Message board »Message Board home »Sign-in or register to get started
Online now: 1 member: TABLE SETTER 11; 190 anonymousDetails for HJ
Real name:
Location:
, OH
Division:
Men's 70
Messages posted by HJ »Message board home »Start a new discussion
| Oct. 8, 2014 HJ | Topic: Rules of the game Discussion: Play at the plate I have trouble understanding how a 3rd baseman can interfere with a runner who has crossed the commitment line and is running toward third. Smart base runners in a rundown can often cause interference by going right at the person who just threw it over his head if the thrower doesn't move quickly out of the way. In this case I just don't see it as applicable because returning to third wasn't an option once the comitmemt line was crossed. |
| Sept. 29, 2014 HJ | Topic: Bats Discussion: New 52/275 balls I was told by an individual who is instrumental in the development of SB products that since these balls are softer they don't compress the senior bats the way a 44/375 would and therefore there is no advantage to a composite bat's slingshot effect with these softer balls. |
| Sept. 26, 2014 HJ | Topic: Bats Discussion: the new bat "Nightmare" Grayhitter's comments were fine with 1 caveat. If he has a financial interest in the nightmare (he intends to sell them) then he should disclose that. If he has no financial interest, then I don't understand what the problem is. We all want to hear about new products and how they perform and hold up. |
| Sept. 7, 2014 HJ | Topic: Bats Discussion: senior softball bat You don't always swing a heavier bat slower. If you are strong you may swing the same model at the same speed at the lower weights and only fall off bat speed at the higher or highest weight. Theoretically and assuming all else is equal, you should use the heaviest bat until the next higher weight caused a decrease of bat speed. |
| Aug. 18, 2014 HJ | Topic: General and miscellaneous Discussion: West Coast Aftershock - Maybe I'm missing something. You guys are all complaining that the 44/375's don't perform in the heat. You are right: they 375 compression goes way down for each degree over about 83 I think. The 52/300 doesn't lose compression so in the heat it performs better. Incidentally I am told a really chilled ball, takes about 3 hours to get back to ambient temperature. So a chilled ball could feel ok on the outside and still be chilled on the inside. We are randomly testing the 52/300's. Unfortunately, in a game today in our older division a baserunner was knocked cold by a thrown ball and taken away by EMT. It was a 44/375. As my post above makes crystal clear, if hit in exactly the same way with a 52/300 the damage to him would have been less. Our best player took a 44/375 on the finger and was ineffective for the rest of the game. There is more to the discussion than perceived ball speed off the bat. Restated: the 44/375 can easily crack skulls and the 52/300's can't. |
| Aug. 15, 2014 HJ | Topic: General and miscellaneous Discussion: West Coast Aftershock - I guess no one here cuts and pastes links so I will insert the language here. The real issue is that altering an already dangerous ball by chilling it made it more dangerous. Simply put by chilling it you create more ball speed off the bat. The ball at the pitcher or 3rd baseman is more lethal since it is going faster. I don't get it why anyone wants to use balls which encourage cheating, rapidly break bats, encourage shaving bats and make effective infield play more difficult. I'm done. Here is the language that is in the link and draw your own conclusions. Oh, as I have said before, perhaps "senior" softball should have 2 divisions- one for 60 and older and one for under 60 with different rules and balls. .52COR/300 Compression Softball COR and compression in relation to an impact injury. COR is the ability of a ball to rebound COR is the ability of the ball to rebound away from the impact area. The lower the COR, the higher the impact therefore when a player gets struck by a lower COR ball, the impact drives into the body instead of wanting to rebound away from it. When a ball drives into the impact area it is transferring the energy into the impact, creating a much more severe impact. Compression is the hardness of the ball When high compression and lower COR are combined, the impact rises to a point that it is beyond severe levels. The harder the ball the less flex it has on impact. An impact of a .44/375 ball has the initial impact of about the size of a quarter. Now the force of the ball is transferred into the impact that spot. The ball does flex somewhat after the initial impact but the damage has