Bunt defense 10U B

I coached 5 yrs at 10u. No one on base: f3, f5 charge f4 has 1b. I have had some very talented pitchers, my f4 can not be my weakest infielder. More ground balls will go her way because of my pitching. So my f4 covering is not a problem.

Runner 1b: f5 and f3 charge. F4 has 1b and f6 has 2b. We have a saying...not me, I'm at 3. P or f5 doesn't have the ball they hustle back to 3. Never had a runner go to 3. (Knock on wood).

Runner on 2b: f5 and f3 charge f4 1b, cf 2b, f6 3b..when f4 catches the ball her next reaction is to run ball up in her throwing hand directly towards home between home and pitchers mound. Runner attempts she throws home.

Greenmonsters said:

Rather than work on the gimmick coverages that have serious flaws beyond 10U or 12U, why not spend that time focussing on the fundamental throwing and catching skills needed to effectively implement the basic coverage.

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^^^^^^This

coachbubbles said:

Which leads to my next question- charge with the hands up in case of a pull back slap? We did this at the older ages after seeing too many close calls. I would rather see one go under the glove than lay out my player.

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I handle this two ways. If they show early, I just teach them to wait till the bunt gets laid down or it is obvious they will to crash. They may take a step or two, but not a full on sprint. If they come around late (pitch in the air), crash hard. Most times F5 will be playing up to cover the bunt, if they are quick they will have plenty of time to crash when the bunt is laid down and still field the ball and make the throw. If it is to far for F5 to field, its close enough to the catcher for them to make the play.

DD has played 3rd enough that she stays back when player shows bunt early, she is 15.

Maybe my biggest pet peeves is showing bunt and hitting a younger ages.

Glad thier coach and player are so clever, really proud of them.

The 12th player to play 3Rd this year I did not coach well, my bad.

Amen. I think it is a duty of younger level coaches to teach what they will be doing at the higher levels.

Eric F said:

By all means, teach it the way you think is appropriate for the level of your players. My goal is to teach what my players will need for the next level.

If you don't get coverage on 3B, good teams will take that base in a heartbeat. Personally, I'm not a fan of giving the lead runner a free pass to 3B. F2 is already moving out from behind the plate. In this scenario, she's just continuing her path another 50 feet. Depending on where F7 is playing, F2 may get there a lot faster.

I don't think F2 backing up 1B is crazy.

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From my experience showing bunt and hitting is not just about trying to fool the defense and ram it down their throat. IMO I believe it is a valuable technique for younger players to learn. Squaring up can help the hitter zone in on an area they are looking for the pitch. It is a great technique for hit and runs and developing some rhythm when players are struggling at the plate. Mix it up with a late show and getting the defender to commit by just one step can make a big difference in protecting the runners. I am a big proponent of teaching this at an early age as well as executing the fake bunt properly. Just my opinion...

quincy said:

DD has played 3rd enough that she stays back when player shows bunt early, she is 15.

Maybe my biggest pet peeves is showing bunt and hitting a younger ages.

Glad thier coach and player are so clever, really proud of them.

The 12th player to play 3Rd this year I did not coach well, my bad.

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Glad I asked this question. Worked on this for about 30mins with the team today and they had 2 defenses down with no problems. They enjoyed the challenge and I feel much better for doing a better job as a coach getting them ready to move up. I guess I shouldn't have underestimated their ability, being young and inexperienced. Thanks for the input!