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| Phillies' Jimmy Rollins lays down a practice bunt. |
Know The Basics To Be A Good Bunter!!
The Basics
Like free throws in basketball, or blocking in football, you will rarely see bunting on the highlight reels on ESPN. (Unless something goes terribly wrong!) Nevertheless, bunting is one of the most essential parts of successful baseball and is often overlooked. Bunting is as easy or as hard as you want to make it, so for our bunting Tip of the Week, let's keep it simple.
Common problem: Players try to guide or stab at the ball in order to direct their bunt and they wind up missing the ball, tipping it foul, or the result is the dreaded bunt pop-up.
Solution: Just play catch with the pitcher! The easiest way to keep your bunt under control is to think "soft hands" while bunting. Your top hand should hold the bat comfortably on your index finger, using your thumb as a guide. Your top hand should be far enough up the bat that if you were to release your bottom hand, the bat would balance right there between your index finger and your thumb. So as the pitch approaches, just let the bat catch the ball, don't make the bat go meet the ball.
Do not change the level of your bat during a bunt, just change the angle the bat faces the pitcher. To keep it simple, if I want to bunt down the 1st base line as a right hander, I will point my knob down the 3rd base line, keep my bat parallel to the ground, and let the bat catch the ball. If I want to bunt down the 3rd base line as a right hander, I will point the barrell of my bat down the 1st base line, keep my bat parallel to the ground, and again just catch the ball with the bat.
For left handers just reverse the process-- to bunt down the 1st base line, point your barrel towards 3rd base, and to bunt to the left side, just point the knob of the bat toward 1st base.
Think "Sacrifice"-- This is a productive out! Just keep it away from the pitcher but do not try to be too fine or you will find yourself consistently in an 0-2 hole. Remember you are giving up yourself to move the runner!
Remember, at your next practice, do not leave without practicing your bunting! It's an important part of the game for you and your team.
