No advantage to leaping

People talk about "the unfair advantage of the leap". If there were an advantage, why aren't male pitchers leaping like crazy? How come the international pitchers aren't leaping?

The truth is that leaping creates no advantage.

Pitching is about momentum transfer. The pitcher gets the body going in a straight line toward the target, and then stops the body with her left side (for a right hand pitcher). If the timing is good, then the momentum that was built up is transferred to the ball. The key is to get as much of the body moving toward the target as possible. Pretty simple.

What happens to momentum if the pitcher leaps?

Let's assume a pitcher maximizes the distance of her leap. That means, she is leaping at a 45 degree angle.

Some of momentum the pitcher has created is used in launching the body up instead of forward. A pitcher leaping at a 45 degree angle will lose 30% of her momentum toward her target. That is a *lot* of lost momentum.

I believe that maximing the distance of a leap results in about a 5MPH to 10MPH drop in speed for a pitcher throwing 65MPH.

sluggers said:

People talk about "the unfair advantage of the leap". If there were an advantage, why aren't male pitchers leaping like crazy? How come the international pitchers aren't leaping?

The truth is that leaping creates no advantage.

Pitching is about momentum transfer. The pitcher gets the body going in a straight line toward the target, and then stops the body with her left side (for a right hand pitcher). If the timing is good, then the momentum that was built up is transferred to the ball. The key is to get as much of the body moving toward the target as possible. Pretty simple.

What happens to momentum if the pitcher leaps?

Let's assume a pitcher maximizes the distance of her leap. That means, she is leaping at a 45 degree angle.

Some of momentum the pitcher has created is used in launching the body up instead of forward. A pitcher leaping at a 45 degree angle will lose 30% of her momentum toward her target. That is a *lot* of lost momentum.

I believe that maximing the distance of a leap results in about a 5MPH to 10MPH drop in speed for a pitcher throwing 65MPH.

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Why would you make that assumption??

Out in Left Field said:

The men don't leap?!!! I agree that step style creates the same velocity. But as a batter, that pitcher gets on top of you, it makes it much harder to hit. Ask a 10u player....

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You mean men like Bill Hillhouse. Correct?

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=n_GNfa5RYyo

If only to eliminate the resistance from the drag of the pivot foot, and provide a greater weight transfer, how is that not a mechanical advantage?

I agree that leaping probably provides little benefit, but "replanting" would. If a leaper lands on her spikes vs. her toe, it is a crow hop and should be called an IP.

I'd have to say if there was a negative advantage to the leap, we wouldn't be having this conversation, as no one would be doing it.

JAD said:

I agree that leaping probably provides little benefit, but "replanting" would. If a leaper lands on her spikes vs. her toe, it is a crow hop and should be called an IP.

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Not sure where the original rule came from but I'm sure it's just easier to see no air under than foot than to try to determine if it was the top, side or bottom of the foot that came off the ground.


Just call the damn rules as they are written and there won't be any problems.

I seem to recall that there is a DFP member who lives in Australia. Somebody help me with her name. I would be interested in her opinion. Is leaping allowed in Australia for junior pitchers? Is so, does it give the pitchers a huge advantage? Are Australian pitchers faster than their American counterparts because they have the ability to leap?

The anecdotal evidence is all over the place. JJ's dd gains no speed when she leaps. Riseball's dd gains 2 mph. But nobody can cite any real evidence or study, and i wouldn't think it would be that difficult to collect data if the powes that be wanted to do so. I don't know. My untrained eye tells me that if leaping was such an advantage, international pitchers would be unhittable, but I don't notice a difference. But I'm far from an expert. My dd basically stopped pitching when she was 12 due to a back injury and to say that mechanics aren't my strength would be putting it mildly.

29dad said:

I seem to recall that there is a DFP member who lives in Australia. Somebody help me with her name. I would be interested in her opinion. Is leaping allowed in Australia for junior pitchers? Is so, does it give the pitchers a huge advantage? Are Australian pitchers faster than their American counterparts because they have the ability to leap?

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You're talking about Lozza.

I'd have to say if there was a negative advantage to the leap, we wouldn't be having this conversation, as no one would be doing it.

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The advantage isn't mechanical. If a kid pitches indoors a lot, the toe gets hurt. So, they learn to lift it up to avoid getting banged the toe banged up.