Jordyn Bahl

[Tatonka]

Leaping is just symptom of poor lower body mechanics. If you look at most any skippy, you will see that their mechanics are a hot mess. Barnhill was the poster child for someone who was able to overcome poor mechanics with raw athleticism. You can see this at most any high school or TB game. You will regularly see kids with a god awful swing mechanics who regularly hammer the ball. Most wash out as the level of play increases and out paces their athleticism. Some like Barnhill and others have the athleticism and go on to play at a very high level. But they are the unicorns. I cannot imagine anyone with a basic knowledge of pitching mechanics that would want their kid to take lessons from Barnhill, Bahl, or others. Would be interesting to see what some of them could do had they had proper instruction and developed truly great mechanics.

RB - please describe in a bit more detail what you see in Bahl's current mechanics (not pitches from a few years ago) that are so poor you call them a "hot mess" and a "determent to success"? If she was leaping everytime with the intent to replant then I could see that messing with her hips, knees and timing which would probably (even with her athleticism) detract from her speed, spot and spin but that doesn't seem to be the case.

 

[Rolling Hard]

You took my comments out of context.

"Not that leaping in and of itself is an advantage. It most certainly is not. But it does allow some pitchers to attain a personal level of performance that is not possible when they are forced to pitch in accordance with the rules."

I guess if you rationalize that playing outside of the rules, something many would describe as cheating is an advantage, then you are correct. But their mechanical deficiencies resulting in a leap are not an advantage. Simply put even if leaping were legal it would not provide the pitchers in question with a competitive advantage. Their poor mechanics are a determent to success not a pathway.

But their poor mechanics are succeeding and dominating?? I am not a pitching guru but leaping/exploding/replanting seem to me to be an advantage over dragging. If they allow leaping, imo, it will change instruction. Some will hold on to the drag (purist) but eventually (few years) almost everybody will be leaping for joy. And we may get more pitcher because it will be a more natural athletic movement.

 

[El Oso]

Leap is gonna be legal within 2 years in NCAA

Hey lookie here we got us a member of the NCAA Rules Committee!

 

[riseball]

But their poor mechanics are succeeding and dominating?? I am not a pitching guru but leaping/exploding/replanting seem to me to be an advantage over dragging. If they allow leaping, imo, it will change instruction. Some will hold on to the drag (purist) but eventually (few years) almost everybody will be leaping for joy. And we may get more pitcher because it will be a more natural athletic movement.

Yes, some skippies are successful, but not due to their mechanics but despite their mechanics. And yes once the leap is allowed at all levels and it will be, pitching instructors myself included will incorporate it into their teachings. But the teach will be along the lines of more leg drive/explosion off the rubber and a focus on getting out and generating more ground force. Not unnatural, forced opening resulting in the upward movement and the loss of some of the 4 points of resistance. The object of the exercise to to get all the force possible going toward the target, then generating resistance... Altitude may get you a closer release point resulting in a shorter TOF but the downward force is wasted.

 

[Tatonka]

Yes, some skippies are successful, but not due to their mechanics but despite their mechanics. And yes once the leap is allowed at all levels and it will be, pitching instructors myself included will incorporate it into their teachings. But the teach will be along the lines of more leg drive/explosion off the rubber and a focus on getting out and generating more ground force. Not unnatural, forced opening resulting in the upward movement and the loss of some of the 4 points of resistance. The object of the exercise to to get all the force possible going toward the target, then generating resistance... Altitude may get you a closer release point resulting in a shorter TOF but the downward force is wasted.

She appears to be generating significant ground force and is exploding forward (IMHO more than forward than upward) while keeping the knees and hip thrusting forward at just about ideal angles. Could she be polishing (an old cue) that big toenail more? Sure, but it beats dragging it like an anchor or having the toe turned back causing the hips to stay open and missing any brush. My guess is she'll be working on directing more of that force she generates outward (instead of the sometimes 2" upward gap) to further improve and reduce the leaping calls. I'm sure there is more video available that will show other examples.

 

[radness]

But their poor mechanics are succeeding and dominating?? I am not a pitching guru but leaping/exploding/replanting seem to me to be an advantage over dragging. If they allow leaping, imo, it will change instruction. Some will hold on to the drag (purist) but eventually (few years) almost everybody will be leaping for joy. And we may get more pitcher because it will be a more natural athletic movement.

Interestingly there are still pitching instructors in today's game (and coaches coaching today's game) that played back when being taught to Leapish was the norm.
(Other than myself)

In any case,
It will not be something new for instructors to have to deal with, other than now the possible decision of being able to LEAP or not
but like you said some people stick will stick to what they know While others will venture to something else

 

[NJSwampdragons]

 

[riseball]

Without question dragging is not conducive to better pitching. At some point I expect to be teaching no contact of the back foot to the ground until after the front foot makes contact. Currently I want to see just enough drag to be legal. The question going forward will be how much altitude. I believe that less is more. One result of allowing the leap may be the lessening of the canyon typically found in front of the rubber.

 

[Shiloh]

View attachment 25025

Air Jordyn

 

[tomorrow]

Without question dragging is not conducive to better pitching. At some point I expect to be teaching no contact of the back foot to the ground until after the front foot makes contact. Currently I want to see just enough drag to be legal. The question going forward will be how much altitude. I believe that less is more. One result of allowing the leap may be the lessening of the canyon typically found in front of the rubber.

Isn't this 100 percent legal for usssa and usa?