I remember asking on another board years ago which was faster for stealing 2B the Cross over or the Jab Step? I tend to believe one over the other and have seen research to back it up but wanted to see what others thought.
The cross over is the fastest way since you gain ground toward 2nd base in the same time that a jab step is taken and you stay in the same spot, however, it's not often done consistently. I recently saw an MLB Network segment of Harold Reynolds breaking down Billy Hamilton and how he takes a reverse jab step (initially steps back toward 1st base) and actually loses ground to 2nd base. I'm sure Billy has been taught the cross over, but being taught and doing are two different things.
I think tbaillie2 hit it on the nail, comes down to each player. For me the Jab Step was faster and you do gain ground, cross over for me seemed to take longer because you gain ground but it takes longer. I was watching some videos of Billy Hamilton and he seems to jab step and alot of guys now seem to do both at the same time, almost like stepping slightly with their front foot as the back foot starts crossing over. Maybe that is the secret. Here is a good back view of Dee Gordon.