Willie M

Sacrifice Bunt, a Game Winning Strategy

 

The bunt is one of the most potent offensive weapons in the exciting world of girl's fastpitch softball. It may be the single most important skill play that a team must be able to make both defensively or offensively to be a winner. It can raise batting averages. It improves weak batters chances to put the ball into play. It can tear apart infield defenses making players fumble and throw off balance. It's adds excitement and speed to the game. All of these things are well known by fastpitch aficionados.

New fastpitch coaches and those that come over from a baseball background are confused by it. They don't understand its importance in softball terms. They hear a lot about it, but most are initially convinced that baseball hitting strategies and mechanics are the way to go and that they'll be able to teach their kids to kill that old softball when they teach-um how Ted Williams or Reggie Jackson hit. Bunting is for girls!

Wrong! Ted Williams couldn't hit a fastpitch riseball from Joan Joyce and neither could Reggie Jackson when thrown by Kathy Arendson. Too many baseball dads, can't grasp, that without a through understanding of the bunt and run game, they and their teams will be only marginally successful against experienced fastpitch teams. The team that can execute bunt and run on command will beat the swing away teams 9 out of 10 times. Thus it is essential that these new coaches understand the mechanics and proper execution of the bunt-as it is an integral aspect of winning in the fastpitch game.

There are various types of bunts, including the sacrifice, drag, push, slap suicide and safety squeezes, and variations of the bunt for a base hit. Though the running slap bunt has become popular of late, the sacrifice bunt is the most fundamental, and serves as the foundation for the more advanced techniques.

Using The Sacrifice Bunt:

The sacrifice bunt is primarily utilized to advance a Baserunner (or base runners). The bunter intentionally sacrifices her chance to reach first base safely, allowing her teammates to advance on the base path. In tight games, to get the first run, or to move a base runner against a fast pitcher, the sacrifice is an important tool. It also has the advantage of putting the ball into play causing the infield to make attempt a defensive play creating the possibility for an error. More than one game has been lost because the catcher, pitcher, or third baseman couldn't field a sacrifice bunt. It's also an important way to advance runners when the International Tie Breaker is to be used starting with a runner on second base.

The sacrifice bunt can be described as follows:

A: Take your stance up in the batter's box, closer to the pitcher. This way you have a better chance of bunting a fair ball. It is also less likely you will step on home plate. Plus, you will be able to handle the rise or drop before it fully breaks.

B: To sacrifice bunt, you actually face the pitcher. To correctly position your body do one of two things: 1) Take your natural hitting stance and pivot your feet so that your body is facing the pitcher, holding your weight evenly over both feet, or 2) Take your natural hitting stance and drop your front foot back, parallel to the rear foot, about shoulder distance apart, facing the pitcher, weight evenly distributed over both feet. (Note: I prefer the pivot positioning However, if you choose 2, you are better off moving the front foot-not the rear foot-to square off away from the plate, because moving the rear foot often results in stepping on the plate which yields an out if you contact the ball.)

C: Grip the bat with the bottom hand in your normal hitting position, just not quite as firm. Then pinch the bat with the hand closest to the catcher (with thumb and index finder bent) and slide that top hand slightly more than halfway up the bat. This is referred to as the balance position on the bat. Hold that bat almost parallel to the ground, the top or wider portion just slightly higher than the handle, and position it at the top of your strike zone. (Note: When bunting, the tighter the grip, the more force exerted when you contact the ball; the looser your grip, the less force/speed of the ball of the bat. Thus, a looser grip, the less force/speed of the ball of the bat. Thus, a looser grip allows you to "drop" the ball softly into the infield.

D: Now, keeping the bat parallel to the ground at the top of the strike zone, extend your arms forward ' completely ' and then bend your elbows slightly and relax. At this point the bat is in position over the plate and you will only bunt at strikes. Therefore, you will only move the bat down by bending your knees and lowering your hands while the bat remains in position.

F: Bunt the ball. Once you recognize that the pitch is a strike, or something you can or want to hit, execute the bunt by catching the ball with the bat moving the bat down to the ball, giving” just a bit as you force the ball onto the infield surface.

Simple Bunting Tips and Tricks

1. When your teammate is on first base, try to direct your bunt down the first base side, forcing the play to first, instead of the defense throwing out your lead runner.

2.If there is a runner on second, or runners on first and second, try to make the third baseman field the ball.

3. When you "catch the ball with the bat" concentrate on contacting the top half of the ball with the bottom half of the bat. Thus, you make sure the ball goes down on the ground.

4. With your hands/bat at the top of the, strike zone, you know that if the pitch is above your hands it is a ball-pull the bat back-you can afford to be selective with the sacrifice bunt.

. 5. Remember that if you step on home plate when contacting the ball, you are automatically out. Also, if the ball touches you when you are in the batter's box, it is foul ball. However, if it touches you when you are out of the box, you are out.

6. If you bunt foul with two strikes, you're out. But, trying it with two strikes can sure surprise the opponents and catch them out of position.

7. Just as in straight away hitting, you make contact with the ball out in front of the plate.