Pick offs at 2nd.

From the dugout, we flash a sign to the catcher and the MIF.

The catcher flips the mitt on the MIF's first move towards the bag.

There's an unavoidable built-in time lag. It takes time for the catcher to react to the MIF. Then, more time for the P to react to the catcher. The tenths of seconds add up.

This means that your MIF can begin his sprint to the bag--actually, must begin his full-speed sprint to the bag--from a considerably farther distance from the bag than on the daylight play.

This fact can be an advantage of flipdown over the daylight play because it sometimes lures R2 farther from the bag; and because it means that R2 and 3Bcoach can never relax even when the MIF is far from the bag...which shortens up leads...which is the point of pickoffs, IMO.

It also means that the MIF can perform CREDIBLE feints and v-cuts from approximately his normal playing position. Of course, we mix up the routine, and have him dog R2's shoulder intermittently; or consistently if it makes sense to keep R2 extra honest for whatever reason.

Another advantage of the flipdown is you can pick to the second baseman with a RHP.

When our 2B is helping to keep R2 honest, we want him to never get closer than about a 15ft. arc from the bag. On the flipdown to 2B, he approaches the arc, slows almost to a stop, pounds his glove once, the catcher flips, and THEN the 2B goes to the bag. Because of the time lag, and because he's relatively close to the bag, he arrives there at the right time

From that point on, every time the 2B approaches the arc and pounds his glove, he's selling something CREDIBLE to R2 and 3B coach, but economically in terms of his distance from his fielding position.

Apologies, I do a better job coaching it than I do writing about it.

Thanks guys !!! Awesome info

So does this work better with the 2nd baseman?

quote:

Originally posted by Eaglecoach:
So does this work better with the 2nd baseman?

The flipdown (as compared to the daylight) expedites the timing of a pick throw to the 2B by a RHP, who can't see the 2B.

IMO, select one method of picking 2B and optimize.

In my experience, you'll sometimes have RHP/SS combination with a sixth sense for optimizing the daylight play. But, the flipdown as a general rule yields more consistently credible-looking picks. And, as an added advantage, for the reason stated above, it can also utilize the unseen MIF-- RHP/2B or LHP/SS-- without depending on a one-one-thousand two-one-thousand timing play, which seem to work better in theory than reality.