Sliding advice

[elan6148]

Im a leadoff guy and my strength is in baserunning. I will almost always go for the extra base when possible thats just who I am. I slide alot. I used to wear shorts and long socks and I kept scabbing up my knee. I decided to try softball pants the last couple weeks and yesterday I slid and still scabbed up my knee like i had no pants on at all. Actually a little worse than when I was wearing tall socks/ My question is, Is my sliding technique/method wrong for me to be tearting up my leg so much? I run fast and slide hard but noone else I know has this problem when they wear pants.

 

[hinzy]

Like the front of your knee?

Are you using your knee to "pop up" on your slide?

 

[EAJuggalo]

I had this problem as well, the main issue for me was that the fields were just rock hard if there hadn't been any rain in the last couple days. I bought a sliding pad for the knee and haven't had any problems since. Some people just have thicker and/or more elastic skin than others.

 

[elan6148]

Yeah its right on the crease of the bottom of my knee and leg on the front of my knee. That could be my issue I dont always pop right up but sometimes I do. I never thought of that.

 

[kaerey]

My shin/calf gets all the damage when I wear shorts. Baseball pants did fix my problem. Was there a preexisting scab or scrape under the pants and the knee just got reopened?

The more specific you can be the better, where on the knee is the damage? Centered on the patella? off to one side, above the patella, below it? are there scrape lines that could indicate a direction of path of your knee on the ground? Do you get dirt on any part of your thigh or back?

If I had to guess I'm assuming it's slightly on the outside of your knee below the patella and you could be going in with your knee making first contact with the ground, scrape marks pointing to the bend in your knee or just below it. Probably not getting much dirt on your lower leg/thigh and that's what's taking all the damage. Did you also tear through a pair of pants this last time?

 

[peacemaker]

pants don't seem to help. I bought a sliding pad also and that works good. I use a mizuno slider that you can purchase from the store. comfortable and not too bulky and it protects your knee.

 

[hinzy]

Yeah its right on the crease of the bottom of my knee and leg on the front of my knee. That could be my issue I dont always pop right up but sometimes I do. I never thought of that.

Sounds exactly like where I get mine as well, and it's from using my knee to pop up. It is almost worse with pants because it's more of a rug burn than a dirt scrape.

Either change your form...... or put a wrap, compression sleeve or something that will not move or rub on your knee when sliding.

 

[crushthatball]

Quit sliding..especially if the field is so crappy that you're going to tear your leg up. If you think you can make it, take it. Otherwise hold up and let the man behind you bring you in. Tearing your leg up isn't going to help when you're playing in the field.

 

[Hammerin' Hank]

i NEVER wear shorts for this reason. I have torn up the side of my shin way too many times. Im not sure how you are sliding if your knee is getting cut.

This is exactly how i slide, and you can see the side of your shin takes most of the punishment from the ground, as your knee is slightly elevated. Not so much of an issuse on clay, but gravel will eat you up.

Also you could slide head first.

 

[MauriSSio]

wear a knee pad under your baseball pants. They sell ones that arent too thick and are padded just enough, make sure its nice and snug.

 

[cr4shpeg]

You need to get extra layers between the skin that gets torn up and dirt. Whether its a sliding pad or some kind of compression sleeve, the more layers between the dirt and your skin, the better. Every year I tell myself that I'm not going to slide in league games where people are just ****ing around, but if it's going to be a close play at the bag, instinct takes over and I'm left with a huge gash on the outside of my left leg

 

[dponder]

Lean back a little and take the pressure off your knee/shin so you are sliding on your thigh/butt. I generally just slide head first and don't have any issues plus it's easier, for me, to slid around a tag.

 

[Balls J]

I used a Lite soccer shin guard, one with out the hard plastic, and a neoprene knee sleeve and that pretty much stopped all the scraping. But seriously, just quit sliding, its not worth hurting yourself or someone else... its just a game, a very silly one at that.

