If the ball is hit to the third baseman, it is his job to back up the play. If he can get to the ball, he should do so. The right side of the infield is the shortstop’s domain – anything hit between second base and the left foul line is his responsibility. The player’s momentum will carry him either to the ball, or toward his base. On any contact, the first step should be toward the ball. Above all, a shortstop must be able to make decisions and think on his feet, as he is the captain of the defense, and is responsible for setting the tone on the field. Shortstops routinely throw to first base, sometimes from deep in the hole therefore, arm strength is a big requirement, as only the third baseman has a longer throw in the infield. Naturally, your shortstop must have a solid glove – he frequently has the best defensive skill of any payer on the team. While raw speed is not an absolute requirement, the faster he is, the more range he has among infielders, the shortstop has the most need of speed. Your shortstop must be mobile and quick on his feet. Of course, in order to properly prepare the team, you must understand each position! Never underestimate the power of a well-coached team – time and time again, at every level of competition, we see that teams who function as a team outperform those who do not, even when the opposition supposedly has more talent or ability. This kind of coching does a huge disservice to the team as a whole and even to the star players themselves, who tend to develop very bad habits because of this. the shortstop is usually the best player on the team, and the head coach is often tempted to let him do what he wants, figuing that other players will only get in his way. This article – How to Play Shortstop (the Right Way) – is part of our “How to Play” series aimed at helping youth league coaches properly instruct their players on the fundamentals of each position.
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