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Tip & Drills

The head first slide

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by FastpitchPros » Mon Sep 16, 2019 8:02 am

Ugh... I hate the phrase "head first"...

Hopefully, y'all have your runners put their "hands and arms out first" to break the impact... and NEVER slide directly into a tag/fielder (feet or hands first)... As noted previously, that is an injury waiting to happen :-(

FIRST - make sure you spend time to teach ALL players "How to Slide Properly".

Many girls are scared to slide... so take the time to "make them slide safely". Such as... between games, have other parents take them to a small grassy hill and hold their hands and help them slide "feet first" down the hill... to gain momentum.

"Rinse and Repeat" this drill... until they can begin sliding while running in the "loose dirt"

Also... Bring an infield rake to sliding practice... so that they are not sliding on concrete... or they will become more scared and get scraped-up and hurt (and more scared).

It has been my veteran coaching observation and experience... that hook sliding... both feet and hands first... should be taught by having them enter into their "sliding path" @ a full arm's length AWAY from the base/ and fielder.

I agree with @rofoto that you should teach ALL girls to "dive and slide" back to the base.

However, never dive back directly to the base... have them be at an arm's length away from the base and fielder (how many get tagged while diving back in the baseline)... ugh.

In addition, if you only have a U1... it is extremely hard for a U1 to see a tag... when the runner is LOW to the ground during a hook slide... away from the fielder... especially when the fielder "swings their glove to tag"... this always looks like a missed tag to U1.

In addition, most fielders do NOT know how to properly "receive the ball" when a runner is approaching to slide... they usually "reach out" for the ball.

Usually... only the aggressive, faster, and more confident girls will be able to slide hands first.

Do NOT ever force girls to slide hands first... make it a FUN challenge to encourage them to learn. Then work with that group on hook sliding hands first... and all of them on sliding feet first hook sliding.. and diving back.

NOTE: If the catcher does NOT step towards the base... most girls can lead off 2.5 steps and get back before the throw... some can go out even further... push them and make that catcher throw... you must create opportunities for errors.

If your opponent's catcher... NEVER throws the ball... to keep your runners back... then they will NEVER make a throwing error!

Throwing errors WIN GAMES.... allowing your runners to advance to the next base... or maybe even score the winning run eh :-)

Thank you to everyone that coaches and/or supports their daughter(s) love for this amazing game...

Your daughter is "The Future of Fastpitch"

Please feel free to send me a private message or connect with me on Social Media - I love helping with "Training The Future"!
Experienced advice is FREE to those that listen... Others will pay for it later"
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FastpitchPros
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by Fleurpink » Sun Jan 26, 2020 5:44 am

joaquinjunior wrote:Oh, and that a great Hook slide. that is a better chance of avoiding a tag as well.
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The coach that is teaching that to 10u rec players does not know what he is doing. You should never teach players that do not even know how to slide to go in head 1st. If a player gets hurt doing this, he is liable for a huge lawsuit. He should be teaching them to hook slide on the back side of the plate and get their hand on the back of the plate!![/color]
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