Cleats

Need some input. DD is a pitcher and has been wearing Ringor Diamond Stars for 3 years now (no, not the same pair!). Have started seeing alot more Tanel 360 Rev-D's at the tournaments. Anyone have an opinion on the Tanel Rev-D's? How do they hold up to a pitcher's drag? What about comfort and durability? Any insight or opinions would be appreciated.

 

Tanel Cleats

The pitching toe won't come off. The pitching toe is on both shoes.
Tanel cleats, come with or without pitching toes, and are a light shoe with a solid sole that was designed by an ex-football player to take the stress off of your ankles and knees.

If interested in seeing a pair, please PM me and I can pass on the information.

 

Shoes for pitchers

Understand that the stress on pitchers' lead foot is unlike any other in softball. While super light shoes may feel good initially they may not provide the same stability as the Ringor. If your DDs mechanics are good she's generating a lot of force during her drive phase and her plant foot is then absorbing this force while landing @ 45 degrees to her power line. She needs a good, solid shoe to protect her foot. If the Ringors are working and her feet are healthy I would leave well enough alone. My DD developed a foot stress fracture last fall (because of college conditioning program, not pitching). These things are frustrating and painful. I would not risk it.

 

Additonal comment

Not meaning to cause a fuss, but Tanel was designed that way in order to reduce the stress without the weight of the shoe like Ringor.
I have talked to many pitchers that converted to Tanel and have really liked them.

Might be a good thing to talk to someone that has worn them before.

I guess it is all in the eye of the beholder.

 

agreed. talk to those who have worn them.

note: pitchers shouldnt be planting the lead foot(hard) anyways, bounce on the ball of the foot and drive the rest(arm and hip) thru.

 

You'd better study some video

You're idea of a "bounce" and rotation sounds "pretty" it does not reflect the reality of the biomechanics involved. Most power pitchers are "leapers" (few girls can actually throw 65+ without leaving the ground but that's another story). I agree the ball of the foot contacts the ground first but that is followed very quickly by the heel. Ideally, there is some flex in the lead knee to absorb force but many very good pitchers lock the knee. This is especially true of rise ballers attempting to keep their center of gravity back to create the body position conducive to creating the proper release point. The opposite for some drop ballers who, dangerously, fall toward the batter in their attempt to "get over" the ball. Some of these girls finish a completely defenseless position and are a line drive away from facial reconstruction. Their pitching coaches should be ashamed!

 

Tanel or Ringer?

I personally think the Tanel is the better shoe. About 3 years ago I was looking for a shoe sponsor for my travel team and so I talked to both and compared the shoes head to head. I chose the Tanel because of the overall design and weight. They have been great. I liked them so well that I was the first dealer to pick them up in NC and now that's the only shoe I sell.

 

My DD has been using the Tanel Rev-D hightop for a year and a half now and will wear no other shoe.The sides come up higher than a regular hightop,yet they still weigh less than a Ringor low shoe.Her fastball is in the 62-64 mph range,she does not leap and has never had ankle problems with this shoe.She got a full year out of her last pair and she drags her toe hard.I highly recommend this shoe!

 

I have to echo this comment. My DD loves her Tanel. She has used them solidly for 10 months as a pitcher and the shoe shows very little wear on the toe or sides. The shoe is "pre-broken in" with a molded in cut were the foot flexes around the toe sides and she never felt like they had to be broken in. Great cleat!

She wore out two pairs of Ringors before these and never liked the "cluckiness" of that cleat

 

Thanks for all the great input! In reading the replies, I have come up with another question for the board members regarding cleats for a pitcher. What is your opinion on high tops vs. low tops? My daughter has always worn low tops but has experienced some ankle pain and soreness in the past. Will the high tops add additional support to help avoid this? Will the high tops affect running speed or lateral movement?