In today’s blog post, we continue to talk about baseball bunting. If you missed my previous article on this topic, be sure to check out Baseball Bunting: The Basics for a Successful Bunt Game.
Baseball Bunting: The Drag Bunt
Like other bunt techniques, Drag bunt techniques also begin with movement of the feet. The back foot should be in line with the middle of the base so that when the hitter squares, his bat will be in fair territory.
1st Technique:
The hitter will drop his back foot slightly behind him and get the bat out in front, with his shoulders in line with the direction that he’s going, eyes over the top of the bat. The barrel of the bat is at the top of the strike zone.
The grip on the bat will determine how hard the hitter wants to bunt – firmly or softly. He may want a firmer bunt to get the ball past the pitcher with the third baseman back; or if the third baseman is playing up, he may want a softer bunt, therefore he has a loser grip on the bat.
2nd Technique:
The second technique is a shuffle technique. The hitter starts more towards the back of the box because he’s going to come up and heel-click and shuffle his feet towards the pitcher’s.
Some coaches like this technique because it gets the hitter’s feet moving.
A drag bunt wants to be placed close to the line. Some coaches promote the idea that it’s either right on the line or it’s out of play.
Drag Bunt for the Left Handed Hitter
The drag bunt for the left-hand hitter involves three different techniques.
1st Technique:
The first is merely a drop step, where the hitter opens his front toe and gets in a position to be able to drag the ball down the third base line.
2nd Technique:
The second technique is a crossover technique. The hitter starts further back in the box because he’s actually going to cross over with his left foot in front of his right and drop the ball down. Many coaches like this technique because the hitter is actually starting to move, and by getting his feet moving, he can get a running start. (This is a much more difficult technique than the first.)
3rd Technique:
The third technique is the same shuffle technique we use with a right-handed hitter, with the hitter starting in the back of the box with his feet, shuffling, clicking his heels together, and laying it down.
With both the crossover and the shuffle, the hitter actually has his feet moving before he’s going to bunt the ball.
You might also want to check out “Breaking Down the Bunt“, for more great baseball bunting tips and techniques! And be sure to “Like” Us on Facebook, where I will be sharing more baseball bunting drills and practice plans!