What Makes Baseball Teams a Target for Hacks?
By Chris Sloan, 0 CommentsInstead of cancelling baseball practice the next time the field is too wet to play on, hold the practice and work on sliding and the various baseball sliding techniques. It will be one of the most fun practices of the season. Have players wear old uniform pants, not their gamers, because they may get muddy beyond cleaning, which will not make mom happy. Baseball sliding techniques are much more creative these days. Part of that reason is ballplayers are arguably more athletic today than years ago, so applying a tag for defensive players is not as easy as setting the glove down in front of the base and letting the base runner tag themselves out. Another reason that plays into that is the use of video replay challenges now used in major league baseball. In the old days, when the ball beat the runner, they were almost automatically called out. However, now, with the ability to review the play, it is worth doing one's ultimate to avoid the tag with the hope of getting the safe call.
Therefore, players often find an innovative way to get around a tag. For example, some baseball slides may have one hand approaching the base, and as the tag is being applied, they pull the hand away before reaching around to the bag with the other hand. Also, the base runner may stop before getting to the base going in feet first and jump over the tag. Once again, creativity rules the day more now than in the past and it works occasionally.
However, the creativity doesn't always benefit the runner and often prevents them from getting to the base, the goal, in the quickest manner. Another major flaw of the innovation or wrong baseball sliding techniques is the runner coming off the base after touching it, which leads to them getting tagged out after initially being safe. This action of coming off the bag tends to happen more when they slide hands first with them going over the base and failing to maintain contact with it. I believe all baseball players should learn to slide feet first into bases. That method of sliding is the way I always slid and felt like it was the quickest and safest way to slide. It also prevents the defensive player from using their body to block the base because they fear the spikes on the baseball shoes. When players are known to slide headfirst, as mentioned, the defender will not be afraid to block the base and prevent the runner from being able to reach it. I recognize that all baseball players are different. Whichever way players learn to slide, the practice of various baseball sliding techniques is required to avoid injury and for safe calls, especially on close plays. It may be best for hands first sliders to occasionally go in feet first, so players cannot depend on them going in headfirst every time. In that way, they prevent the ball receiver from being too aggressive with blocking the base.
Additional reading: Our Best Sliding Shorts for 2023 & Best Sliding Mitts for 2023
One could argue that how to slide in baseball is very much the least practiced aspect of the game. That is unfortunate because knowing how to slide in baseball properly can help a team win more baseball games. Youth coaches should also make sure they review the sliding rules for kids, as they differ from the MLB slide rule. Takeout slides and aggressively going into the catcher at home plate are not permitted at the lower levels of baseball. Coaching sliding is a lot like coaching hitting for most coaches they coach the way they did it. Sometimes that is an excellent coaching strategy, but other times not so good, as the same style does not fit all players equally. For example, coaching a big, powerful, and potentially power-hitting player to slap the ball to the opposite field makes no sense. Forcing players, who are not comfortable going feet first, is not good coaching. The same goes for sliding - forcing players, who are not comfortable sliding feet first, is not good baseball coaching. Some players are comfortable going in headfirst and other players feet first. At one of the early practices of the season, youth baseball coaches should explain the various sliding techniques, including feet first and headfirst sliding, and then have players practice the method they are most comfortable, allowing for experimentation for those unsure of which method they like best. As implied, just because a coach slid a certain way, and believes that is the best way to slide, coaches should allow players to develop the sliding technique that is most comfortable for them. Many injuries are prevented if more time was spent practicing how to do a baseball slide that helps players be safe and stay safe. The most attention should be to players who want to go in headfirst, and they must practice how to slide headfirst in baseball practice in a safe way. This practice is best on very wet surfaces, so in the grass after it rains or with one of those slick sliding mats that are available in the marketplace.
Coaches should explain the reason for sliding - so players can get to bases as quickly as possible without overrunning the base. That may seem obvious, but many youth players believe it is to avoid tags and do not realize that without the slide, players must slow too much to stay on the base. Advanced baseball players should know more than one sliding technique to avoid tags. Additionally, all players should slide feet first into home at the higher levels of baseball, when catchers can block the base, so they prevent possible head or neck injuries.
The following are how to baseball slide methods that give base runners options when approaching the bag. With experience, players will learn which way is best, depending on the direction of the throw and the positioning of the defensive player receiving the ball.
A final reminder - sliding is a skill practiced too little, leading to outs that can be avoided. Coaches should have players practice sliding more. Practicing baseball sliding techniques with spikes off and on wet surfaces is best and especially for beginners.
After playing major league baseball, Jack Perconte has taught baseball and softball since 1988 and offered valuable coaching training too. He has helped numerous youth players reach their potential, as well as having helped parents and coaches navigate their way through the challenging world of youth sports. Jack is one of the leading authorities in the areas of youth baseball training and coaching training advice.
All Jack Perconte articles are used with copyright permission.There are 0 comments on "Baseball Sliding Techniques and Mistakes"
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