Steve Nikorak and Duke Baxter show us the best form for 3rd Base tags right here at Zoned!
Hey Steve, so we got asked by one of our viewers yesterday, he’s just starting out with an 11U team, for the first time ever kids are allowed to steal, and he said: the hardest thing is when someone tries stealing third base and the catcher throws down, the third basemen is always in the wrong position. They are either getting to the bag late or they’re straddling it wrong. Can you show us some drills that will help teach them how to get to the bag properly, when to go to the bag, and what it looks like?
Yes, definitely. Most times, the third basemen is going to get a delayed reaction, so we need our middle infielder to make sure that they let the third basemen know that the runner is stealing. Most times they will yell out, “Runner!” or “Stealing!” and the third baseman's job is to get to the base as early as possible. He cannot turn and watch the runner and drift to the bag otherwise he will be too late. He has to get there as fast as he can.
So basically, once he gets to the base, we want to straddle the bag. The reason we straddle the bag and we don’t start in front is because if Duke throws me the ball and I catch it out here, that’s gonna take a long time for me to go back and make that tag. The ball is going to travel faster than your glove will. Okay, so we get to the bag as quick as we can, we straddle it, we take that throw, and we want to think down and up as quick as we can.
We do not want to be catching the ball out here and reaching. We definitely don’t want to be back here. So again, don’t worry about the runner, get to the base as quick as you can, straddle, down and up, and show it to the umpire. Easy way to get to the bag early without having to reach, without being late getting to the bag, and getting the tag down quick.
Keep the questions coming and we’ll make sure we keep on shooting videos to help you guys dominate your defense.
Zoned is where an athlete has to be to succeed and we will have fun developing, getting educated, and practice dominating the diamond one pitch at a time.
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