Summary: Learn about the different types of cleats that can be worn in baseball to get a better grip on the field with expert baseball tips from a former baseball player in this free sports instruction video clip.
Richard Davis has played baseball at various levels for more than fifteen years. He has played at the Amateur Athletics Union and the National Collegiate Athletic Association levels....read more
"BEN GRAHAM: Every baseball player needs cleats. Now, you can play without a cleat, but it's not very much fun, especially when you're playing on a sandy surface like this. Some cleats come in high-top, some in low-cut. Personal preference. These are about a three quarter mid-cut, which is what I prefer. It provides good support on the ankle. Your standard lace-up, just like a basketball shoe or a tennis shoe. Also, when you lace them, this will fold over, providing just an extra little bit of padding on the soft part of your foot. It's not much, but sometimes it can help if you foul the ball off and hit yourself in the foot. When you take a look at the bottom of the cleat, sometimes they are called spikes. They are called spikes a lot of times because some people do wear metal cleats. Now, these are outlawed in most NCAA. Definitely in the Little League and below, spikes are outlawed. So most people you'll find are the hard rubber cleat. The cleat sometimes come in different designs. This is your basic cleat surrounding. This gives you a good grip on the dirt as you come through. Pitchers oftentimes will have cleats that have extra spikes in the middle to give them a good grip on the mound as they push off. As you're turning the base, these cleats will dig into the dirt, giving you traction so that you won't slip. A standard tennis shoe with a flat surface, you'll slip and slide all over the field. The cleat is very important to the game of baseball, though it is not an essential piece of the game. You can play without it, but it's not as much fun."