Head first slide. Like or dislike

[_MIA_]

Well...there is the sliding catch that can be pretty useful near a fence.

Yup..the guy I quoted was inferring that people who don't like head first slides don't think they are appropriate anywhere including the field..I was just trying to make a point

 

[CoachJD]

I've seen more people get hurt sliding feet first than head first, but I have girls I wouldn't trust to go in head first without looking like a scorpion.

A headfirst slide gives players so much more control over the slide, so I want my more athletic girls knowing how to do that. I certainly wouldn't demand anybody do it if they're not comfortable with it.

Edited to add: Diving back head first is a necessity, and I actually will get upset if someone doesn't do that after they're taught how. You just can't effectively get back to the base feet-first on a pickoff attempt.

 

[CoachKevin]

Yup..the guy I quoted was inferring that people who don't like head first slides don't think they are appropriate anywhere including the field..I was just trying to make a point

That is not at all what I said.... stop putting words into my statement... my point was you TEACH diving after balls on defense, why not TEACH sliding head first? When to do it, how to do it..bla, bla, bla

 

[_MIA_]

That is not at all what I said.... stop putting words into my statement... my point was you TEACH diving after balls on defense, why not TEACH sliding head first? When to do it, how to do it..bla, bla, bla

That is how I read it...you didn't say much of anything actually so I was forced to interpret.

As to the why, imo unlike in the field where diving headfirst has a clear advantage is some circumstance, when sliding into a base the slight advantage it possibly gives does not outweigh the injury risk (accept for diving back to first on pickoff attempts).

 

[CoachKevin]

I've seen plenty of injuries sliding feet first (2 broken ankles, a bunch of ankle sprains, a few twisted knees), so the whole concept of potential injuries strikes me as odd. To dismiss the technique for all is closed minded. IMO I don't think teaching your slowest runner to slide headfirst into home is very smart, but taking your fastest runner teaching her how to do it into 2B or 3B may actually benefit.

 

[_MIA_]

I've seen plenty of injuries sliding feet first (2 broken ankles, a bunch of ankle sprains, a few twisted knees), so the whole concept of potential injuries strikes me as odd. To dismiss the technique for all is closed minded. IMO I don't think teaching your slowest runner to slide headfirst into home is very smart, but taking your fastest runner teaching her how to do it into 2B or 3B may actually benefit.

Could be correct. I still think that if one is taught to slide feet first properly it will be less dangerous than if one is sliding head first properly. Those injuries you mention sound like they come from kids sliding too late..which I see a bunch in 10U/12U softball and makes me cringe every time I see it.

 

[marriard]

Could be correct. I still think that if one is taught to slide feet first properly it will be less dangerous than if one is sliding head first properly. Those injuries you mention sound like they come from kids sliding too late..which I see a bunch in 10U/12U softball and makes me cringe every time I see it.

Unfortunaetly I know WAY too many girls in HS ages who have blown knees from sliding feet first that had great technique. Just takes a caught cleat, a messed up field, a close play... I know I have seen studies in the past which suggested girls are more at risk for knee injuires than boys. Ugh...

That is a year long injury - and then most of another year to get back to where they were. I will take a stomped hand over that - even a broken wrist.

A lot of out girls hook slide into bases as often as they can.

Probably no good answer. All techniques have issues and a potential for injury.

 

[_MIA_]

Unfortunaetly I know WAY too many girls in HS ages who have blown knees from sliding feet first that had great technique. Just takes a caught cleat, a messed up field, a close play... I know I have seen studies in the past which suggested girls are more at risk for knee injuires than boys. Ugh...

That is a year long injury - and then most of another year to get back to where they were. I will take a stomped hand over that - even a broken wrist.

Yes I know all about torn ACL..had one myself in HS (not from sliding) and it took me over 2 years to be back to a semblance of myself (of course that was over 25 years ago). You guys could be right regarding injury risk although when I am thinking about injuries regarding headfirst slides my thoughts were more along the lines of head/neck injuries.

 

[julray]

Proper technique should mitigate the risks for head and neck injuries. IMO headfirst slide should be used when trying to avoid a tag by sliding to the outside/inside and making the player reach.. and not to be used when trying to slide directly under a player trying to tag. Like I said a well executed hook slide can achieve the same outcome as a head first slide. However I agree with others its a more athletic move that gives the runner much more control and options to avoid a tag.

When the ball beats the runner to the base, head first slide can make all the difference. Then again I commonly see umpires at this level call runners out prematurely when the ball gets there first instead of letting the play unfold... very irritating

 

[Silver 2200]

In regards to injuries from foot first slides.

If you were to watch 100 girls slide in a game I would estimate that more than 90 of them would be foot first slides. So it makes sense that there would be more injuries from sliding foot first because it is done so much more frequently that a head first slide.

Now if you were to watch 100 girls slide head first, and then watch another 100 foot first slides. I would certainly expect there to be more injuries from sliding head first.