Often times when coaches want you to run through the base better, they make you run farther than 60 feet. But that may not be the best idea.

You see, it doesn’t really matter if your coach makes you run 80 feet instead of 60 feet. If you always train to slow down at the end, you will ALWAYS slow down before your target no matter how far or close it is.

Excellence is a habit – so get in the habit of sprinting THROUGH any marker, goal, base or cone that is set for you, whether it’s 6 feet away or 60 feet away.

This habit is what will help you “get through the bag” more consistently at 1st base, put more pressure on the defense and get safe more often!

If you’re a coach, instead of making your players run farther, try shortening the distance and challenge them to run all the way through. After all, if they can’t consistently “run through the bag” at 30 feet, how do they expect to do it at 60 feet? Often times pointing this out to them is enough to get them focused on doing it right.

As they get better and better running all the way through the shorter distance, start adding more distance until they are running through any target you give them.

Always expect your player’s best speed all the way through ANY sprint you do, whether it’s a short spring or a longer spring, whether it’s their first sprint or their last sprint of the day.  Notice I didn’t say “fastest” because the more your work them, they slower they may get, but they should always be giving their best – whatever it is they have at that time.  Make them do it again if they don’t do it right. Help them create the good habit of going hard and giving their best ALL the way through to the end and beyond, just like you want them to do in a game – not only for baserunning but in every area of play!

Did you ever stop to think that maybe your shoes are the reason you don’t run well? Or that they could even be causing injury???

I know I never did.

Two things came to mind when I saw this article on shoes:
1) one day I let my daughter run on grass without her shoes – her running form was soooo much better than usual (hmmm…maybe the article has a point)

2) I remember one of my coaches saying that your equipment can hinder your performance if it’s not the best equipment for you (i.e. wrong size bat, glove doesn’t fit well, shoes no longer have grip, etc)

Unfortunately I don’t know what ANY softball cleat is designed to encourage proper sprint technique, but you can definitely do something about your equipment and the other issues mentioned above.

Make sure that your equipment works best for you!

If you want to read the article that talked about how shoes could possibly be CAUSING injury and encouraging incorrect running technique, CLICK HERE.

However, for newer players, for my own daughters, and for myself, it’s not something I do or teach? Why?

Safety

Plain and simple, it’s a safety issue for me. Maybe I don’t pay enough attention, but I don’t hear about many baseball boys having season ending injuries from sliding head first into a base. However, I have seen and heard about many softball players breaking their collarbone, separating their shoulder, getting their fingers cleated, breaking their fingers, dislocating joints, etc from sliding into a base head first. I’ve seen it happen in games to people I know personally and I’ve heard about it happening to other softball players too. For this reason alone, I will always slide into a base feet first.

This doesn’t mean that I never dive. I will dive BACK to a base and I will encourage my players and my daughters to dive back to a base.

What’s the difference? Sliding head first into a base typically involves a players going at full speed running into a base and taking all the force and momentum into a possible collision. The same is rarely true when diving back to a base. Most times, you are not at full speed which means a much lower impact if their is contact. Is there still risk of injury? Yes, there is. But there’s risk with everything in this game. It’s just that for me, sliding head first into a base is not a risk I’m comfortable taking. The chance of game or season ending injury is too high for me.

What do you think?

• Have you heard about as many baseball players as softball players getting injured from this?
• Do you feel it’s a risk worth taking?
• Do you agree with the idea that the risk is higher going into a base vs back to one?

Don’t worry, I won’t be offended. I’d just like to know what other people, including you, think about this topic. Leave a comment below and share your thoughts!

Actually, this is one of my BIGGEST Pet Peeves when it comes to baserunning.

I’m telling you right now…Do NOT do this!

If you do, you WILL annoy me and drive me up the wall.  Of course, if I don’t see you play, I guess it’s not that big a deal (the driving me up the wall thing), but it IS a big deal for you as a baserunner if you do this.

What is this pet peeve of mine?  This baserunning no-no?

NEVER, under ANY circumstances…

Walk back to the base with your head down looking at the dirt because you “think” the play is more or less over

This is bad, bad, bad!!!

• First of all, in most situations, you should not be walking to a base
• Second: you should NOT have your back turned to the ball (unless you’re already diving or hustling back to the base)
• Third: your eyes should not be on the ground, or on your feet, or on the base…they should be on the BALL (again…unless you’re already diving or hustling back to the base)
• Fourth: how the heck are you going to take the next base if something happens if you’re facing the wrong way (back to the next base) and you’re not even paying attention to what’s happening with the ball?
• Fifth: a fiesty defender may just go ahead and try to see if they can get the ball to the base quicker than you can walk. Wouldn’t that be embarrassing and pretty close to shameful if you got thrown out or picked off because you took your eyes off the ball, turned your back on the ball, AND walked instead of hustled.

Remember…

• Even if you’re standing on the base, if the play is not dead yet, your eyes should be on the ball!
• IF you are going to slowly make your way back to the base because you see the ball coming in to the pitcher, then again, keep your eyes on the ball as you retreat.
• The only time you turn your back or take your eyes off the ball is when you know you have to get back quick and you are on your way back to the base at whatever your top speed is at that time.

photo credit: http://www.flickr.com/photos/lcrward/ / CC BY-ND 2.0

Base Coaches Are For Stopping, Not Sending

You see too many players mistakenly wait for their coaches to tell them to go or to send them off to the next base.  However, in crucial cases, if you aren’t already going when your base coach says, “GO” chances are you’ve already missed out on the opportunity to take an extra base or score a run.

Now, it’s true, there are cases when you DO need your base coaches help to make a decision, primarily when the ball is behind you and you’d have to turn your head back to see it.  In these cases, you ARE most certainly going to rely on your base coach to be your eyes and tell you whether to go or stay.

However, when the ball is in front of you…

you need to learn to make your own reads.  YOU, along with your coach, should be looking for any and all opportunities to take the next base.  There are even some situations where only YOU know if you can make it or not.  Only YOU will know if you’re in a good position to take advantage of an opening in front of you.  There’s simply no time for your coach to direct your every move.  In these particular cases, you will miss the opportunity EVERY time if you always wait for your base coach to send you.

Then there are times when, in order to make it to the next base and take advantage of an opening, you really need to already be GOING by the time the command to take the next bag comes out of your base coach’s mouth.  Basically, in these situations, you are making the read and decision to go yourself and your base coach’s direction to go is simply on confirmation of what you are already doing.

Of course, there are times when you think you can go and your base coach tells you not to.  For some reason, players seem to be worried that they won’t be able to get back to the base in time if they try to make their own read and go.  But honestly, if you think you can make it the next 40-50 feet to the next base, chances are VERY good, that you’ll be able to make it the 10-20 feet BACK should your base coach exercise their judgement to stop you.

The Bottom Line is…

• Basecoaches are for Stopping, Not Sending
• The only time you are going to rely solely on your base coach is when the ball is behind you
• Learn to think for yourself on the base paths
• Always be looking for opportunities to take extra bases (which also means keeping yourself in an athletic position until the ball is dead)
• You WILL have enough time to get back should your coach decide to stop you

Base Coaches Are For Stopping, Not Sending

It’s an idea I had to share with you because even though this is the mentality I had as a baserunner, I’d never heard anyone say it quite like that until I went to the coaches clinic with the UW coaches. I think it’s very cool and very true.

Hopefully it’s an idea, a mindset, that can help you improve your baserunning this season!

photo credit: http://www.flickr.com/photos/8136496@N05/ / CC BY 2.0