How do you read a left-handed pitcher's pickoff move? What are some tips and keys to getting a good jump? What tips off a lefty is coming first or home?
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A good LHP gives no warning.
There are a couple of different ways to steal on a LHP, even good ones.
1) A 'head' guy. He looks at 1B when he goes home and looks at home when he picks to 1B. Steal when he lifts his legs. His brain is programmed to pitch at that point.
2) A timing guy - He pitches and/or picks on the same timing after he comes set. Pitchers are creatures of habit. Most pitchers will pick after a certain time...it is part of their routine. Figure it out and use it.
3) Simply shorten your lead and go on first movement - by shortening your lead, you give the impression you are afraid, when in fact you are stealing.
1) A 'head' guy. He looks at 1B when he goes home and looks at home when he picks to 1B. Steal when he lifts his legs. His brain is programmed to pitch at that point.
2) A timing guy - He pitches and/or picks on the same timing after he comes set. Pitchers are creatures of habit. Most pitchers will pick after a certain time...it is part of their routine. Figure it out and use it.
3) Simply shorten your lead and go on first movement - by shortening your lead, you give the impression you are afraid, when in fact you are stealing.
A good LHP looks at home and throws to 1st then looks at 1st. He may look at 1st and then home more than once to make you think twice.
Pitcher looking at home lifts and moves in the direction of 1st the head trails after the move. My son had 10 pics in 35 innings as a soph at D1. Would have had more if there were more base runners.
In a 19U game he had 5 in 7 innings. One was after the coach warned his player who hadn't even taken his full primary lead.
LHP have to learn where 1st B is and not try to put too much power on the throw. The lift is more like a side step. If the leg lift is higher my son hesitates at the top of the lift and gets the guy caught stealing. Both work.
#3 forgets there is a guy with a gun behind the plate.
Pitcher looking at home lifts and moves in the direction of 1st the head trails after the move. My son had 10 pics in 35 innings as a soph at D1. Would have had more if there were more base runners.
In a 19U game he had 5 in 7 innings. One was after the coach warned his player who hadn't even taken his full primary lead.
LHP have to learn where 1st B is and not try to put too much power on the throw. The lift is more like a side step. If the leg lift is higher my son hesitates at the top of the lift and gets the guy caught stealing. Both work.
#3 forgets there is a guy with a gun behind the plate.
Bobblehead,
In my experience (including D1), very very few LHP's do what you describe. In that case, I would definitely shorten up and go on 1st movement.
In my experience (including D1), very very few LHP's do what you describe. In that case, I would definitely shorten up and go on 1st movement.
That is why he does it. Going on 1st movement when he hesitates at the top of his lift would be a caught stealing in most cases.
I spent years getting him to throw over without looking at 1st when throwing over. At the top of his lift which varies he is looking at home and pivots after hesitating as he steps towards 1st. I used to post a pic of his move. He had a teammate who was a LHP who had a jerky delivery and it was also a nasty move to 1st. He also was a D1 pitcher.
I spent years getting him to throw over without looking at 1st when throwing over. At the top of his lift which varies he is looking at home and pivots after hesitating as he steps towards 1st. I used to post a pic of his move. He had a teammate who was a LHP who had a jerky delivery and it was also a nasty move to 1st. He also was a D1 pitcher.
OK...so your son is not the norm.
Also, it would only be a caught stealing if the 1B can catch it, create a throwing lane and throw my guy out. It's not always the easiest thing to do.
Also, it would only be a caught stealing if the 1B can catch it, create a throwing lane and throw my guy out. It's not always the easiest thing to do.
We usually teach our players to read the throwing shoulder, they always have to move it when they are throwing over to first, very few players can keep their throwing shoulder consistant and on path when throwing home and to 1st. And when we steal we go 70% on firt move.
My son doesn't move his shoulder. From the stretch he faces 1st. His body faces 1st more or less. He doesn't wrap his leg back on lift or his shoulder. As he starts his lift he glances at 1st but faces home when the throw over starts. He is totally open for the throw it is only after the hesitation at the top of lift which varies in height does he make the throw. Hands break low and come up and around. He looks like he is going home but swivels a very small amount and steps towards 1st at the 45% angle. This happens very quickly and his glance is to 1st one or 2 times and then his face is on the plate as he steps over towards 1st. It looks like he has made his mind up to go hoem but only the face motions towards home and then it trails back to 1st .