already occurred. High COR balls A high COR softball will reverse direction much quicker on impact lessening the force transferred to impact spot. By the ball rebounding away from the impact spot the damage is reduced by a great deal. Compression Now lower the compression with a high COR ball and you now have an impact spot is about 2 times the size of a low COR ball. That means the energy that gets transferred does so over a bigger area lessening the force dramatically. Think of having 2 hammers. They both weigh the same but one is a ball peen hammer and the other is a roofing hatchet. The ball peen hammer has an impact spot no bigger than the head of a nail and the roofing hammer has an impact spot the size of a half dollar. Which one would has to strike a hard surface like a skull harder in order to break it? Or take a ball made of metal (hollow of course) and a tennis ball. Both the same size and weight, which one would you rather be hit by? Scary Part I Severity Index (SI) is the measurement of the impact on a National Operating Committee on Standards for Athletic Equipment (NOCSAE) http://www.nocsae.org head form. Anything above 1200 SI can kill you. Anything close can kill you. During my testing using an American Association for Laboratory Accreditation (A2LA) http://www.a2la.org accredited NOCSAE approved test facility we performed head form studies. These tests were performed on NOCSAE head forms and impact data collected through force load transducers. .44/375 softballs were constantly testing above 1800 SI. Many tested above 2400 SI. And some tested as high as 3600 SI. Now it is proven that SI’s above 1200 will break the skull and or cause severe brain trauma. This is unacceptable in recreational sports. Now the high COR balls using the same test and the same facility yielded impacts of less than 500 SI, we tested the balls at different weights and none of the ball that were within an approved spec tested above 500 SI that we tested. I also tested a couple of .50/525 balls and found the less dangerous than a .44/375, still way above the 1200 SI. Peak G’s is the G force that the Brain can take before you have severe brain trauma. 180 peak g’s will cause a severe brain trauma. Anything below 170 is acceptable. With the new balls they tested around 157 to 165 balls at 165 are not being made by me or anyone else unless their ball fails the specifications. I did extensive testing on different weights. As long as the balls are made at less than 6.7 ounces they will pass the peak G’s no problem. So a brief review we can make a ball that is safer for play. Keep 300 foot fences in play and not lose the home runs. Have a ball that is much less sensitive to cold or heat, and allow softball players to go out and have fun like we used to do without the fear of dying every time a ball is hit at them. Scary Part II NOTHING is safe traveling at you at 100 MPH, even a tennis ball can kill you if it hits the exact spot at the exact time. But this ball is much safer than what we have made in the past. Nose, fingers, and other bones can still be broken but the skull structure will be much less affected by this ball than before. |
| Aug. 12, 2014 HJ | Topic: General and miscellaneous Discussion: West Coast Aftershock - Duke, nice to see an open mind. Resort to implies having only bad options and picking the least bad choice. I actually think this is a win-win on many accounts. Critter, I note you are a Californian. My guess is the demo was done in CA with beautiful 70 degree weather. Many of us play spring games in the 50 degree range and summer games which can be in the 90's. In extreme weather the 52/300's are clearly better. I agree the sound stinks but so what. I believe the "dead" sound psychologically puts these balls at a disadvantage. Did the hitters at the demo know what they were swinging at before the pitch? If so the demo was run incorrectly. They should have been pitched identical looking balls and randomly pitched 44/375's and 52/300. If they knew the 52/300 was coming they would swing differently because they "knew" it was crap because it sounded like crap. We all swing heavy bats in the on-deck circle because the bat then "feels" lighter. Science has proven that swinging a lighter bat before your at-bat actually promotes faster batspeed when it counts. Our subjective feelings often lead to bad conclusions. Even if the 44/375 gives marginally better performance, (which I don't concede) I still think it is wrong to use it based on the clear risks involved. I am amazed that the insurance companies haven't stepped in. Read the link referred to above and see if you still think using the 44/375 makes sense. |
