The Kelly Barnhill Thread

[riseball]

I agree 100%. But what does a pitching coach teach today? My DD pitching coach is very old school. He wants her to step,with NOT a long little leg stride. He wants more movement. This is were me and the PC and me and my DD but heads. I want more leg drive i.e. Like what I see on TV BUT with movements. I feel what has been happening in the college level today is going to steer the ship on the other wrong course or run us aground.

The length of stride and leg drive has nothing to do with leaping. Most often leaping starts with poor upper body mechanics and then flows downward. There is a plethora of information in the pitching section on what causes leaping and what to do to resolve it.

 

[colin]

i recently saw a still pic of youngest pitching and her foot was way in air!! had no idea. i was like uh oh hoo. she has never been called and we have always worked on legal mechanics, but there was the picture, her drag foot a good 8 inches off the ground. is there something to emphasis or work on to help correct this issue?

 

[Rocketech1]

Once again it is not ingrained, that is a myth

Really. An athlete performs a set of movements 10,000 times and it doesn't become ingrained? You ever play golf and try to change your swing mechanics when hitting your driver? How were the results? Ever read Malcolm Gladwell's book "Outliers"?

 

[riseball]

Really. An athlete performs a set of movements 10,000 times and it doesn't become ingrained? You ever play golf and try to change your swing mechanics when hitting your driver? How were the results? Ever read Malcolm Gladwell's book "Outliers"?

Golf where the vast majority playing the game are certainly not athletes and most pretty much suck at the game? Maybe gramps or the guy in accounting really cannot fix his swing, who knows? Golf does not matter because this is softball which requires a much higher level of athleticism, and work ethic. Especially if you are going to pitch. I know that I and others have personally worked with hundreds of pitchers fixing their "ingrained" mechanics. The only ones that struggle are the ones who lacked commitment or had enablers making excuses for them. If a pitcher truly cannot improve their "ingrained" mechanics throughout their career they are doomed in the long run. If a 12YO kid can switch from HE to IR/BI in a couple of weeks they can certainly learn the proper mechanics to pitch legally. There is no reason not to pitch legally, only excuses. What you are offering is just another BS excuse to rationalize changing the rules because little Suzy leaps and just doesn't want to work. Like I said, there is always RF or soccer. Changing the rules of the game to accommodate the wishes and work ethic of a 12YO REC pitcher is ludicrous.

What the enablers seek is to dumb down the game enough where anyone can play any position, and in the end achieve some type of success. Players get their participation trophy for fogging a mirror. First the enablers will change the pitching rules to allow leaping so anyone can pitch. Then they will move the distance back so anyone can hit. Then lets make the ball softer, less bouncy and the bats less hot so anyone can field. When the enablers talk about "leveling the playing field" and "providing more opportunities" what that really mean is to make it less competitive so it takes less effort in order to be successful. It is no different than most public school systems. Lower the bar until everyone is successful. What is now an honors class used to be the regular class. Over half the kids graduate with "honors" Then let's pay them at least $15 an hour just because they want it, not because they add that much value to a business. The truth is that the pitching opportunities are plentiful IF you work for them. Unlike some aspects of society and many sports today, pitching takes tremendous work and dedication. Success is not achieved just because you show up.

 

[Rocketech1]

Golf was just one of hundreds of examples and of course it's athletic it takes great hand, eye coordination and countless hours of practice to be proficient at it. I think you fail to realize that the attitude "just pitch legally" and everything will be fine hasn't worked for over a decade for many different reasons and will continue to be an issue unless major changes occur. Let's try a different approach that is fair to all pitchers not just the leapers and repanters otherwise this will be going on for another decade and beyond.

 

[nanotech14]

Rocketech, so let's take a different approach? Yes let's do that! Let's keep to the rules. Like my dd plays by, learn to pitch legal. Seems fairly easy doesn't it, she will start her college play this fall. I guess from her last tb game this August pitching legal, she will forget how to do it in college. I don't understand you with all theses excuses you keep coming up with.

 

[Rocketech1]

I guess from her last tb game this August pitching legal, she will forget how to do it in college.

Actually I'm saying the opposite. She will pitch exactly the way she has been pitching for years (using legal mechanics). The pitcher who had been pitching using incorrect mechanics will continue to use those mechanics in college as that technique has been ingrained in her pitching mechanics having thrown thousands of pitches that way and no need to change if successful with those mechanics.

I think it was very telling when ASASocalBlue stated that the umpires are instructed not to call IPs or they will be fired from umpiring future tournaments. If I would have known this 7 years ago when my DD started pitching I would have spent a lot less time in making sure she always dragged the pivot foot when pitching. What a waste of valuable pitching time and putting her at a disadvantage with her peers who are allowed to leap and replant with no repercussions.

 

[riseball]

Golf was just one of hundreds of examples and of course it's athletic it takes great hand, eye coordination and countless hours of practice to be proficient at it. I think you fail to realize that the attitude "just pitch legally" and everything will be fine hasn't worked for over a decade for many different reasons and will continue to be an issue unless major changes occur. Let's try a different approach that is fair to all pitchers not just the leapers and repanters otherwise this will be going on for another decade and beyond.

Once again no reasons, just more excuses and rationalizations. So now we are going to enable the skippies to benefit the legal pitchers? Really? What is putting the legal pitchers at a disadvantage is the lack of enforcement. You do not dumb down the game to make it fair for those who are already doing it right. That is a ludicrous. Changing the rules only enables the skippies, it does not help those who put in the work to pitch properly. If a kid can learn IR/BI they can learn to pitch legally. Make the skippies pitch legally or drive them from the game. The game will be better for it.

 

[4 girl's dad]

What is putting the legal pitchers at a disadvantage is the lack of enforcement. You do not dumb down the game to make it fair for those who are already doing it right. That is a ludicrous. Changing the rules only enables the skippies, it does not help those who put in the work to pitch properly. If a kid can learn IR/BI the can learn to pitch legally. Make the skippes pitch legally or drive them from the game. The game will be better for it.

I don't always agree with Riseball, but I absolutely agree with this.

 

[Rocketech1]

Well I guess this thread has run its course until next year when KB will once again dominate D1 and we can bury our heads in the sand, hoping and praying that she will pitch within the rules. Until we address the bigger issues on why so many pitchers have such a difficult time pitching under the current rules and umpires instructed not to call IPs because it's so pervasive in the game at all levels, this will continue indefinitely.

Good discussion, I hope that it has peaked people's interest enough to demand some significant analysis of the current state of the game and changes in the near future?