How important is the leap?
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- Feb 5, 2010
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I'm not sure what happened with this thread but is very simple. While the stride foot is in the air, the drag foot must not leave the ground. Once the stride foot hits the ground, the drag foot can leave the ground. You must never have both feet off the ground during a pitch. I think we should take it upon ourselves to rename the L and D to stride and drag and leave the word leap for IP. I have never run into a problem in LL if there is a good drag.
halskinner
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- May 7, 2008
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Ken, I hope you realize there are instructors out there that teach that the 'leap and drag' pitching style is illegal because there is a rule against 'Leaping'. It is part of their lame-brained sales pitch for the particular sad step style they teach. They also claim that step style is the ONLY one that is legal and has safe mechanics. There is one in Wisconsin that does this and if he gets on this board he will have many of us breaking out the tar and feathers REAL quick.
One of the posters on this thread sounds very reminiscant of that guy. Hard to tell when they get to be anonymous when they post their inane rantings.
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One problem I have encountered over the years is some coaches (but usually bleacher parents) who are not familiar with the exact and full wording of the pivot foot drag rule. My DDs travel team plays in mostly ASA tournaments so I have quoted that associations rule in this thread. Most of the other associations have similar wording. Per the ASA rule the pivot foot does not need to be in contact with the ground when a hole has been created only level with the plane of the ground. I have played on some fields where you can lose a kid in the hole created in front of the pitcher plate by the end of a tournament. Even though my DD has been taught to drag when the hole is very pronounced she will take advantage of the rule and drag level with the ground. This gives some uninformed people the perception that she is leaping. Even with 3 umps on the field and coaches challenging she has never once been called for an IP leap, hop, crow, etc...
As to the original thread the stride and drag is very important. Over the past 3 months my DD has increased her normal stride distance by 6 inches and that has added 3 - 5 MPH to her base speed.
ASA Rule 6.3.K Pushing off and dragging the pivot foot in contact with the ground is required. If a hole has been created, the pivot foot may drag no higher that the level plane of the ground.
Could someone cite the reference for the above rule. I have read the ASA rulebook several times and I do not see where it states that as soon as your stride foot hit the ground your pivot foot can leave the ground. I am under the impression that the pivot must be on the ground throughout the pitch, until release of the ball? Please correct me if I am mis-informed.
As explained to me by a friend of mine that is a D1 college ump. I will paraphrase , there is no rule that states the pivot has to be in contact with the ground at release. He says when you read the "leaping" definition it says both feet being airborne. not one foot being airborne, is an illegal act.
- Nov 29, 2009
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The name you're looking for is "Ground Power." I found a web site that had it on there. All I could say was OMG as I was reading. There is a guy by us who teaches it. I've had several of his former students who all had sore shoulders.
Oh yeah, Hal, I know exactly who that is. I can't believe anyone believes his BS, but some people do. Believe me, I'd be right there with the tar and feathers. He still owes me money from when he folded his magazine. Although as it turns out he probably did me a favor. Still, money is money.
But I've noticed the pitching forum starting to get a bit more heated. I think hitting is finally under control, so I don't want to see another set of issues and hard feelings crop up.
A couple of points:
1) since the rules specifically state that the pivot foot must be on the pitching plate during the pitching motion but can drag forward along the ground, it is implied that the pivot foot should not be leaving the ground until the pitch is released. The reason the supplemental rules address "leaping" is they wanted to distinquish between two different types of illegal pictches: a) crow hopping (where the pivot foot pushes off the ground twice) and leaping (where both feet are off the ground).
2) even if you are correct that "the pivot foot can leave the ground as long as the stride foot is planted"; why would you encourage this technique? Its my understanding that the pivot foot is important for three reasons a) initial push off from the plate b) acts as a "rudder" for balance as it drags along the ground; and c) helps drive the hips closed right at release. If the pivot is off the ground when the stride foot is planted, it cannot help you achieve "b" and "c".
