IP on UCLA

Welcome to Discuss Fastpitch

Your FREE Account is waiting to the Best Softball Community on the Web.

Feb 17, 2014
7,152
113
Orlando, FL
I agree that leaping in the current context does not provide an advantage. However, if leaping was allowed and properly executed it has the potential for an advantage. The reason pitchers leap is sub standard mechanics. For all its shortcomings the rule serves to keep really bad pitchers out of the circle. My fear is that if leaping is allowed you will see a significant degradation in the overall quality of pitching at all ages.
 
Dec 19, 2012
1,428
0
That said, for some teams "the fix is in" courtesy of the NCAA.

Why would the NCAA put in a fix? I'm not disagreeing with you, I just haven't noticed the NCAA putting in a fix on any teams. Viewers love Cinderella stories. Comentators have stated that more parity is occurring in softball. Where is the "fixing" happening?
 
Feb 17, 2014
7,152
113
Orlando, FL
Why would the NCAA put in a fix? I'm not disagreeing with you, I just haven't noticed the NCAA putting in a fix on any teams. Viewers love Cinderella stories. Comentators have stated that more parity is occurring in softball. Where is the "fixing" happening?

The NCAA by not enforcing their own rules are allowing teams to be competitive that otherwise would struggle. Enforcing the rule would take pitchers like Carda out of the circle. Had IP's been called in the WCWS Carda and UCLA would have gone 2 and BBQ.
 
Dec 19, 2012
1,428
0
The NCAA by not enforcing their own rules are allowing teams to be competitive that otherwise would struggle. Enforcing the rule would take pitchers like Carda out of the circle. Had IP's been called in the WCWS Carda and UCLA would have gone 2 and BBQ.

Ahh....so the fix is allowing IP's. Got it.
 

JJsqueeze

Dad, Husband....legend
Jul 5, 2013
5,436
38
safe in an undisclosed location
I agree that leaping in the current context does not provide an advantage. However, if leaping was allowed and properly executed it has the potential for an advantage. The reason pitchers leap is sub standard mechanics. For all its shortcomings the rule serves to keep really bad pitchers out of the circle. My fear is that if leaping is allowed you will see a significant degradation in the overall quality of pitching at all ages.


What does sub standard mean? The problem with this line of reasoning is that the best pitcher on the planet leaps. I would argue that dragging a foot on the ground when trying to throw leads to a less efficient mechanic than letting the body do what it naturally wants to do when a person jumps out 6-8 feet.
 

JJsqueeze

Dad, Husband....legend
Jul 5, 2013
5,436
38
safe in an undisclosed location
Warning - look away if you don't like repetitive rants:

Leaping Schmeaping. Leaping does not matter. No advantage. In a car race analogy it's like banning all red cars from competition.

Now replanting - which I will submit Carda would lose 5-10mph if she had to stop. In the same racing analogy it would be like banning a Formula-1 car from a Stock Car event.

Ban the Formula-1 cars from racing with the stock cars or make this a Formula-1 race where all can step up their vehicle (and replant).

And this is why the rules suck. Replanting (the part that does gain an advantage) is legal as long as you drag.
 
Feb 17, 2014
7,152
113
Orlando, FL
What does sub standard mean? The problem with this line of reasoning is that the best pitcher on the planet leaps. I would argue that dragging a foot on the ground when trying to throw leads to a less efficient mechanic than letting the body do what it naturally wants to do when a person jumps out 6-8 feet.

Leaping is typically caused by an early external hip rotation which is a mechanical defect. Basically they jump of the rubber and toss their hips open. Take a look at Silkwood from MS-State for an extreme example. I can't imagine anyone saying she demonstrates sound mechanics.
 
Dec 20, 2012
1,085
0
Abolish the rule!! International play allows it, men allows it, Japanese women pros allow it, etc..... I wouldn't say it is a mechanical defect because it does ad advantage to the pitch. It is only considered a defect because it is not allowed. I would not consider anything a defect that added advantage unless it caused physical damage. But hey if you're not gonna call it every single time it happens then no reason to even have the rule. It seems that the NCAA and American LL's are behind the times. JMO
 

JJsqueeze

Dad, Husband....legend
Jul 5, 2013
5,436
38
safe in an undisclosed location
Since a leap is not actually a mechanic, many things can cause them. A leap is simply the rear foot not maintaining contact with the ground. The cause can be a simple as a girl flexing her leg so the toe loses contact to a sever body contortion like the photo above. But in and of itself it is only a flaw in the sense that it is currently illegal in a couple of rule sets.
 

Forum statistics

Threads
42,831
Messages
679,487
Members
21,445
Latest member
Bmac81802
Top