I train a lot of baseball athletes and the start position from a base stealing stance is an interesting topic for me. From a sprinters point of view what would be the best technique to use out of that position? You have to face 90 degrees away from the direction you wish to run in, being able to dive back to the bag, and still be in a position to steal, the first move in a short sprint becomes very important.
I would suspect arm action to be the key, any advice?
One of the keys would be to keep the weight on the instep of both feet and weight on the balls of the feet as well, this will allow the athlete to push and crossover effectively either direction. Be conscious of the athlete supporting themselves in this position assymetrically (leaning more on one leg) as this will delay the response and weight shift onto the weaker leg (the athlete will have to shift their weight to that leg, and then push back again in the direction they want to go creating a critical delay in response). The best way to practice it is by practicing it. Film review can help as well so the technique changes become more clear to the athlete.
What would be your first move?
Right now I teach the athletes to tuck the front elbow, jab step right foot(small, step , slightly open), reach with left hand, good forward lean as they transfer their weight, and cross over left foot.
Keys:
Ballance stance
Quick elbow tuck / then fast left / right arm action (piston action)
Lead with the upper body / lowerbody triple extension