Anyone have any good ideas on teaching the hook slide?

Sawdust pile. Or better yet, a sawdust pit. And you can find sawdust if you look for it. If they have trees in Louisiana, they must have sawmills and sawdust.

Also, as a not quite as good alternative, the old chidren's slick and slide long piece of plastic where you wet it with a garden hose and slide on it.

Technique for it is a bit complicated. If you are going to hook slide to the left of the base, the runner needs to land to the left of the base [as if he was sliding straight into an imaginary base next to the actual base] on his right hip with his right leg slightly in the air [not on both hips if possible]. As he comes into the base, he needs to twist or turn his torso slightly to the right and end up on his side. This will take his upper body away from the defender and will allow him to "catch" the corner of the base with his right heel. Obviously, to hook slide to the right of the base, you would do it with the opposite hip, torso and heel.

The key is to practice it until the runner knows exactly how far away from the base he must begin his slide in order have the right amount of speed to get to the base but not enough so that his heel is pulled off the corner of the base. This takes a lot of practice.

Good luck.

TW344

Are we talking about sliding pits that I remember from my kiddiedom ?

quote:

Originally posted by TRhit:
Are we talking about sliding pits that I remember from my kiddiedom ?

We had one as well when I was in HS. They took sand from the same delivery as the sand that they did track and field with. We knew it was going to be a day of sliding practice when we saw that truck.

I've seen the sliding pit. I've seen the water slide. I don't like the water slide but thats me. I've seen the sawdust on the gym floor. You can slide great. However, it hurts your butt. Good luck with teaching the hook slide. I've become more of a fan of the slide by than the hook. Same general motions but not as much chance of a knee injury. JMHO!

Guy at a local minor league park around here used to do a pretty cool demonstration of a hook slide. It was performed on concrete.....and the guy would show you his technique for a beer.

TRhit:

That is what I am talking about. Any sport's video story about Branch Rickey and the old Cardinals farm/cloning system of the 30's almost always contanis the grainy black and white movie clip of the sliding pit hook slid practice. I get so nostalgic for thos days I almost start crying when I watch it.

CoachB25:

I am in total agreement with you about the potential knee injury issues involving both practicing the hook slide and executing the hook slid in competition. So many runners like to head first slide nowadays that the hook slide has really become a lost art form IMHO. I still prefer it to the slide by when you are attempting to avoid the tag completely. But I doubt if many coaches spend any time on it anymore and you certainly don't want to try to execute in in a game situation without a lot of practice.

Ryno23:

Next time I am in Arizona I would like for you to introduce me to this hook slide guy. I will demonstrate my technique and let him demonstrate his and you be the judge [not on concrete though]. Of course, I am willing to buy him a beer anyway, win or lose.

TW344