In baseball, the space or area that lies between the third baseman (5) and the shortstop (6) is called the 5.5 hole. The shortstop has the responsibility of performing one of the hardest defensive baseball plays when a ball enters this area. He has to move fast to his right and field a quickly moving ground ball that’s been hit by a batter or when there’s a runner who is also moving with speed.
The Shortstop’s Burden
Getting the shortstop to move from the 5.5 hole is not an easy feat. This is because the shortstop has to guard this area vigilantly to ensure that none of the opposing players make it to third base or find sanctuary there. Getting the shortstop to move to the right even just slightly helps improve the chances of an opposing player landing safely on first base.
Baseball luminary Tony Gywnn (real name Anthony Keith Gwynn Sr.) built his career and created his legacy from constantly hitting the 5.5 hole. He coined the term when he played for the San Diego Padres.
A Difficult Play
Hitting the ball successfully towards the 5.5 hole makes for a difficult play for a shortstop. For one thing, back-handling balls are more difficult to do than fielding them at the front. For another, the momentum of the shortstop carries him away from first base, and this is something the shortstop tries to avoid as much as possible. Another reason that makes hitting the 5.5 hole a hard play to do is the fact that the distance of the shortstop’s throw to first base grows when he moves to the right. The further he moves to the right, the greater the distance.
Hitting the 5.5. Hole
For all these reasons, hitters make it a point to practice hitting balls to reach the 5.5 hole because the skill proves to be a great advantage during matches. For example, correctly handling 5.5-hole plays is what separates a stronger player from the weaker ones. An effective shortstop must show considerable arm strength and ensure that more balls end up on his glove side. This requires the dexterity of movement.
