Baseball AcademicsBUNTING FOR THE BASE HIT
BY RICHARD PACE
To begin with, let’s dispel the myth that it’s harder for a right-handed hitter to bunt for a base hit than it is for a left-handed hitter. Granted, a left-handed hitter to bunt for a base hit is one step closer to first base, but some of the best all time bunters achieved great success bunting from the right side of the plate.
There are two big differences between bunting for a base hit and for the sacrifice. One is the element of surprise. More bunted base hits can be attributed to the surprise factor than to great execution. So when you approach the plate keep your body language to a minimum, assess the fielders positioning discreetly. Take a glancing look about and dig in. Right-handed hitters have a slight advantage over left-handed hitters only because infielders don’t normally expect right-handed hitters to bunt. The fielders will play deeper at the corners. Generally fielders cheat in more for left-handed batters, at least a step, for good reason the lefty has a step advantage in getting to first base.
You can work the surprise bunt factor to your advantage. Needless to say, the ”foul ball on a third strike and you’re out” rule intimidates most players and coaches. But those who are seasoned bunters can accomplish two-strike bunting for hits a great deal of the time.
On the sacrifice bunt, forget about the element of surprise. Everyone in the ball park knows you’re going to bunt, so simply take your time, get set in the proper bunting position, and execute by placing the ball on the ground in a spot where anyone but the catcher has to make the play. It is more difficult when you are bunting for a base hit. When your are bunting for a base hit you want to delay your bunting stance as long as possible by not making your initial move until just before the pitcher releases the ball. You must wait until the last second prior to getting your bat into the bunting position. Your timing of the bunt results in not providing enough reaction time for an infielder (who’s playing back to field a well placed bunt) to throw you out. I have seen many, many times where the batter attempting the sacrifice bunt is bunting for a hit. If he is an exceptional bunter it can be permitted, but nine times out of ten when the need is to move the runner over in scoring position the batter is positioning himself and timing his commitment for the sacrifice! He is giving himself up and not concerned with a hit. Only in certain rare instances is bunting for a hit in a sacrifice situation permissible.
The key to a successful drag bunt is again – the element of surprise. Another successful factor is the distribution of your weight and your take-off to first base. On the sacrifice, no matter whether you’re right or left-handed, your weight will be fairly evenly distributed on the balls of your feet. NOT SO in base-hitting bunting. If you’re left-handed and positioned in the pivot stance, all your weight should be on the left foot at the moment of contact. That foot, in effect becomes your starting block toward first base.
For a right-handed hitter, all of his weight will naturally be on his left foot as he leans slightly forward upon contact. The right-handed bunter should shift his body weight and momentum forward, as if he’s starting to run while his bat his down into the bunting zone. The weight on the left foot again becomes the starting block for the sprint toward first base. Remember, a key to bunting for a hit is proper positioning before making contact with the ball.
As you can begin to notice, there are two basic differences in bunting for a base hit –(1) you delay your bunting mechanics in order to take advantage of the element of surprise, and (2) your weight is on your left foot (right-handed) rather than evenly distributed. Everything else is the same. You still want to look for a pitch you can handle that’s up in the strike zone. If you’re left-handed, an outside pitch goes down third; an inside pitch goes down first and the opposite for right-handed batters. The barrel of the bat is higher than the handle and is motionless upon contact. Remember to bend your knees, keep a soft grip on the bat (protecting fingers behind the bat upon contact), bat is “out front”, let the ball come to the bat and catch it upon contact.
Placement of the ball on the bunt for many players is a major undertaking. As you practice more and more you will become more successful and therefore more aggressive in your bunting attempts. Your reluctance to bunt will disappear. If you are bunting for a hit you have a better chance bunting down the third base line. You have to be near perfect in your placement on the first base side. You have to bunt the ball hard enough to get it between the pitcher and the first baseman to where the second baseman has to make an attempt to field the ball. Or you have to place the ball up the first base line where the pitcher has to come over and towards the plate to field the ball. You need to be precise in your bunt placement and have good running speed to accomplish this. On the third base side, the third baseman has to field the ball on the run, making a long throw and off balance. You can also bunt the ball toward the shortstop while making sure the ball gets past the pitcher.
Even if the pitcher fields the ball down the line, a right-handed pitcher must stop his momentum, plant and throw. What is more difficult is when a left-handed pitcher has to turn his body all the way around before he can make the throw to first base. So you can begin to realize why my chances of bunting for a base hit down the third base line are 80% greater than if I bunt down the first base line.
In a sacrifice situation, there is only one crucial rule to keep in mind; bunt the ball far enough so that the catcher cannot field the ball on the dirt. Preferably, don’t allow the catcher to make a play on the ball at all. Otherwise, on a sacrifice bunt, just place the ball so that you don’t bunt it right to a charging infielder. That means keeping your eyes open and head up- surveying the field, who’s moving in and who is not. Normally, if you can make an infielder alter his charge just slightly, it’s enough to ensure a successful sacrifice bunt. Another item to keep an eye out for is the player least likely to make a good play. For example, I am going to bunt in the direction of the big slow guy rather than the smaller quicker guy. Also, I look to see if the third or first baseman consistently plays deep in their position. I recognize this tendency all the time when I have a second strike. The fielders rarely anticipate that the batter may indeed risk bunting on a second strike. That is an advantage you as an aggressive batter should take advantage of. One of the keys to successful bunting is getting a pitch that will allow you to place the ball where you want to.
Let’s review pitches to bunt. Contrary to popular belief, a breaking ball is much easier to bunt than a fastball. Breaking balls are much easier to “see” and measure your point of contact. This theory holds true for the other off-speed pitches: change-up and knuckle ball. These pitched balls arrive with much less velocity and are usually higher in the strike zone on their approach to home plate. As mentioned earlier, pitches that are up in the strike zone are what we are looking for, reason being- you want to keep the barrel end of the bat higher than the handle, avoiding the pop-up. For the low pitch, bend your knees to make contact, avoid dropping the bat down to meet the ball. This may result in you dropping the barrel of the bat. If you think you have to drop the bat down, the ball is likely out of the strike zone.
