Bunting Drills: Sacrifice And Break From The Box Drill

Focus To bunt the ball into fair territory, 3 to 5 feet from the foul lines and 20 feet from home plate.

Setup This is a three-man drill. One player pitches to a bunter from 35 to 40 feet; the third player is fielding the bunts and returning balls to the pitcher.

Procedure Each player bunts 10 balls and then rotates. Emphasize the bunter running a few strides with each bunt attempt to get the feel of getting out of the box after bunting. All sacrifice rules apply.

Coaching Points The bunter wants to be skilled at bunting the ball on the left side or right side with equal efficiency. He should fully understand his role as a sacrifice bunter-this is most important. Once the batter appreciates his role, the bunt becomes a lot easier. The idea of sacrificing an at-bat for the good of the team should make all players want to bunt the ball. Unfortunately, it doesn’t for some players. The important mechanics of the sac bunt are to get in front of the batter’s box, put your foot on the chalk in the front of the box, slide your top hand up to the trademark of the bat, and slide your bottom hand up the bat handle six to eight inches. The top hand should have a loose finger-tip grip so that the bat gives on contact and deadens the ball on contact. To make sure they bunt down on the ball, hitters keep the barrel of the bat 45 degrees higher than the handle. The back foot should be brought up almost parallel to the front foot. Some coaches (including me) prefer to bring the back foot only halfway up; the body is now at a 45-degree position rather than a complete 90-degree turn. The knees are bent, the hands are extended in front of the body as far as possible, the bat angle is set, and the eyes and head are almost at bat level. I like to have our bunters think they are making a pool shot (”eight ball in the side pocket”). Bunting is an art. Thinking they’re Minnesota Fats up there might help them attain proper body position. Remind your bunters, “Bunt first, then run-not vice versa.” Tell them to get the bunt into a good location and then sprint to first base. A lot of bunters forget to apply good running techniques. We strive to make running a big part of our short game, which is obvious in these drills.

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