Baseball: Baserunning - Faster Starts When Tagging Up on a Fly Ball

Pat Aitken

 In baseball, it's the little things that win games. That's why your players should know how to get the fastest start when they've tagged up on a fly ball.  Here's a helpful technique.

Rolling Start Technique
Your students start with one foot on the front edge of the base and the other on the ground behind the base. Just before the ball is caught (or on a signal from the coach), they push off with the back foot, keeping the front foot in contact with the base until the fly is caught.

When the ball is caught, your players are already off to a moving start and can increase their forward momentum by pushing off the front of the bag, just as if it was a starting block.

This rolling start will give them a real jump on the outfielder's incoming throw.

References:

1. Jerry Kindall (Editor), Science of Coaching Baseball, Human Kinetics Publishers, 1992.
2. Jerry Weinstein, Tom Alston, Baseball Coach's Survival Guide, Jossey-Bass, 2008.

 

1.  Starting Position: Front Foot on Edge of Bag, Back Foot Behind Bag
1. Starting Position: Front Foot on Edge of Bag, Back Foot Behind Bag
2.  Back Foot Starts to Move Just Before Ball is Caught
2. Back Foot Starts to Move Just Before Ball is Caught
3. Push Off Front of Bag Once Ball is Caught
3. Push Off Front of Bag Once Ball is Caught


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