The four second rule

Fast runners can make it down to 1^st base in about 4 seconds.  Occasionally a guy who can absolutely fly can get down there a little sooner but 4 seconds is usually a good number to play with.  If you are an infielder, you must develop a “4 second internal clock” that guides most everything you do on plays in the infield.  At a recent coaches clinic, a friend of mine (John Cohen, Mississippi State) was speaking about how he holds a stopwatch and tells a player to start counting silently to himself when he says “go.”  The player says “stop” when his internal clock hits 4 seconds.  The stopwatch shows how close the player was. 

This skill of recognizing 4 seconds is very important.  If good runners get down the line that quickly, then everything the fielder does in terms of fielding and throwing, turning a double play, charging bunts and throwing, PFP (Pitchers Fielding Practice), etc. all have to be accomplished in under 4 seconds.

As a coach, it’s a good idea to use a stopwatch during all defensive drills to ensure that your players not only work on the fundamentals but also work on their “internal clocks.”

This previous post linked HERE gives suggestions on the uses of a stopwatch in other areas of the game as well.