In a NY state Connie Mack championship game a coach yelled whatch that lefty move so I edited that move for recruiting purposes. It was great and I titled it Watch that Lefty move. You hear the coach bellow out that statement. They had not seen his move yet. The 1st pitch was to home and he glanced at 1st and then at home and delivered the pitch. It looked quite normal. On the next pitch he looked at 1st, looked at home and glanced at 1st and looked at home. It was all over but the coach yelling at the BR. The coach had him practcaly nailed to the bag. He was frozen stiff and gone.
Another time he was pitching with no break against the top OBA AAA team in Toronto district 18U. He was not throwing well because he had pitched 4 times in 5 days. He had already picked off 4 guys. The coach told the kid who was bis best athlete to watch out for the pick off. The kid replied don't worry coach and he hadn't got the words out of his mouth when he was PO. The fans werescreaming balk,balk etc. They were relentless and the Ump told my son to never mind the fanss. he would let him know when it ws a balk. This was a regional championship game and there were 4 Umps. No balk calls because his body had not started forward prior to the move.
I love the hesitation at the top of the lift. It allows a LHP to move to 1st with no warning. Also my son doesn't rotate his hips and shoulders back. Lift leg goes straight up and down and slides out just skimming tyhe mound. May not get max power but he can throw nasty stuff.
In a NY state Connie Mack championship game a coach yelled whatch that lefty move so I edited that move for recruiting purposes. It was great and I titled it Watch that Lefty move. You hear the coach bellow out that statement. They had not seen his move yet. The 1st pitch was to home and he glanced at 1st and then at home and delivered the pitch. It looked quite normal. On the next pitch he looked at 1st, looked at home and glanced at 1st and looked at home. It was all over but the coach yelling at the BR. The coach had him practcaly nailed to the bag. He was frozen stiff and gone.
Another time he was pitching with no break against the top OBA AAA team in Toronto district 18U. He was not throwing well because he had pitched 4 times in 5 days. He had already picked off 4 guys. The coach told the kid who was bis best athlete to watch out for the pick off. The kid replied don't worry coach and he hadn't got the words out of his mouth when he was PO. The fans werescreaming balk,balk etc. They were relentless and the Ump told my son to never mind the fanss. he would let him know when it ws a balk. This was a regional championship game and there were 4 Umps. No balk calls because his body had not started forward prior to the move.
I love the hesitation at the top of the lift. It allows a LHP to move to 1st with no warning. Also my son doesn't rotate his hips and shoulders back. Lift leg goes straight up and down and slides out just skimming tyhe mound. May not get max power but he can throw nasty stuff.
i would agree with redbird. Stay short then go on first movement. If you are a good base runner you will be safe almost everytime. When the pitcher throws to first you should be almost half way to second just stay in the same line as the 1st baseman and short stop so the 1st baseman has to throw around you. By the time the shortstop gets the ball you could already be rounding second.
quote:We usually teach our players to read the throwing shoulder, they always have to move it when they are throwing over to first, very few players can keep their throwing shoulder consistant and on path when throwing home and to 1st. And when we steal we go 70% on firt move.
right arm of zeus, good information, We teach runners, to take a one way lead, or short lead, depending of the speed of the runner. We then instruct them do not take their secondary lead or take off on a hit and run, until the LHP's hand comes across his face.
If he has a good move, then when we steal, it's usually situational, depending on pitcher's focus and possible pitch selection. With most LH it's easier to get that good jump when going on first movement, IMO.
I teach the first move too. It's surprisingly high percentage. We also take an extra 2 steps on our lead when we aren't stealing and then take a jab step back on his first move before we take a secondary. This lulls him to sleep and really sets up the first move steal early in the game. From there, he has no idea what we're doing.
I think it is easier to steal on a lefty at the HS level. Sometimes, the really good lefty's aren't as good at holding runners cause they don't usually see them.
What we do:
Unless we are stealing we have a one-way lead. Meaning: we take as big of a lead as possible and expect to dive back every pitch. Our guys will take one or two steps back to the bag on first movement and still have time to get a decent secondary lead during the pitch. If we see 2 pitches like this we are usually going next pitch. Funny thing is, we have gotten more bases on overthrown pick-offs because the kid is so quick to try and pick us off than on steals.
When we are stealing we simply cut our lead down to a short lead. When we steal out of this we go first movement and might even cheat by trying to time it. I make sure the kids know that if they get thrown out here it is on me. I think at the HS level we would would rather put pressure on the defense and make them execute. Obviously, this depends on how the game is going and the situation we are in. I think you will find this works great against most teams.
FYI-I got this steal from a Sunday Night Baseball game on ESPN a couple years ago...just shows that watching baseball can teach you a lot.
