tagging up from third base???????

[JAD]

We teach our players to get into a sprinters position at third and to listen for the 3rd base coach to yell "go".

 

[MTR]

1.13 secs seems like a lot.

I agree. I am all for watching the touch by the runner. IMO, if you need that time to make the difference between scoring and being put out, the ball was probably to shallow to risk the advancement.

Why not teach the runner to leave when the ball is 1 ft from being caught. If you like the 1 ft thing. Yes she will have to stand with her shoulders sideways on the bag but I don't think that's a big deal. You've got me thinking. Gonna run some tests tomorrow. Time the kids me saying GO, kid reading ARM drop, kid reading the ball.

Because being one foot from being caught/touched is an assumption I used to use to screw up runners. As an OF I would hold my hands above my head as if I'm going to catch the ball with arms extended and then drop them and make a basket-type of catch or drop my glove some distance. It's a possibility the runner will jump early, the coach will assume a touch and drop their arm early or question their timing enough to make them retouch or give up on advancing.

Not stating this gimmick will work, but sometimes it is enough to give the defense a possible play. I started doing this as a teenager and even then, the coaches would get crazy about me making a basket-catch, so there would have to be absolute confidence in the player's ability.

 

[FrozenRope]

I have not tested your theory...but I would be of the opinion that if you worked on this in practice...and taught them how to time the takeoff, your way would be slower. The secret to a good take-off is anticipating the ball hitting the leather. Time the ball in flight, and start pushing just before the ball is caught. It's no different than teaching the girls how to get a great jump on a steal. They need to anticipate the release...and they can only do that by practicing. We do it ALL the time. In fact...it's one way we incorporate the entire team into pitching/catching/throwdowns.

It's like a race where a starter says "Ready" "Set" "GO" with a consistant cadence. They can learn to time the "GO". What you're doing with the signal is taking away the "Ready" and "Set".

What you're doing is trying to time the jump for them. I don't agree with that. Teach THEM how to time it. I compare this to a coach yelling "SWING" to try and help his hitters time when to swing at a pitch.

 

[Vertigo]

I can see how it would be faster for the coach to signal "go" as opposed to the BR watching the ball into the outfield while on 3rd base. If you think about relay races in track, the runner waiting for the baton is in the sprinter position facing forward waiting for the runner with the baton to yell "go" to start moving before the baton is passed. We learned to do it this way in track because if we turned sideways to anticipate when to start running on our own based upon where the girl with the baton was, it slowed us down. So, any slight turn of the head/body to watch the ball into the outfield in relation to the fielder will potentially slow the BR down.

 

[JAD]

I can see how it would be faster for the coach to signal "go" as opposed to the BR watching the ball into the outfield while on 3rd base.

The 3rd base coach can also "gauge" the speed of the base runner at 3B, the depth of the fly ball, and the arm strength of the outfielder to determine whether or not they should send the base runner. If the coach does send the runner they can determine how "close" they want to time the runner leaving the base. A fast runner on 3rd with a weak armed outfielder, you do not need to cut it close and give the umpire an opportunity to call the base runner out for leaving early. Slower runner with a strong armed outfielder and the 3B coach may try to "shave" a split second.

 

[MountieSB]

To me, this is no different than teaching a kid to steal. I sure don't say "GO!" when they're stealing the base. I teach them to time the pitcher, anticipate the release and take off with that anticipated release. The same for running on balls in the dirt - I teach them to read the ball path, and when they know it's going in the dirt, they take off.

How in the world do I get my kids to do this without yelling, "GO!"? We practice it over and over. We do the same for tagging from 3B. They need to be able to do this because it's faster than me saying "GO!" and them reacting to it. Think of it as removing a step.

 

[SCDad]

I am a control freak

It is best for the players for you to work on this aspect of behavior.

A great coach is to prepare the players to be the best they can be ... when you are not around.

Not to win that days game.

 

[BaldNBeautiful]

Teach them how/when to tagup, teach them how to call pitches, teach them the rules of baserunning and encourage them to be aggressive, then let them PLAY THE GAME.

 

[FP26]

Interesting post. My favorite part of DFP is finding things that make me think. At U12, we basically did this. But when we moved to U14, we spent more time teaching our players to handle more base running on their own. We want them to be aggressive and take extra bases when they see an opportunity to do so. The base coaches are still involved in the process, but the players are taught and encouraged to think for themselves. In regards to tagging from third, the times posted seem quick. Something I would need to test for myself. The one scenario that does have me thinking is the fly ball to left field. I can't imagine having the runner viewing center or right field would affect the time that much, but I could understand a bit more lag if the runner is trying to watch a ball hit to left field.

 

[humpty]

What if 3rd baseman says GO and the runner jumps or leaves early.