Dig In Baseball

The Art of First Base: All Feet

First base is one of the most under-coached and under-taught positions on the diamond. Most coaches say, “hey kid, go play first.” Because of this, most players at all levels play the position by chance, and in most cases, improperly. I try to coach first basemen to their maximum potential, which boils down to proper first-base footwork. I write here of right-handed first basemen; if you’re left-handed, everything would be reverse. There are several schools of thought when it comes to discussing first-base footwork. Right-handed first basemen should put their right foot on the inside corner of the base. So if you’re looking at first base, you should put your right foot on the corner of the bag closest to you and second base. Put your foot on the left side if you are looking at the base from home plate. This allows you to extend the furthest away from your body to receive a throw from anyone in the infield. This would be “full extension” because at full extension you’re in a great athletic position and give your fielder the best target for the thrown baseball. Over time, you’ll do this without looking. It becomes a “feel thing” like a pitcher finding his change-up grip on a ball without looking.

Now the small changes come from game situations. This might be a ball hit to the glove side of the shortstop, that comes over the bag on the second-base side or the ball hit glove side to a second baseman toward the outfield grass. At first base, you then grip or put your right foot on the side of the bag facing second base to again give you a better athletic position and target for the thrower.

These fundamentals for first-base footwork are critical. First base is all about footwork . If you have it, you’re ahead of the game.

What tips can you share about first-base footwork? What works for you? What critical plays have you made with proper footwork?  ~ By Coach Steve Ballance. Coach Ballance, a baseball coach for more than 12 years, has never posted a losing season. Contact him at sballance@diginbaseball.com.