| Aug. 12, 2014 HJ | Topic: General and miscellaneous Discussion: West Coast Aftershock - Duke, why not just change to the 52/300 so a shaved bat gives you no advantage? Why not use a ball that doesn't become livelier when chilled and which will actually outperform the 44/375 in the heat? In addition it will make playing infinitely safer. http://www.gosoftball.com/52cor300-compression-softball/ |
| Aug. 12, 2014 HJ | Topic: General and miscellaneous Discussion: West Coast Aftershock - I have been studying softballs for my rec league. I do not know why the senior leagues are still using the 44/375 balls, but I think the reason is greed and the sale of senior bats. The 44/375 can crack skulls the 52/300 can't. The 44/375 works by indenting the bat so a trampoline effect is achieved. The 52/300 works by the rebound effect. Temperature affects the 44/375 severely. A chilled 44/375 can attain a compression of 600. 44/375 is deadly and more deadly if chilled. Conversely, over 80 degrees it loses compression so it is really dead in high temperatures. It loses more compression as the temperature gets higher. Doctored bats which are springier, do not work on s 52/300 so shaving is a nonissue with the 52/300. The 52/300 does not make the crack sound when the ball is hit. Hitters think the ball is not going far because they don't hear the crack. The distance on the 52/300 is comparable to the 44/375 and hits better than the 44/375 in high temperature. Perhaps most interesting, the 44/375 doesn't bounce when a grounder is hit, it hugs the ground making it very difficult for infielders to backhand the ball and make the throw. The 52/300 is bouncier so infielders are fielding more balls higher up and making more plays with less chance of injury. If you want science and facts about the danger of the 44/375, read this link: http://www.gosoftball.com/52cor300-compression-softball/ |
| July 15, 2014 HJ | Topic: Bats Discussion: Ball For Break-in I just was gifted a doz. .44 400 softballs. I want to break-in a new Miken, 1-piece red maxload. I know the recommendation is to use .44 375 balls for break-in. Are the 400's Ok to use for this purpose? |
| July 14, 2014 HJ | Topic: Rules of the game Discussion: Courtesy Runners from the plate Omar, our league is competitive. You are probably nicer than I and I probably take league play too seriously. That said, in our league I see the courtesy runner abused so it actually becomes a tactical benefit. If the rules were changed so the substitute runner arrived about when a slow able-bodied runner would, I would have no problem. |
| July 12, 2014 HJ | Topic: Rules of the game Discussion: Courtesy Runners from the plate We have a similar rule. The above scenario has happened to us twice this season in league play. The line was inserted so as not to confuse fielders respecting who is running to 1st base. I believe the effect of crossing the line in our league is the batter is out and all runners return to where they were when the play started. Incidentally, the runners are always running too soon and it is never called because the ump is looking at the mat. Nancy, it is caused by a senior moment coupled with years of trying to get a fast start. The same guy on our team did it twice. I like the runner starting way back and like the ball, although our league will never do either. I personally believe there should be no runner for the batter. Isn't getting to first slowly part of the game for some hitters? Alternatively, if you can't run to first you should be required to be the catcher or right fielder, no the shortstop, etc. |
| June 24, 2014 HJ | Topic: General and miscellaneous Discussion: Hitting What bat do you use for BP. Do you use your bat? Do you go heavier or lighter? Do you use a non-game bat but one which approximates in weight and balance your game bat? In meaningful games do you do you use a different bat in different situations? Do you go lighter in long tournaments? I personally am coming to the belief that you should use the same bat for BP and games and have 2 going if 1 breaks. ?????? |
| June 17, 2014 HJ | Topic: Bats Discussion: Bat Weights & Bat Doughnuts I did read the link and watch the video. Although the science is not persuasive I did notice something for both the golfer and the BB hitter. It seemed that their timing was slightly off after using the heavier bat or golf club. For those of us who are challenged to make consistent good contact, it seems to me we should never use a heavy bat during the season and in fact should probably have 2 or more of the same bat to use for BP and games. I recall that Ted Williams was fanatical about his bats and would reject any new bat which was slightly off in any way as to weight or conformation. That said I believe weight training and a batspeed program using different weight are probably both beneficial during the off season. By the way the link and video both do point out that the bat does "feel" lighter after the heavy bat swings and also points out that how it feels is totally irrelevant. I have seen good fielders make throwing errors early in the game after warming up with a heavy ball. |
