Bunting hand position

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Aug 23, 2016
359
43
So, when DD (right-handed batter) was first taught to bunt, she was told that she should hold the bat with her thumb and forefinger and the rest of her fingers should be protected behind the bat.

But when she played all-stars last year, her coach told her to wrap her top hand around the bat (fingers facing the pitcher) because she'd have more control. And I've noticed that most other coaches in DD's league teach the same hand position.

So what is the correct hand position? Does the age matter? DD is 10U so the girls' hands are generally pretty small, though DD has always had giant hands so it's easier for her to pinch the bat than it is for a lot of other girls.
 
Nov 18, 2015
1,585
113
Where do they want her top to be on the bat?

I can see wrapping the fingers if it's a last minute / bunt for a hit where you're only moving the hand a few inches up the barrel - for more of a "drop the barrel" kind of bunt.

But I would think that's pretty advanced for 10U. I'd start with the "pinch the barrel" technique.


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Oct 11, 2010
8,337
113
Chicago, IL
I want everyone to go home and not to emergency room, having top hand exposed to pitch sounds like a really bad idea to me.
 
Aug 23, 2016
359
43
Where do they want her top to be on the bat?

I can see wrapping the fingers if it's a last minute / bunt for a hit where you're only moving the hand a few inches up the barrel - for more of a "drop the barrel" kind of bunt.

But I would think that's pretty advanced for 10U. I'd start with the "pinch the barrel" technique.


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They wanted her hand right where the bat starts to widen.
 
Feb 4, 2015
641
28
Massachusetts
Pinch the bat. It not only protects the fingers from being smashed, it allows for greater control of the bat. Wrapping the hand around the bat, with fingers pointing up twists the hole forearm and points the palm up.

Equally important, if not more, is what part of the bat hits the ball. With a bunt, you don't want the sweet spot. Have your DD bunt within the last 2-3 inches of the bat.
It will deaden the ball off the bat; and it will give her more plate coverage on an outside pitch.
 
May 17, 2012
2,804
113
Pinch the bat. It not only protects the fingers from being smashed, it allows for greater control of the bat. Wrapping the hand around the bat, with fingers pointing up twists the hole forearm and points the palm up.

Equally important, if not more, is what part of the bat hits the ball. With a bunt, you don't want the sweet spot. Have your DD bunt within the last 2-3 inches of the bat.
It will deaden the ball off the bat; and it will give her more plate coverage on an outside pitch.

You definitely don't want to be pinching the bat, this is not best practice in my opinion. People have been teaching the pinch the bat baseball style for years. The one thing we know about baseball players is that they are poor at bunting.

The coach in the OP's thread is doing it the right way. Hold the bat with your normal batting grip. Open the hands and let the bat slide down until where the fat part of the barrel starts. Wrap fingers around with both hands. This will give you better control than pinching the bat (try pinching the bat against a 62 MPH softball, it's really really hard).

On an inside pitch you will move the hands out of the way naturally. There is little risk of getting your fingers mashed. In 20 years I have not had a batter get her fingers mashed bunting this way.

Please don't teach them the baseball style pinch the bat method. Teach them best practices from the start. I have started with 10u before..
 
Last edited:
Feb 4, 2015
641
28
Massachusetts
You definitely don't want to be pinching the bat, this is not best practice in my opinion. People have been teaching the pinch the bate baseball style for years. The one thing we know about baseball players is that they are poor at bunting.

The coach in the OP's thread is doing it the right way. Hold the bat with your normal batting grip. Open the hands and let the bat slide down until where the fat part of the barrel starts. Wrap fingers around with both hands. This will give you better control than pinching the bat (try pinching the bat against a 62 MPH softball, it's really really hard).

On an inside pitch you will move the hands out of the way naturally. There is little risk of getting your fingers mashed. In 20 years I have not had a batter get her fingers mashed bunting this way.

Please don't teach them the baseball style pinch the bat method. Teach them best practices from the start. I have started with 10u before..

Perhaps pinching the bat was not an accurate description. It's more like forming a C with the index and thumb and letting the bat rest in the C. What you do with the other three fingers is a matter of preference, but certainly not wrapping them all the way around. What you're describing by letting both hands slide together down the barrel and wrapping them is another style we've seen a few girls within her club also use... with mixed results. My DD, and her coach, prefer to not have the hands together like this.

I guess if there is any lesson here for the OP, is you've got to figure out what works for you.
 
Nov 18, 2015
1,585
113
You definitely don't want to be pinching the bat, this is not best practice in my opinion. People have been teaching the pinch the bate baseball style for years. The one thing we know about baseball players is that they are poor at bunting.

The coach in the OP's thread is doing it the right way. Hold the bat with your normal batting grip. Open the hands and let the bat slide down until where the fat part of the barrel starts. Wrap fingers around with both hands. This will give you better control than pinching the bat (try pinching the bat against a 62 MPH softball, it's really really hard).

On an inside pitch you will move the hands out of the way naturally. There is little risk of getting your fingers mashed. In 20 years I have not had a batter get her fingers mashed bunting this way.

Please don't teach them the baseball style pinch the bat method. Teach them best practices from the start. I have started with 10u before..

Guess I'm scratching bunting off the practice plan for tonight. Further research is needed!


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Oct 11, 2010
8,337
113
Chicago, IL
I do not teach it, willing to admit I am wrong.

Top hand is pretty close to handle so it only slides a little bit. Split hand grip like is how I think of it.
 
Apr 5, 2013
2,130
83
Back on the dirt...
You definitely don't want to be pinching the bat, this is not best practice in my opinion. People have been teaching the pinch the bate baseball style for years. The one thing we know about baseball players is that they are poor at bunting.

The coach in the OP's thread is doing it the right way. Hold the bat with your normal batting grip. Open the hands and let the bat slide down until where the fat part of the barrel starts. Wrap fingers around with both hands. This will give you better control than pinching the bat (try pinching the bat against a 62 MPH softball, it's really really hard).

On an inside pitch you will move the hands out of the way naturally. There is little risk of getting your fingers mashed. In 20 years I have not had a batter get her fingers mashed bunting this way.

Please don't teach them the baseball style pinch the bat method. Teach them best practices from the start. I have started with 10u before..

While I agree with this style, my own DD broke the tip of her throwing hand index finger when a pitch came inside on her and she couldn't get out of the way. Her D1 player hitting coach had just taught her how to do it less than a month earlier so she didn't have a ton of experience either. That was 2 years ago and I still cant get her to do it like you said. We may work on that more soon...
 

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