Bunting hand position

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Sep 17, 2009
1,637
83
We have a bunting station as an everyday part of practice. I teach the "baseball style" as Gunner describes it but I'd just describe it as something that my players have had success with for 3 decades. In fact, we are known as a school that can hit and bunt so you have to be able to defend both. I want a "pinch" just before the area where the bat flattens out in the barrel. I want the other hand about two inches up from the knob. I don't want the velocity of the pitch at contact to jerk the bat back resulting in a foul ball.

How do we coach it? We start with a lite flite machine and those soft baseballs. We get rotated into the bunting position and a feeder feeds the ball and the bunter catches the ball with their top hand. We do this slowly at first and then turn this into a more rapid fire feed. In that way, the bunter has to be able to bend at the knees or slightly lift to get the bat (their hands) in the correct position to bunt. BTW, I want that bat at a 45 degree angle when they start. (So hands pretend to be at a 45 for this beginning drill.) I want the bat "up" as opposed to being middle to down wrt body position.

From the first sequence, we now take the player's game bat and they bunt one handed off of the same lite flite machine. They are to catch the ball with their hand with the bat in the way.

From there, they are allowed to use two hands on the bat and learn how to adjust with knees and the knob hand on bunts. The other or top hand always catches the ball.

Very nice. IMO the problem most bunters have is they move away from the "catch-the-ball" top-hand handset where their hand is laid back palm facing the pitcher/ball and instead start poking at the ball knuckles-first. We too start with catching the pitch. Then, when hitter adds a bat, we also use a pinch style but ask the bunters to leave their top hand "laid back" in a catch position. They then continue to catch the ball with the top hand but the bat simply gets in the way...They should make consistent contact and this also gives them very soft hands. In a drill like Cannonball's without a bat, typically girls will catch or at least palm-smack EVERY ball. The key is to use the same "move to the ball" soft-hand catch-the-ball mechanic when they add a bat. Soft hand catch, no stabbing, keep the barrel and nose close to one another by leveling via the knees not the arms...
 
Mar 13, 2015
202
18
Omaha, Ne
This is the grip I've taught both my DDs. Works for drag, sac, push, or whatever else kinda bunt there is. And yes I keep a bat at work gets boring around here sometimes.
aeaa8a886d42b1ec4e611318cb8a88d8.jpg
aee75abfa8ff33b35659ced7bb4d0a13.jpg


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Oct 11, 2010
8,337
113
Chicago, IL
What type of bat is that? I like pictures:)

Did not read all the responses but I think OP are/ were being taught to keep that top hand about 6 inches down from your picture, need to see both hands to be sure.
 
Mar 13, 2015
202
18
Omaha, Ne
What type of bat is that? I like pictures:)

Did not read all the responses but I think OP are/ were being taught to keep that top hand about 6 inches down from your picture, need to see both hands to be sure.
It's an old LS T141 that was great for BP in 2002ish. The reason for the "pistol grip" is simple...the index helps the barrel from being "pushed" back. If you teach the "pinch the barrel" method, think about how many young kids don't have big enough hands to "pinch" or are to weak atm. Give it a shot, You'll instantly feel the control. As far as my left hand placement well it's about 8 inches away from my right but that's where Im comfortable. Just gotta let DD try it and see where she's comfortable with her hand placement. Another thing someone mentioned was catching it on the last 4 inches of the barrel. I would always tell them the last 2 inches of the barrel but yea, it was probably 3-5 As far as my hand placement on the barrel, i'd suggest the same. Wherever DD is comfortable but definitely on the barrel. And for the record, I've only bunted once in an official game... I was 12 and got benched right after lol

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Feb 13, 2015
164
18
to piggy-back sluggers comments:

how you hold the bat is not important to me,
but bat angle IS.

I've always taught that when bunting in fastpitch,
the bat angle must be so that the barrel is always higher than the knob.
Also, slightly tipped forward toward the pitcher.

Flat bats bunt foul.
Dropped heads bunt foul also.
These are me observations.

Does DFP agree?
I'm just curious...
I learned, and teach, bat at 45 degrees for a different reason. When turning to bunt, hitter should bend knees until their eyes are at the top of their strike zone. Bat is held at 45° to bring end of bat to eye level. Any pitch higher than your bat and eyes are easy to take as balls. You never have to raise the bat to bunt, only go down.

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Jan 30, 2018
252
0
SE Michigan
I learned, and teach, bat at 45 degrees for a different reason. When turning to bunt, hitter should bend knees until their eyes are at the top of their strike zone. Bat is held at 45° to bring end of bat to eye level. Any pitch higher than your bat and eyes are easy to take as balls. You never have to raise the bat to bunt, only go down.

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I like what you are saying here about the strike zone. We have a very good hitting 11u team but we suffer bunting and it drives me crazy, as we have good players. We practice bunting once a week and still don't seem to be able to get them down in games. When we are in the field and we think the other team is going to bunt, we tell our pitchers to throw a little high to try to induce pop ups and at this age it works fairly often at this age.
 

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