 

[dgambill85]

how about you don't slide and have faith in your team behind you. Very rarely do I slide, hell very rarely do I take the extra base because it's slowpitch softball and the person behind you, especially if you're leadoff, should be able to hit.

 

[BigBee]

I have worn pants when playing for the past 12 years because of this. I have a couple pair of Rawlings Pro-Flare pants that I like. They are baggy and are double-layered/reinforced in the knees.

But, I gave up sliding a couple of years ago after tearing the **** out of my shin 1 night sliding into 2nd on a field that would've been softer if it had a concrete surface. Not sliding has really helped reducing injuries

 

[tnbowhunter]

how about you don't slide and have faith in your team behind you. Very rarely do I slide, hell very rarely do I take the extra base because it's slowpitch softball and the person behind you, especially if you're leadoff, should be able to hit.

This is what I am slowly starting to do

 

[g8orguy]

I had the same problem. Now I mix it up with a headfirst slide occasionally (though beware for your fingers, wrists, and shoulders).

If you run fast enough you don't have to slide.

 

[Nickelnutz]

I wear knee-high socks under my pants just for the extra layer of protection. Seems to have saved some skin since I started wearing them.

 

[rkjunior]

a small neoprene knee brace works awesome. slide it down around your shin.

 

[Triple7]

If you throw your hands in the air when you slide you will land on your hip/butt area......
But habits are too hard to break at this age Mizuno sliding pad ftw

 

[hatemail]

best advice i ever got for sliding after i scabbedup my knee....either dont slide or go headfirst....going headfirst gets you to the bag faster imo than going feet first...

 

[mac51]

I had the same problem now i wear the nike pro combat hyperstrong sliders. They come down to your knees never had a problem since.

 

[MauriSSio]

...If you run fast enough you don't have to slide.

I get what youre trying to say but this is only half true. Sliding helps avoid tags, get to the base quicker AND probably most importantly, allows you to stop abruptly.If you dont slide, you pretty much have to start stopping way earlier so that you dont overrun the base.

 

[MauriSSio]

a small neoprene knee brace works awesome. slide it down around your shin.

this, you can usually find these in the "girl" or softball section at Sports Authority. Couple it with sliding shorts and cuts and scrapes are a thing of the past.

 

[MauriSSio]

you really dont need that much padding on the knee, i use something simple like this and have slid a ton of times with it and never got a scrape. Its comfy (very snug though) and it isnt bulky but provides all the knee protection you need.

 

[scrub]

Best long term solution is to drink a lot of beer.

Eventually you'll be fat and slow enough that there is no reason to slide anymore.

 

[boofs]

Lean back a little and take the pressure off your knee/shin so you are sliding on your thigh/butt. I generally just slide head first and don't have any issues plus it's easier, for me, to slid around a tag.

If you throw your hands in the air when you slide you will land on your hip/butt area......
But habits are too hard to break at this age Mizuno sliding pad ftw

They both have it right. Most of the weight during the slide should be on your butt (feet first). This will keep your knee from dragging on the ground. I had to get sliding pants because the fields were still too hard and I would get raspberry on the back of my leg.

Or just get a knee pad

 

[banny]

you really dont need that much padding on the knee, i use something simple like this and have slid a ton of times with it and never got a scrape. Its comfy (very snug though) and it isnt bulky but provides all the knee protection you need.

I agree with this guy. I wear a wrestling type kneepad under my pants. Long pants are a must. They are thin enough that they really can't be seen. A lot of guys will think you're a ***** for using them, but after you take the hide off your knee a few times, you won't give a rat's ass. Plus, they help if you have to slide for a sinking liner in the outfield.

 

[MauriSSio]

They both have it right. Most of the weight during the slide should be on your butt (feet first). This will keep your knee from dragging on the ground. I had to get sliding pants because the fields were still too hard and I would get raspberry on the back of my leg.

Or just get a knee pad

I agree with this also, occasionally the knee will scrape or dig into the ground but most of the weight really should be distributed on the ass. I see way too many little league slides where the guy is pretty much completely sideways like there laying down on the dirt. The knee pad I posted should be perfect.