What we do:
Unless we are stealing we have a one-way lead. Meaning: we take as big of a lead as possible and expect to dive back every pitch. Our guys will take one or two steps back to the bag on first movement and still have time to get a decent secondary lead during the pitch. If we see 2 pitches like this we are usually going next pitch. Funny thing is, we have gotten more bases on overthrown pick-offs because the kid is so quick to try and pick us off than on steals.
When we are stealing we simply cut our lead down to a short lead. When we steal out of this we go first movement and might even cheat by trying to time it. I make sure the kids know that if they get thrown out here it is on me. I think at the HS level we would would rather put pressure on the defense and make them execute. Obviously, this depends on how the game is going and the situation we are in. I think you will find this works great against most teams.
FYI-I got this steal from a Sunday Night Baseball game on ESPN a couple years ago...just shows that watching baseball can teach you a lot.
I do not remember where I first learned this but it has been useful over the years.
1. Pitcher looks away from his target.
2.High leg kick instead of low leg kick. Will use the low leg kick on move to first because it creates a better angle.
3.Upper body position. More erect when going to the plate and tilt when going to first.
4.Lead foot toe position. Majority of LH show you their sole when going to the plate and point toe down when moving to first.
5.Breaking the plane.
6.Opening between legs. LH regularly kick out towards first base line when making a move to first again this creates a good angle for him. When going to the plate, he will close more to create energy going to the plate.
7.High hands to first low hands to the plate.
8.Anticipate the quick kick going to the plate.
9.Shoulders squared going home closed going to first.
10. A favorite- big lead faint short lead go.
1. Pitcher looks away from his target.
2.High leg kick instead of low leg kick. Will use the low leg kick on move to first because it creates a better angle.
3.Upper body position. More erect when going to the plate and tilt when going to first.
4.Lead foot toe position. Majority of LH show you their sole when going to the plate and point toe down when moving to first.
5.Breaking the plane.
6.Opening between legs. LH regularly kick out towards first base line when making a move to first again this creates a good angle for him. When going to the plate, he will close more to create energy going to the plate.
7.High hands to first low hands to the plate.
8.Anticipate the quick kick going to the plate.
9.Shoulders squared going home closed going to first.
10. A favorite- big lead faint short lead go.
The best lefties that I have trained and or seen
typically do the following
- disallow free passes, and
- once on base, simply shut the running game down.
I have seen an amateur LHP move that is
equal to and maybe better to anything offered by the Yankees (Petite and Milton).
The humorous tale to tell is when a fricking
base umpire called balk when this same lefty picked off a runner with a three feet lead. The amazing thing was the base umpire said the lefty did not stop when throwing to first base. Both coaches got tossed, and when the rules to the game were explained to the base umpire by the head umpire, the base umpire quit and walked off, never to be heard again. When the plate umpire got the called right and rang up the runner, the opposing coaches got tossed.
That same amateur lefty signed with a minor league club a couple of years ago.
typically do the following
- disallow free passes, and
- once on base, simply shut the running game down.
I have seen an amateur LHP move that is
equal to and maybe better to anything offered by the Yankees (Petite and Milton).
The humorous tale to tell is when a fricking
base umpire called balk when this same lefty picked off a runner with a three feet lead. The amazing thing was the base umpire said the lefty did not stop when throwing to first base. Both coaches got tossed, and when the rules to the game were explained to the base umpire by the head umpire, the base umpire quit and walked off, never to be heard again. When the plate umpire got the called right and rang up the runner, the opposing coaches got tossed.
That same amateur lefty signed with a minor league club a couple of years ago.
quote:Originally posted by Bear:
The humorous tale to tell is when a fricking
base umpire called balk when this same lefty picked off a runner with a three feet lead. The amazing thing was the base umpire said the lefty did not stop when throwing to first base. Both coaches got tossed, and when the rules to the game were explained to the base umpire by the head umpire, the base umpire quit and walked off, never to be heard again. When the plate umpire got the called right and rang up the runner, the opposing coaches got tossed. .
ahh.........there are some guys that just should not be doing the job....this is basic umpiring 101....the only good thing that came from this was he left the profession....
There is an thought in umpiring that states that many ejections are a result of an umpire error...clearly this was a number of ejections all caused by an umpire calling a balk for not stopping in the basic situation of making a play where no stop is required......2 in the bad call........and 2 as a result of the remaining umpire getting the call right......
so how dd the rest of the game go without coaches?...pretty quiet... I bet...
They returned to the old approach and sanctioned a single spectator and player, chosen by the home team with the consent of the rival captain.
It's long overdue to continue the tradition of unpaid volunteers.
It's long overdue to continue the tradition of unpaid volunteers.