| June 16, 2014 HJ | Topic: Bats Discussion: Bat Weights & Bat Doughnuts This is the link to MM's batspeed program: http://www.bigcat844.com/increasing_bat_speed.html His site also has other specific pages of softball advice including weight training. I didn't see any advice of an on deck routine, but I might have missed it. I think whatever makes you feel comfortable and relaxed is best for you on the on deck circle. All muscles are in pairs so the muscles which fire the swing must be warmed up and flexible. Likewise the muscles which "stop" the swing must be relaxed. Personally, I just swing my game bat as fast as I can and concentrate as if a ball were being pitched so my eyes are on the imaginary ball as I swing. |
| June 15, 2014 HJ | Topic: Bats Discussion: Bat Weights & Bat Doughnuts I believe Mike Macenko has on this site set forth his program. By memory it involves swing your regular bat and then 1 8 oz or so heavier and 1 8 oz or so lighter. It is a regimented program with specific amounts of reps. The theory is that the light bat activates the quick twitch muscle and then the brain "remembers" the feel of that swing and the other bats develop the strength to swing the regular bat that fast. I bought a SKLZ bamboo bat which is about 1" in diameter about 16 oz and most importantly is 34 inches long. Its real use is hand eye with small wiffle balls, but I use it for fast twitch. Does the whole think work, probably does help some. |
| June 12, 2014 HJ | Topic: Bats Discussion: Bat Weights & Bat Doughnuts Alan, thank you for your very interesting post. I note that Salt Stick is exactly as you describe and it is probably perfect for people doing extended activities in oppressive heat. I note that what you describe in your post is extreme heat prostration and electrolyte depletion. I believe this condition is highly special and your approach makes total sense for it. I believe however that the "pickle juice" post may have been dealing with a different issue. Many suffer from cramps at night or cramps which just appear during the day. These are idiopathic but real. For this type of cramp the pickle juice, vinegar or mustard does provide immediate relief. If my memory is right, I recall reading that in marathons more runners are in life threatening condition because of drinking too much water than from being underhydrated. I believe this is caused by too little sodium because of over hydrating. Your input on how to balance hydration properly may be of interest here. Thank you. |
| June 11, 2014 HJ | Topic: General and miscellaneous Discussion: Pickle Juice Mustard works because it contains lots of vinegar. I have also used it when out of pickle juice and it works. |
| June 10, 2014 HJ | Topic: Bats Discussion: Miken Ultra II TOC Limited Edition Senior Softball (ULTTOC-UII Slow Pitch Chick, I received my 26 yesterday at the 160 price. I just read your post and found that they only have 28, 29 and 30 left and are now selling them for 200. Very sorry. Chick, my email address is posted in my profile on this site. I can't find your email address on your profile. If you email me, I will email you the site. You may be able to call them and negotiate a price better than the 200 posted price. Incidentally, is it ok to break in a new TOC at a batting cage using machines which throw the solid pimple softball? Thank you |
| June 10, 2014 HJ | Topic: General and miscellaneous Discussion: Pickle Juice I like science and believe in science. This article: http://well.blogs.nytimes.com/2010/06/09/phys-ed-can-pickle-juice-stop-muscle-cramps/?_php=true&_type=blogs&_r=0 really explains this. It demonstrates that it is not the salt in pickle juice which does it. In fact, in the actual test, pure vinegar stopped the painfully induced cramps faster than pickle juice. The study suggests that it is not dehydration but muscle exhaustion which causes cramps. I think proper hydration before and during exercise stops exhaustion, but based on the study, dehydration itself doesn't cause the cramps. ( They actually tested intentionally dehydrated volunteers.) Read the article and draw your own conclusions. |
