Softball is a great game that involves many different parts and phases. Players have to pitch, hit, catch, field, and throw all during the course of one game. But one part of the game that’s often over-looked is base running. How a team or even a single player runs the bases can make the difference between winning and losing a game.
Whenever a player is running the bases, she should be running like she’s not going to stop until she reaches home plate. This means all players should always be running hard and they shouldn’t stop until the defense (or the coach) makes them stop. Just this type of aggressive mindset may very well help a team gain a couple extra bases in a game.
An important technique that often is practiced when running the bases is to run straight for a base and then to curve out just a few feet before the player reaches the base. So the player would hit the ball and run straight for first base, just before she gets to the base she should take a sharp curve to the right, then back to the left (to first base) and then run through the base and onto second base. This will take far fewer steps then if she went around the bases with one giant curve or circle. Running the bases the correct way could make the different between a double and a triple or even between a triple and a homerun.
The final key to good base running is for the base runner to always know what is happening in the game. The runner must always know how many outs there are, what the score is, and if there is any play (hit and run, steal, bunt, etc.) on at any given moment. So if there is one out with a runner on third base, that runner needs to know that if there is a fly ball to the outfield she needs to be tagging to go home. On the other hand if there are two outs then the runners on any base need to be off with the crack of the bat. No matter what the situation might be, the base runners always have to be on top of it.
Some base running errors are obvious while other base running errors go unnoticed. Yet any base running mistake can make a big difference in the outcome of the game. Therefore proper base running always needs to be a priority for any team and any softball player. Players need to be taught how to run around the bases properly and aggressively and they also need to be taught what to do for any given situation.