Excessive bunting?

Bunting is not a substitute for hitting, it is a skill and tactic in its own right. Your AC has terrible ideas and a worse co-coaching attitude. Address it and see what happens. Otherwise, leave.

ChriBart said:

LOL. I guess I have to go in to it... I'm stuck with this AC for better or worse. My team is part of a larger org whose organizer assigns coaches to each age level. I can't fire him, and despite my best efforts, this AC isn't going anywhere since he has 2 girls in the organization. I let him coach 3rd to appease his ridiculous ego, but also because I like being a little detached from the play-by-play and looking at the bigger picture.

Click to expand...

Hate those orgs. That is a different topic.

Look, you are the head coach. Your best role is a benevolent dictator.

That means you will take advice from your AC's and even others, but the end decision is yours. This is a simple conversation "This season we only bunt when the situation calls for it. We are not doing it any other time. We are swinging away and if we have to live with a few more strike outs, that is fine" That is it. If the AC wants to do it differently, they can do it with their own team but not with yours. If they want to disagree, that is fine but they need to show 100% support of your decison. You took their input and suggestions, and you made the final decision.

If you can't do that - or they refuse to do it, or the org overrules you when they go bitch to the org - then you are not really the head coach.

ChriBart said:

LOL. I guess I have to go in to it... I'm stuck with this AC for better or worse.

Click to expand...

You can give signs from 1B, you don't have to do it from 3B. If you don't want to be that involved then you need to set rules for when bunting is acceptable.

From an analytics perspective bunting is bad in every situation (this is why MLB doesn't bunt, even into the shift). Having said that bunting is necessary (more so at the younger ages) so you need to set the situations when bunting is acceptable (Runner at 2B with zero outs for example).

If you aren't in those situation you shouldn't be bunting. Now you can't be 100% with this as opposing coaches will sniff this out but it needs to be 95% of the time (5% is for when you see something like 3B playing deep, suicide squeeze, etc.) But remember it's only 5% of the time that you are going against the numbers!

You hope that by bunting in the most opportune times (and hoping the opposing team bunts when they shouldn't) you will give your team a small advantage in the game.

That is real coaching.

Those coaches that use gut instinct or the eye test are no better than random chance.

There is no value in having the kid attempting to bunt 3 times during a game.

Bunting can help a kid with hitting...but, it should be done before the game. E.g., 20 or 30 bunt attempts during live pitching.

I bunted during a game more than most coaches, but it was always for a specific reason. E.g., if the other team moved 1B and 3B behind the base path.

ChriBart said:

Hello! New poster, but I am a long-time lurker on these forums. I'm the HC of a 12u TB team. Quick background: I have my main AC as my 3rd base coach (that's another story) and he has a fixation with bunting. His philosophy is that if a girl generally isn't doing well at the plate, he gives them at least one bunt attempt per at-bat. He does this without fail unless the bases are loaded. He has done it with 2 outs (not that this is always wrong), with no real strategy behind it.

His main goal here is "avoid a strikeout" because his main goal overall is "win the game". My main goal is to develop the girls into solid ballplayers. So, I'd like to check my own ego because I am far from a perfect coach. Am I wrong in disagreeing here? I don't think a struggling hitter should be made to bunt just because she's struggling. I want them swinging at the plate. Bunt if the situation calls for it, otherwise SWING AWAY. Softball gurus, what are your thoughts? How can I be tactful about this?

Click to expand...

I don’t agree with one bunt attempt per at bat. If the girl(s) are struggling at the plate give them a chance to get things going. Let them swing away 1st at bat or two and see how it goes.
Hitting has a lot to do with confidence. You want the girls knowing you believe in them. A 10/12 pitch strikeout is a productive at bat IMO. A 3 pitch K is not. So every situation is different and needs to be treated as such.
I’m a fan of good bunting and it has it’s place in close well pitched games. It’s not a tool to fix teams hitting issues.
Like other comments made by people weighing in your the HC and you should be calling the shots. If you don’t like AC’s philosophy/tactics put an end to them.

If a kid is pulling their head, bunting can help them get back into contact with the ball.

I like situational bunting and to get them back into contact with the ball...but only to get them out of a slump. Bunting every at bat is just ridiculous. I’ve seen it and I can’t figure out why coaches want to do this.

Just start calling the AC “Good Will Bunting” until he quits.

How ‘bout them apples?

Coaches don't always see eye to eye on decisions, strategy, lineup etc.

As the head coach and the leader of the team, you need assistant coaches who can come alongside and help implement the plan(s) you have developed for the team.

If you feel for some reason the AC can’t come alongside you, support your plans and vision, then I’m not sure why the AC would be there if the AC can’t see himself in a supporting role. I understand the ORG put him there. Each coach has to know their role and responsibilities. I'd suggest redefining the roles, vision, philosophy since you're headed into a new season.

I had a 1B coach who'd have runners on 1b stealing when no steal called. They'd get picked off. Kid upset, parents groaning, me wondering why they kid was stealing in that situation. I'd talked with him about strategy and philosophy...and thought we had an understanding. I thought wrong it started happening more and more frequently. Happened two players in a row and it ran us out of an inning and we lost by one run. When asked what he was doing...he relplied..."we needed to test the catchers arm" . UH NO we didn't we knew the catcher and knew how good she was and knew our runners strengths. He was sending the slowest runners with lowest softball IQ..... We changed 1B coaches after that game and redefined what everyone's roles would be.

Thank you all for your helpful advice, witticisms, and criticisms! I love the collective knowledge and experience to be found on this forum. I've read all your replies, and it's helped me see how I can be better in my role. Thanks again!

We played a team in Reno TCS this summer and the coach made each batter bunt to 2 strikes and hit away. We ended up losing, but that's for a variety of reasons, our team is still "young".

Honestly, I admired the coaches ability to get everyone on board...as a parent I'd be pissed off. But it's their team, their choice.

Sometimes you play a game to "practice" a certain skill perhaps.

But if you're the HC just put your foot down. You can't be the "head" if you're standing back, unable to or unwilling to call the play by play as you see fit. Deferring your power or control of the game to others is your choice and yours alone.