BUNTING TECHNIQUE
Set up in the batter’s box as if you were going to hit
away. Place your feet in a slightly open stance,
which will give you better balance when you rotate
to bunt. Position your body slightly closer to the
pitcher—line up your back foot so that it’s almost
even with the front of the plate.
Watch the pitcher’s windup. As she brings her
pitching hand straight up in the air, rotate on the
balls of your feet, bend your knees, and hold the bat
at a slight angle. (If you wait until the pitcher
releases the ball, you will be too late and not be able
to get the bat into the proper position).
As you’re rotating your feet, slide your top hand up
the bat and grip the bat using your index finger and
thumb. You want to grasp the bat below the barrel,
where the thin part of the bat meets the wider part of
the bat.
You should be able to control the bat with only your
upper hand. Release your lower hand and check
that you have control of the bat. (Do this at practice
only).
Make sure that you hold the bat in front of your
body. Your top hand elbow will be held at a 90°
angle (or in an “L” shape). Also, keep the bat at the
top of the strike zone. Remember, any pitch that
goes above the bat and hands will be a “ball”, so
pull the bat back. Never move the bat up.
Angle the bat so that it points towards the first base
line (and not back over the plate). Use your legs to
help move the bat up and down—minimize up and
down arm movement. And, get your eyes close to
the top of the bat so that you can look over the bat
to watch the ball coming in (tell your player to
“smell the bat”). This will make it easier to track
the ball once it’s released by the pitcher.
“Catch” the ball with the bat by bringing the bat
slightly back on contact. This will help deaden the
speed of the ball and prevent it from traveling too
far out in the infield. Do not push out at the ball.
Try to make contact on the upper half of the ball,
forcing it down to the ground. Drop the bat and
run!!