playing in or against metal cleats. Even at the college level injuries happen (in the college world series even), so skill level ALONE is not what causes (or prevents) injuries.

I do admit there is increased risk, but I guess coming from the league of play I'm involved in, I do believe the players are fully capable of playing relatively safely. It's definitely an issue that's tough to blanket the whole country under as far as whether it's a good thing or a bad thing.
 
May 7, 2008
8,506
48
Tucson
We wore metal in ASA up until approximately 1980. I don't know why they changed.

I prefer metal because some rubber cleats have little to no grip.

Boys don't gripe about wearing metal and you won't find many boys wearing the rubber cleats. I guess LL probably still requires it, though.
 

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