Slide step
Front heel to the plate
No leg lift means no inside move. The first thing that moves is his front heel, and it slides toward the plate. Go.
He’s side-on to you, so watch the front heel come out from behind his back leg.
FREE TOOL · BASERUNNING · HIGH SCHOOL & COLLEGE
SB Jumps 3B Read him from second. Steal third.
You’re in your lead at second. A full-size pitcher comes set, checks you over his shoulder, turns his eyes home, then either delivers or spins on you. Read his first move and hit GO or BACK. Slide steps, leg kicks, jump turns both ways and the inside move, timed to the hundredth.
- Righty + lefty from second
- Inside move + jump spins both ways
- Free · no sign-up
Lead off second. Read it. Go.
20 leads off second, righties and lefties mixed, game speed. Scored 0–100.
Reads 0/0
Practice: take your lead, then hit GO the instant he commits to the plate or BACK the instant he turns on you. Ready to be scored? Start the 20-Jump Challenge.
Keyboard: ← or B for back, → or G for go.
Or study each move:
The one rule
Front side to the plate: go. Front side to second: back.
At second you don’t have a first baseman holding you, so your lead is bigger and the pickoff has to come from a spin. Every move the pitcher makes starts with his front side going one of two places: to the plate or back at you. Read which way it goes, not his head, not his glove.
The reads from second
Leg kick
Wait on the knee
The lift looks the same for a pitch and for the inside move. Don’t go on the lift. Go when the knee stops rising and drives toward the plate.
You’re already walking into your secondary, so the wait costs almost nothing.
Inside move
Knee swings back at you
Same lift as his pitch, then the knee swings back over the rubber and he spins to second. If the knee comes back instead of going to the plate, get back.
This move only gets runners who go on the lift.
Jump turn
Front foot opens to second
The quick spin. His front foot and front shoulder open toward second before anything goes to the plate. Get back.
Lefties spin to second too. If you suddenly see his chest, get back.
Jump spin the other way
Both heels pop
The reverse spin. Both feet hop off the rubber together and he turns away from you, through the plate side, all the way around to second. Get back.
Both heels leaving the rubber at once is never a pitch.
His eyes are your clock
From second, the pitcher has to turn his head to see you. While his eyes are on you, you’re still. When his eyes go home, he can’t see you, so that’s when you walk into a bigger lead. Most pitchers look once or twice, turn home, and go. Count his looks every pitch. If he runs the same pattern, you’ll know when he’s coming before his knee does.
The tool grades your jump off his first move, not his eyes. Use the looks to time your walking lead, then let the first move tell you go or back.
Why third is worth it
With less than two outs, a runner at third scores on a wild pitch, a passed ball, a sac fly or a ground ball to the right side.
Stealing third is a shorter throw for the catcher than second, but your lead is bigger and the pitcher can’t see you. That’s why the jump decides it. A slow first step or a guess on the leg lift is the difference between 90 feet from home and the dugout.
| Piece | Quick | Average | Slow (run on him) |
|---|---|---|---|
| Pitcher to plate | 1.2s or less | 1.3–1.4s | 1.5s+ |
| Catcher throw to third | 1.8s or less | 1.9–2.0s | 2.1s+ |
| Your jump (this tool) | .30s or less | .40s | .55s+ |
Typical high school and college ranges for reference. Time your own battery with a stopwatch.
Lead and jump
A lead you can get back from
Know your number in steps against his best spin, and take it a step behind the baseline so your path to third is straight. No one is holding you, so own every inch you can get back from.
Walk it while he looks home
When his eyes turn home, shuffle or walk into a bigger lead. When his eyes come back to you, freeze. Be moving toward third when his first move comes.
Eyes on his front side
Watch his front heel and front knee for both righties and lefties. Not his face, not his glove.
Crossover and go
On the read, open the right foot toward third, drive the left foot across low and hard, and get your eyes to the bag. Listen for your third-base coach.
Be aggressive and athletic
The read gives you permission. Once you’ve made it, go all the way. Half a jump is how you get thrown out by a step.
Drills
Live reads at second
A pitcher works from the stretch with a runner at second and a middle infielder covering. Runner calls “go” or “back” on the first move without running. Then add the break.
Count the looks
Watch a pitcher for five pitches and say his look pattern out loud: “one look, home, go.” Then use it to time your walking lead.
Inside-move trap
Pitcher mixes the leg kick and the inside move. Any runner who leaves on the lift gets tagged out. It teaches the wait on the knee fast.
Time it
Stopwatch the pitcher’s time to plate and the catcher’s throw to third. Write it down for every pitcher you face.
Questions
How do I get a good jump stealing third base?
Get a walking secondary lead while his eyes are home, then go on his first move to the plate. A slide step is a go on the front heel. Against a leg kick, go when the knee drives toward the plate, because the lift alone can be an inside move.
What is the inside move to second base?
The pitcher lifts his leg like a normal pitch, then swings the knee back over the rubber and spins to throw to second. It catches runners who go on the leg lift. If the knee comes back toward you instead of going to the plate, get back.
How do I read a pickoff at second base?
Watch his front side. If his front heel or knee goes to the plate, go. If his front foot, front shoulder or knee opens toward second, it is a pickoff. Get back.
Is it easier to steal third on a lefty or a righty?
Neither one is easy. From second both are side-on to you: a righty shows a little of his chest, a lefty a little of his back. The rules are the same for both: front side to the plate is go, front side to second is back.
How is the 20-Jump Challenge scored?
Twenty leads off second, half righties and half lefties, with slide steps, leg kicks, jump turns and inside moves. An elite jump (.30s or less) is +5, good +4, average +2 and late 0. Getting back on a pickoff is +3 if quick, +2 otherwise. Freezing on a pitch home is -2, no jump -1, guessing -3 and getting picked off -5. Your points become a 0–100 Jump Score.
Is SB Jumps 3B free?
Yes. It runs in your phone or computer browser with no app and no sign-up.