Base running instincts

[mmeece]

Can/should base running instincts be taught? I will give one example I have seen many times. Line drive basehit over ss head. LFer has to move left to field ball in play. Base runner slows down her pace in order to time the LFer's fielding attempt in order to keep her momentum go towards 2nd base and pounces on any bobble or misplayed ball and takes 2nd. Same play can happen with base runner going from 1st to 3rd. This is in contrast to the runner taught to "go hard" and rounds base aggressively and comes to a complete stop and in frozen on the fielders bobble and either retreats to the bag or worse, gets thrown out trying to advance.
Does anybody teach/ coach runners to keep momentum (maybe even slow pace) to time a fielders possible misplay?
These types of base runners are also very good at the dreaded delay steal. They are hunters of the next base.

It's certainly true that some players have better instincts than others, but I think that many of the "instincts" are a result of combining aggressiveness with experience. I have noticed that the experience doesn't even necessarily have to be from your own game. Even just watching the game more seems to really improve a player's instincts in the moment at a later time. When I was coaching boys I noticed that the players with older siblings who played the same sport often had much better instincts than those who did not.

 

[ArmWhip]

Interesting that we talk about base running but nobody talks about running itself. We tend to think that a player's speed 'is what it is' and that it's not going to change. Not so, like any other skill players can be taught to run faster. Out (or safe) at first by a half a step, speed matters. I tried to talk my organization into bringing in a college coach or a sprinter to teach running itself. They were interested but it ended up going nowhere. Several years ago I attended a small college (D2 and 3) track meet and happened to watch the 100m sprint. I saw all manner of body types but all the runners had certain actions in common. Speed can be improved.

 

[BigSkyHi]

Attack mode

 

[quincy]

I always told the players if I yelled at them to go they were late already. Also they did not get in trouble for being out if they were aggressive.

Get them running first then start explaing why it might not be a good time to be aggressive.

 

[CoachJD]

I always told the players if I yelled at them to go they were late already. Also they did not get in trouble for being out if they were aggressive.

Get them running first then start explaing why it might not be a good time to be aggressive.

Our teams have made a few aggressive outs on the bases lately (mostly trying to take advantage of catchers who are better than our players realized). Quite frankly, a few of them were pretty dumb decisions. I made it a point to not get mad though because we're stressing being aggressive, putting pressure on the defense, etc. These mistakes are going to happen. It's so difficult to get them to be aggressive and take chances. I'd much rather get them firmly in the mindset of wanting to get that next base. Then we'll go over the right and wrong times, what mistakes they made, etc.

 

[BigSkyHi]

 

[Nimrod]

Softball instincts are related to a player's intrinsic desire to play and compete, IMO. Those playing to please others wait to be coached, and then they often forget what they've been coached in the heat of the moment (ie, the game). Those playing for themselves tend to think on their own because making a good play/decision is where they derive their fun. That's simplistic, as all players are on a spectrum as far as their reasons for playing. It's not black-and-white like that. And most kids play for other people to an extent, and that's OK. But from my experience, the ''heady'' and instinctive players are not necessarily the smartest ones (though they often are smart), but they are usually the ones who are naturally competitive in softball and figure it out on their own.

 

[BigSkyHi]

Game on - fast pitch is an exciting event