Thread: The best way to stand on first base to steal second base

A Biomechanical Analysis of Two Softball Base Stealing Techn... : Medicine & Science in Sports & Exercise


The Rocker Start was faster than the Sprint Start across the five velocities. Also, the velocity curves were different for the two starts causing the interaction effect. No differences were found between the reaction times of the two starts. Therefore, it was concluded that the Rocker Start, due to it's greater linear velocity during the first 15 ft of displacement, is a more effective base stealing technique.

This should put this to rest !

Dragonscoach. This is how I teach it. I want them to be able to shove off the base.i
http://www.ravensfastpitch.org/2009%...20Attitude.pdf

You can also go to the NFCC and the rocker step is disussed and the reasons why.

i agree with MTR.This gives the player a running start. With your method, the runner cannot move toward 2B until the ball is released, therefore while one foot is closer to 2B, it requires a dead-stop start.

Newton's first law is actually paraphrased - "An object in motion will stay in motion and an object at rest will stay at rest unless acted upon by an external force" or "A body persists in a state of uniform motion or of rest unless acted upon by an external force." He never wasted his time stating that an object in motion is moving faster than something at rest. The "external force" mentioned in his first law would be the pushing off on the base from the "track" start or else that base runner would just stand there indefinitely.

When we look at that force exerted by the runner on the bag we can also look to Newton ...

Newton's third law is paraphrased - ''To every action there is always an equal and opposite reaction: or the forces of two bodies on each other are always equal and are directed in opposite directions''. Importance being that a standing start doesn't provide nearly the same force backward that would thus propel forward as the track start does.

I teach girls both ways so that those who are willing to practice and get their timing down so that they can leave early can use that method, but girls that are more comfortable taking the track start, or aren't willing to put the practice time in to getting the timing down, or who leave late for fear of getting called out for leaving early can use that method.

PS - Interesting thing is that Newton's second law is Force = Mass * Acceleration which is what should be applied to hitting. So I'm thinking he was really into fastpitch softball.