Courtesy of @noontimegifs. Go follow him on Twitter!
This is a necessary play in baseball, so why wouldn’t you practice this? Some coaches get mad when an athlete tries to perform this and is immediately scolded. Why? That doesn’t make sense.
As a player, I learned this footwork early, when I was 13 years old from one of the most influential coaches of my career, so I never once thought about it during games. I just reacted and my brain recognized the situation, speed of the ball, position of the ball in relation to my body and speed of the runner. Once you learn this, you own it!
Video Clips
Arm Pattern & Trunk Angle
Since the trunk angle will be tilted forward when the ball is fielded, the arm pattern and release point will change. Again, when trunk angle changes, arm angle and release point change as well. The athlete will initiate the arm pattern by leading with the elbow, not so much the forearm. Here’s a great article I did on Trunk Angle and Arm Angle/Release Point Change.
Rolen Slow Roller
Rolen Slow Roller
Peralta Slow Roller
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