Tell me theorys on bunting....

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inumpire

Observer, but has an opinion
Oct 31, 2014
277
43
Im coming to see the players do everything, hit, run, pitch, field and yes bunt. Show me everything you can do. If you cant bunt fine but if you can let me see it also
Thank you…….bunting is a valuable weapon in the Fastpitch game. If you don’t know how or when you use it……you will more than likely have more L’ than W,s.
 
Dec 18, 2016
163
28
Not if you do it right and with the right player. Yes, a plain ol' bunt without any strategy will yield outs. DD has a teammate that will get on base 95% of the time if she taps and goes. Nearly impossible to defend, even if you know it's coming. There is a reason players like this bat .485. This player will rarely get an XBH, but dang it's fun to watch.
My DD's team has a girl that does that from the right side. She's so flipping fast....she'll put it down on the 1st base side and be half way down the baseline before the ball is fielded. It's super impressive. I've seen her miss the first time and do it the second time and they still can't get her. Yes...she hits in the .500's most tourneys.
 
Dec 11, 2010
4,713
113
The regional big name team likes real speed, and it’s speed like most of us are not used to seeing. I was watching with a friend of mine whose dd is on the team. He leans over and says “watch this. If the ball bounces twice they can’t get her out”.

Left handed drag blunter. Yep, bounced twice and she was safe.
 
Sep 22, 2021
382
43
Sioux Falls, SD
We won several games over the years (and lost some as well) that we probably didn't "deserve" to by using bunts to get runners on base when we weren't hitting off of a pitcher. I've watched the floodgates open when the other team mishandles a bunt or 2, or your batter beats one out, then you finally put together a couple of hits. Something about just seeing the ball in play seems to give the following batters more confidence. You seem to assume that all bunts are meant to be sacrifices. I'm not a big fan of selling out to sacrifice in most situations, but I love trying to bunt for hits. If you aren't hitting off of a pitcher why not try and force the other team to make some plays?
BINGO!
 
Jun 6, 2016
2,714
113
Chicago
The regional big name team likes real speed, and it’s speed like most of us are not used to seeing. I was watching with a friend of mine whose dd is on the team. He leans over and says “watch this. If the ball bounces twice they can’t get her out”.

Left handed drag blunter. Yep, bounced twice and she was safe.

This brings up another good point: Bunting, like everything else, is more effective if you have the personnel. If your team has that kind of speed, you should bunt more. If your team has a bunch of girls who routinely hit the ball 200+ feet, you're probably hurting your team if they're bunting too often.

If you have players who can do both, swinging away is almost always better, but there's always a place for bunting for game theory reasons if nothing else.
 

Cannonball

Ex "Expert"
Feb 25, 2009
4,854
113
For me, bunting is kind of a gut thing that I can't really explain. It is the same for stealing bases. This year, my team stole a lot of bases and we were only thrown out once. We ran and we bunted aggressively. For instance, I like the run and bunt with a runner on first expecting my runner to end up at 3B. Depending upon the quality of the team we were playing, I liked the safety squeeze. I like to have my hitters show bunt on steal attempts to see who is moving and where. I have a code for my hitters and I call out the name of our 1st base or 3rd base players telling my hitter where I want the bunt. That then lets the runner know what I expect.

In the area I coach in, there are schools and TB programs that will bunt you to death. One recently won a state title.
 

radness

Possibilities & Opportunities!
Dec 13, 2019
7,270
113
Results-based decision making is rarely an effective long-term strategy.
(People can discuss your concept to that statement if they want. That seems like a good discussion topic.)

I was speaking to the example the other poster mentioned.
Specifically bunting worked.
In that specific example it
'Already worked'

It is undeniable it worked and can work.
Thats the point.

Hypothetically theorize the past all you want but proof was in the moment.
 
Last edited:
Jun 27, 2021
418
63
Could be a few reasons such as defense setup or where they are in the lineup. Many times I would run a bunt at any given moment any situation unless up and game was out of reach.
1. practice for the situation
2. keep the defense guessing
3. make sure we know signs
4. #1 keeping sharp for when we need it.
5. move certain runners without giving up double play.
 
Dec 2, 2013
3,410
113
Texas
In the area I coach in, there are schools and TB programs that will bunt you to death. One recently won a state title.
Death by Small Ball. If you can do it...you do it. There some very high level TB teams around here that are built for speed and their goal is 120' each time the ball is put it in play. If the kid gets out, the coach doesn't care because most of the time it works. If this is ingrained in the players DNA, college coaches love it. I can't stand when I see a runner go station to station waiting on the coaches instructions. Kind of like CB's bunt and run scenario where the runner at 1B is gunning for 3rd. 1st time we got burned on that play was in 10u vs a very well coached team. Guess what we worked on during our next practice!!!
 

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