Each contributor was asked to give their insights with one catch - author names were not revealed. The voting was based strictly on ideas, not reputation.

All the essays proved intriguing and provocative. And that, in fact, made this WebBall Challenge one of the most, well, challenging ever. The authors gave the voters a lot to ponder, a lot to think about. In the end, it meant we had fewer "casual" voters and more insightful voters than in any previous challenge. You can see that in the voter comment page listed below.


Some essays are by frequent contributors to WebBall and other baseball media, others have previously written very little. Some try to present balanced discussion, others are absolutist. Some see the question as purely about mechanics, others are focused on the role of the teacher. There is philosophy and science and personal anecdotes all rolled into a melange of theory and practicality. In other words, the authors have done exactly what we asked of them... stir the pot!


Each essay will reveal the author's name and a brief pop-up bio. Here's a quick recap...

• Ron Wolforth, Pitching Central and the Texas Baseball Ranch. Somewhat of a legend among the baseball cogniscenti, and always willing to push the paradigms.
• Kevin Goodman, Iowa-based independent pitching and hitting instructor. One of the new breed, willing to follow his own path of discovery to unlock the mysteries of mechanics.
• David Hartman, high school baseball coach at Southeast Polk. Our second Iowa essayist, invited because we wanted at least one active everyday coach in the mix.
• Doug White, San Diego based professional pitching coach and video developer. His "Passion for Pitching" brings much of the best of current approaches to video, and to his essay.
• Dave Empey, a professional coach and sports writer out of Vancouver, B.C., whose book on "Developing Pitchers" is one of the most entertaining instructional works you'll ever read.
  
• Bill Mooney, BioForce Baseball, in Oregon. Heavily into video analysis, and a great hands-on instructor, he brings a very personal perspective to the art and science of coaching.