Head first slide. Like or dislike

[_MIA_]

Interesting subject and responses... For those that don't, do you teach your players to dive for a ball on defense?

You cannot catch a ball with your feet...well not easily at least

 

[Mocoso]

Purely speculating - but I believe the proper technique involves having your palms touch down first, then possibly forearms, stomach, waist, and legs.

If you somehow end up hitting chest first, chances are you just belly flopped to a dead stop, or have also just scraped you face along the ground, making you forget about the discomfort anywhere else on your body.

I believe keeping your head up is what will keep your chest up.

(Says the guy who's never slide head first in his life, and is too old to start now.)

First thing is to get low to the ground as you push forward, you don’t want the palms landing first from a high distance... I’ve seen kids jump up and out and then land on palms first and then belly flop - that’s a recipie for injury and it hurts! low low to the ground and then push forward - your body should almost be like a rock skipping dirt- palms knees thighs all hitting at the same time spreading the impact - hard to describe - head up is recommended less the face mask dig Into the ground but on diveback to first for example the head should be turned left away from throw not up - a) to protect your neck and b) see if the ball got past first baseman - I prefer head turned away from throw rather than up


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[robertc3]

The only time I can see it warranted when running to first is if the throw is up the line and high and a slide will help to avoid a potential tag. That said most players are not really savvy enough to be able to judge that situation in a fraction of second.

The above is true. Not sure where people are going with the faster for sliding into 1st base. Head first is faster than sliding feet first, but running through the base is another matter.

If you land on your palms, forearms, thighs, then belly, your chest should be ok. I never got a dirty chest from sliding head first, but got plenty of dirt down the waist of my pants. Head up and turned away from the direction of the throw.

 

[ANNASDAD]

I'm okay with a head-first dive back to the base, but I don't like it for a full-speed slide.

This is exactly how I feel about it yet my knucklehead still continues to do it!

 

[ANNASDAD]

Interesting subject and responses... For those that don't, do you teach your players to dive for a ball on defense?

My DD dives for everything and is VERY successful at diving for balls at SS but I still don't want her diving into a bag or home plate at full speed when there's an opposing 150 pound player possibly standing there with cleats on! Injury percentage goes WAY up!

But having said that, she does it anyway!

 

[julray]

Interesting subject and responses... For those that don't, do you teach your players to dive for a ball on defense?

I've seen it taught.. at the end of the day the player will or will not make the sacrifice regardless of what they've been taught. No matter how much I try to teach my DD she looks like she dislocates her left shoulder every time. Stretches out for the ball and then it gets jammed under as her body rolls over her arm.. "Just leave your arm extended" .. nope she still does it her way flaunting with a serious injury.

 

[Vertigo]

Interesting subject and responses... For those that don't, do you teach your players to dive for a ball on defense?

Yes - because most times there is no concern for them colliding head first into another body.

 

[Softballmom2008]

Like Cody Bellinger? He’s an amazing outfielder and athlete. I love watching him dove for balls in the OF.

 

[Strike2]

You cannot catch a ball with your feet...well not easily at least

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

 

[grcsftbll]

I cringe when I see players do it. To me it’s just not worth the risk of a hand getting stepped on with metal cleats or a head crashing into a defensive player’s leg and causing them to injure their neck or jam a shoulder. Just my 2 cents.

A friend of a friend was injured badly doing a headfirst slide. Collision, brain damage. You can get hurt doing anything of course, and I don't think one incident means something should never be done. It just makes me nervous too. My own DD has never done it that I can remember, though she dives back all the time.