Throwing the mask off

[riseball]

If you are a mask off proponent, the next time you are at a hockey game and a goalie allows a goal, yell out, "Take off the damn mask. You'll see the puck better." See how many strange looks you get.

While I am not a mask off or mask on proponent - Next time you are at a grocery store put an apple in your right hand and an orange in your left hand. Note the difference.

I agree that taking the mask off may at times be counter productive. But it seems that some here would advocate never taking the mask off on a live ball. That is pure fantasy.

 

[Lenski]

If you are a mask off proponent, the next time you are at a hockey game and a goalie allows a goal, yell out, "Take off the damn mask. You'll see the puck better." See how many strange looks you get.

I'm with Riseball.....apples and oranges. A true apples to apples comparison would be for the catcher to not wear her mask as the pitcher is pitching to the batter. Nobody on this forum is advocating that.

 

[smddad]

Only Jelenicki knows what truly happened......

.....She was not confident; she was confused and unsure. This was not a fluke.

Please....contradict yourself some more.

 

[InsidePitch]

I see no reason to ever take it off. If you don't do it all the time you will probably mess up deciding I should take it off now. How does one practice and get familiar with when to take it off.

 

[riseball]

I see no reason to ever take it off. If you don't do it all the time you will probably mess up deciding I should take it off now. How does one practice and get familiar with when to take it off.

The reality is that there is a happy middle ground where the elite catchers live. They have learned through experience when to leave it on and when to chuck it.

 

[Lenski]

Please....contradict yourself some more.

What truly happened pertaining to actually tracking the ball the whole way.......you can still track a ball and be confused, not confident, and unsure of yourself. You just tracked the ball incorrectly. However, like I said before, it is my guess that she lost sight of the ball for a split second.

 

[Lenski]

The reality is that there is a happy middle ground where the elite catchers live. They have learned through experience when to leave it on and when to chuck it.

This statement is what most here do not, or refuse to comprehend. They live by the teachings of the NECC DVD, which I am sure is an excellent catching resource, and many here have stated that NECC endorses keeping the mask on in all situations. Since they consider the NECC DVD the bible of catching, it must be gospel.

 

[riseball]

This statement is what most here do not, or refuse to comprehend. They live by the teachings of the NECC DVD, which I am sure is an excellent catching resource, and many here have stated that NECC endorses keeping the mask on in all situations. Since they consider the NECC DVD the bible of catching, it must be gospel.

I have noticed the same thing. Interestingly some of them also see the Hanson Principle as gospel. You cannot have your cake and eat it.

 

[InsidePitch]

DD catches 50-60 games a year and feels she has no reason to take it off. Since I never caught being an old lefty, I'll defer to her. Last, seems a lot of the fields she plays on do not lend themselves to catching foul balls by the plate due to the over hang over the plate. Those out in front are better caught by the infield due to the spin coming down.

She never watched the NECC video and I suspect it's mostly dads who have sat through it.

 

[Il softball fan]

DD nor I have ever watched the NECC videos. She was a good catcher for her age at 12u/14u. Not what I would call elite by any means, but good. Scoliosis derailed her catching career, so I don't really have to worry about it much anymore. She does fill in every once in a while to give her current team's catcher a break. I was a proponent from an early age of mask on....always. DD started catching at around 10 years old. I was never a catcher myself, so it was solely for protection for DD's head/face. I am also a facemask on kinda guy for infielders. If dd was playing infield, mask was on. I really can't think of a play where a catcher would need to take off the mask. DD told me before that she got so used to wearing it and having it on, that it was not a problem to do any plays with it on. I look at it like this: most of the younger infielders around this area wear facemasks. How come noone yells at them all the time to "throw the facemask down" on pop ups??? In fact, I have never heard anyone yell that. She also got really good at ignoring all the people yelling at her to throw the mask down.