Main Takeaways:
- The technique when turning a double play as a shortstop needs to be smooth and quick.
- While the popular move across the base when receiving the feed from second is a swipe—at the back of the base—this can cause the shortstop to lose balance, which will affect the throw.
- The shortstop’s more reliable technique is to come across the top of the bag with the right foot, creating separation from the base when making the throw, while avoiding any issue with maintaining balance.
- Be ready: come to the bag with the glove up, and receive the feed with two hands so you can get rid of the ball quickly.
- Stay low, even dropping the arm angle to three-quarters or even sidearm to protect yourself from the oncoming baserunner.
- Most importantly, communicate with the second baseman about the ideal location of their feeds— i.e., Omar Vizquel always liked the feed to stay on his glove-side.