Timing: Show bunt, pull back, swing

[jimginas]

I think the important thing is to have various tools your batters can use based on what the defense gives you. obviously not all strategies work, but the more tools the batters have, the more pressure on defense and the more chances the defense will make a mistake on what should be routine plays..... A local university down where I am bunted repeatedly with bases loaded and even with 2 strikes....

For me: Even if we are swinging away, I like the batter to choke up and put the ball in play, and if runner at 3B and less then 2 out, I like slow rollers to 2B side...... OR my favorite is (especially when they kboow you'll bunt in ANY Situation), if you CAN draw the corners and middles to cheat to their bases, slap to the vacant holes..... even a RH batter can choke up and punch the ball! beter chance for contact and not a lot of power, BUT we aren't looking for power if that is the strategy we are using that at-bat.

 

[lhowser]

This year in the LL Junior World Series Championship with one on and no outs in a 0 - 0 game the lead-off hitter for Puerto Rico showed bunt on first pitch. Next pitch I called a rise ball (that didn't rise)to try to get her to pop-up, she pulled back and drove the ball over the left fielders head who had crept in. Run from 1st scored. We lost championship 2 - 1 in large part because of the fake bunt pull back and our poor adjustment to it. It definately made things happen in this case.

 

[jimginas]

lhowser: Cool discussion, and next time you face that situation, where do your fielders play? I teach my outfielders to read the batter's feet. Watch her back foot and if it crosses over, THEN come up a liittle, STILL WEARY for the Hard slap that CAN jump over their head. Otherwise play normal depth. So many slappers can ht well also and having BOTH these tools makes them difficult to defend.
*** Maybe the best defense against this type of batter is pitch her LOW and IN to hope to get a grounder to 1B side??

 

[lhowser]

Pitch selection is so important here. I questioned my calling a rise (about 5 times in 1 second) even as I was calling it because you can leave it flat at 14U if it's a pitch under development. I love HARD, LOW and IN. Better to give up second on a week swing off the handle often to third (because of the quick pull back and the fact that hands are out for the bunt batters will often cast on this) or to first rather than to give up a jack. I'll have third in a few and cautiously on the attack and third and pitcher attack if it is a bunt and if third plays it pitcher covers 3 to prevent an open bag for runner advancing to 2.

 

[jimginas]

something to consider..... as the girls get older, having a pitcher cover a base may be dangerous. Pitcher covering 1B on balls hit to her 1B side is one thing as most runners aren't sliding into 1B (Aggresive teams may slide w/ high cleats at a pitcher covering a base.) W/ runner at 1st or NO runner, I like the catcher coming up the line to cover 3B if she doesn't field a short ball, pitcher backs up a potential throw. ** I USED to have pitcher coverng 3B if 3rd fields the ball, though I had a couple friends suggest not to and having a catcher cover 3B (which for ME, catchers should ALSO know 3B and 1B, so she can handle it ust fine. like middles SHOULD know BOTH middle positions. ok, rambling now!)