Pre-game mental preparation Doing your homework before every game, to increase your awareness of what may happen throughout the game. From knowing your pitchers game plan for that night, to who can run on the other team, and knowing which hitters have certain tendencies that can be used against them during the game.
Know the Baseball Field In a game where split second decisions matter, the slope of the foul line, speed of the infield, and other such factors can dramatically change the outcome of a play. With just a little bit of preparation, you can give yourself an advantage during the game.
I hope these second base tips are helpful for you. Play hard! Doug Bernier , founder of Pro Baseball Insider. He has Major League time at every infield position, and has played every position on the field professionally except for catcher. You should click to watch this great defensive play by Bernier Where is he now? After 16 years of playing professionally, Doug retired and took a position as a Major League scout with the Colorado Rockies for 2 years. How can I work on deflecting the ball out of my glove into my throwing hand on balls that are towards my throwing arm side?
When i try to do it, normally my hand gets caught on the glove, or it takes too long. Thank you. Hi Julian. Thanks for the question. Try to work on catching the ball in the middle of your body at your chest. Moving your feet so the exchange is in the middle of your body helps the transfer.
Also catch the ball with your thumbs up. Most times the glove thumb points down towards the ground and makes for a more difficult transfer.
Let me know if that helps you out at all. Good luck! Coach put me at second last practice expecting me to know the mental part and this helped a lot, because I have been a PO my entire career. Notify me of followup comments via e-mail. You can also subscribe without commenting. Webb on June 20, pm. Doug, I am having problems with my routes on flare hits just over my head. Any advice?
Julian on June 3, pm. Thank you Reply. Doug Bernier on June 4, am. Ryan stoddard on August 12, pm. Coach put me at second last practice expecting me to know the mental part and this helped a lot, because I have been a PO my entire career Reply.
Doug Bernier on September 30, pm. Ryan, I am glad it helped. Good luck and keep working hard. Doug Reply. Depending on the situation, the second baseman or the third baseman may be unable to cover their respective base. In these instances, shortstops must know to run towards that base so they can be there for the potential throw. As a general rule, shortstops can be anywhere from 85 to feet away from first base.
If the batter hits the ball closer to third base then the shortstop will be further away from first, but if the batter hits a ball up the middle of the field then the shortstop would be closer to first. Because shortstops can sometimes be a good distance away from first base, they need to have a strong arm so they can reliably get the ball to the first baseman.
On occasion, a shortstop will need to throw the ball from in the hole , which adds another layer of complexity to their throw. When the shortstop fields the ball in the hole, they are typically moving away from first base. In order to get the runner out at first, shortstops need to have a strong arm if they want to have a chance of throwing out that runner.
To see an example of a shortstop with a strong arm throwing from in the hole, check out the quick YouTube clip below. In addition to needing a strong arm for throwing to first base, shortstops also need a strong arm so they can be an effective cut-off man.
When they receive the ball from their outfielder, shortstops are still standing in the outfield grass. If there is a runner who is advancing, the shortstop will need to have a strong arm so they can try to throw out that runner.
To see a great example of why a shortstop needs to have a strong arm on the relay throw, check out the YouTube clip below. Shortstops get most of the defensive action on the field so having confidence is a must. Because shortstops will field a lot of hits during the course of a game, they should be expecting the ball to be hit to them. Confidence can be one of those traits that seems to vary from game to game, but one way shortstops can help increase their overall level of confidence is simply by practicing.
Another key component to any good shortstop is their ability to accurately throw the baseball. Having a strong arm is great, but having a strong arm without being accurate can translate into throwing errors made by the shortstop. To accurately throw the baseball, shortstops need lots of practice throwing the ball to first from all different places within the infield.
Sometimes the batter will hit the ball closer to third base so the shortstop needs to make an accurate throw from farther away. On the other hand, batters will sometimes hit slow choppers where the shortstop will need to charge the ball. Accurate throws are especially important for shortstops when they are the relay man. The relay man is responsible for getting the ball to the correct place in the infield as quickly as possible. If the relay man makes a poor throw to a base, the base runner can easily advance to the next base.
Therefore, you might not think it's important for a second baseman to have a strong throwing arm. The fact is that many of the throws a second baseman makes will require superior arm strength. When he must go to his right to snag a groundball, there are times when he'll need to either throw to first base on the run or off balance. The only way for the ball to get to first with enough velocity is if he has great upper body strength.
Likewise, a throw from second base when trying to turn a double play requires a second baseman to sometimes throw without a full step with the front foot. Finally, second basemen serve as primary cut-off targets for right fielders for plays at second base and third base.
Throws to third base in these situations can be especially long, and there's no way he can reach the bag with a throw of that length without a strong arm.
Not only must they be able to stab ground balls and line drives out of the air or off the ground while on the run, but they must have great handwork in shift the ball from the glove to the hand and into a throw in one smooth motion.
This exchange from glove to throwing hand may seem like a simple thing to do, but second basemen must master it to cut down on the amount of time it takes for the ball to get from them to the end destination.
While there are certainly instances of some second basemen who were huge power hitters, most of even the best hitting second basemen hit more for a high average and solid contact. The second baseman will serve as the cut-off man for balls hit to the right side of the outfield. This requires the second baseman to quickly run into the outfield to catch an incoming throw from either the right or center fielder and then pivot and fire a strike to either second base or third base.
His job is to try to get in a straight line between the outfielder and the bag so that the outfielder doesn't have to attempt to throw it there in the air with no help. On balls that are hit on the ground his way, the second baseman's primary job is to keep the ball from reaching the outfield.
Of course, the ideal outcome would be that the second baseman field the ball cleanly and then throw it to another bag to record a force out. In these cases, the second baseman must do all he can to keep the ball from reaching the outfield.
Whether this requires diving or sliding and just making contact with the ball, he must do what he can to keep the ball in front of him. Obviously, it could mean reaching base successfully -- whether that be by getting a hit, drawing a walk or being hit by a pitch.
It could mean hitting the ball on the ground to the right side of the field that allows a runner on second base to advance to third base. Or, it could mean hitting a sacrifice fly to the outfield with less than two outs that scores a runner from third. You have to have quick feet to be a good second baseman, so it's important that you work on your footwork. You can do this by running shuffling drills by shifting your weight back and forth as you move to your left and to your right.
You can also tap your toes on the ground as you shuffle your feet and body through cones set up on a field. Work on maneuvering on the back and front side of the bag and catching throws then pivoting to throw to first base.
It's extremely important to have a strong arm that can not only throw with velocity but can throw long distances.
This is important for those short throws to first and those much longer throws to third as a cut-off man. Simple weight training will help you out here, as will work with strengthening armbands. Second base is a complicated position to master, especially in terms of positioning on the field. While you can listen to what coaches are telling you, and can get great experience by watching the game, perhaps the best way to learn is to watch how other successful second basemen play the game.
Pick out a favorite player of yours who plays the position in Major League Baseball and watch where he positions himself. Make note of how he aligns himself on the field in all different situations of the game, and ask questions of a coach if you're unsure of why he's doing a certain thing.
Learning from those at the top of the sport can do wonders for helping your game as you're just learning the position.
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