A "one way" lead is used in baseball circles against a left handed pitcher. The idea is the base runner takes a larger lead and as the pitcher picks his leg up the base runner shuffles back to the bag shortening his lead. If the ball is thrown to 1B, the runner will be back at the bag in plenty of time. It is this early arrival that can be taken advantage of offensively.
The runner shuffles back to the bag and the ball is thrown to 1B. Rather than hurriedly scrambling to get to the bag, the runner can get to the inside edge of the bag and "anchor down" his position. This means that if the ball is thrown errantly, there is a chance the runner could prevent the ball from being caught. If the ball goes down the line, the runner could take 3B.
Another advantage of the one way lead is you get an opportunity to see what kind of pickoff move the lefthander has. Certain lefties are easier to run on than others. If we take a larger lead inviting a pickoff attempt, we get a chance to see the move. At the least, we can make an educated decision as to whether or not we should straight steal.
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