Defining Running Speed

[Long Baller]

However, I’ll still say getting the ball to bounce on the ground a few times will almost always lead to slapper safe at 1B - important if you are leadoff in the inning.

This is true at times. When teaching young slappers, you tell them "If the ball bounces twice, you're safe".

There are also different ways to bounce the ball. DD likes to one-hop (or low line drive) the ball through the 3-4 hole, 5-6 hole, or back up the middle, depending on what the defense is giving that away. She also likes to chop the ball, creating the high hop. If the fielder has to wait for the ball to come down, you're safe. If the fielder converges on the short hop, you're probably safe or ROE. This works really well down South on their hard fields. You can one-hop it over the infield if you barrel it up. This seems to be the hardest to execute, and mis-hits often turn into routine ground ball-outs. Everyone thinks a hard slap is a hard slap, but the slapper is trying to do distinctly different things. It's really not just "hit a grounder and beat it out" anymore like in 10U.

 

[Long Baller]

As far as the "speed" topic, 2.80 home to first in a game setting is really booking it. 2.8 in a controlled environment, not as much.

 

[Long Baller]

I measure in tenths of a second its where outs are made and bases are gained !!!

I love this quote. So true!

 

[BigSkyHi]

Like the technical numbers 2.7 to 3.0 with game awareness being part of overall productive skill assessment!

Super critical to acknowledge where some athletes gain or lose tenths of a second in quickness, in a sport often measured by inches.

I measure in tenths of a second its where outs are made and bases are gained !!!

Base coaches should also be aware of the players and their own ability to react in the same time frames.

 

[Strike2]

As far as the "speed" topic, 2.80 home to first in a game setting is really booking it. 2.8 in a controlled environment, not as much.

Any accurately measured 2.8 is very good, but your point is that game speed is what matters. Most of us don't need a stopwatch...we know fast when we see it.

 

[Vertigo]

Any accurately measured 2.8 is very good, but your point is that game speed is what matters. Most of us don't need a stopwatch...we know fast when we see it.

I‘d say 2.8 laser timed from a stand-still start is pretty decent. Probably even faster from the left-side in motion at contact to 1B.

 

[Vertigo]

She also likes to chop the ball, creating the high hop. If the fielder has to wait for the ball to come down, you're safe. If the fielder converges on the short hop, you're probably safe or ROE. This works really well down South on their hard fields. You can one-hop it over the infield if you barrel it up.

Yep. DD’s slapping coach told her to always check the field condition before the game starts. Go out and bounce a ball hard into the dirt. You’ll know if you should chop-slap or not based on that.