How to teach hitters to bunt for a hit

Read time: 2 minutes

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He's spent the last 45 years in professional baseball.

From being on the cover of Sports Illustrated as a rising prospect to being named MLB National League Manager of the year, he has made a lasting impact on the game of baseball and more importantly, has made a positive impact on the lives of many people. 

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Bunting isn't talked about much these days. I understand why players get paid to hit the long ball, not to bunt. 

However, last time I checked, OPS was a valuable metric to evaluate a hitter. On-base percentage plays a part in OPS.

So, anyway, a hitter can get on 1st base, which will increase their OPS. 

Bunting for a hit is an excellent tool to 'have in your tool belt.' 

Here are the 2 ways hitters can bunt for a hit. 

LHH Push Bunt

1. Start in a regular stance 

2. Have the hitter transition from their regular stance to their stance to get down the bunt slightly before the pitcher releases the ball. 

3. The hitter's right foot should step open towards first base side, clearing room for the back foot to step toward home plate just before the ball hits the bat.

4. As this is happening, the hitter will transition from their regular grip to either of these two options: 

1. Keep the bottom hand where it originally was on the knob, and move the top hand up on the bat slightly below the barrel. 
2. Move both hands up on the bat for more bat control, slightly below the barrel. 

Neither one is more right than the other; it comes down to whatever allows the hitter to be more consistent. 

5. Set the bat's angle so the knob faces the 1B line and the end of the barrel is facing in front of the catcher. Even though it is a *push bunt, there's no need to push the bat at the ball, set the angle, and hold it firm. The hitter is guiding, not pushing. 

Lastly, I think LHH can get in trouble when they try to bunt and run simultaneously, get it down, and then run.

LHH Drag Bunt 

There are many similarities between the LHH push and the LHH drag.

The biggest difference is the angle of the bat; the barrel needs to be angled more towards 3B, so when the ball hits the bat, it goes between pitchers at 1B. 

*The hitter's ENTIRE foot has to be out of the box for them to be called out

RHH Push 

1. Start in regular stance 

2. Have the hitter transition from their regular stance to their stance to get down the bunt slightly before the pitcher releases the ball. 

3. Right before the pitcher rotates to throw (chest towards home plate) the hitters right foot should step back towards 3B dugout, front foot should step towards 1B. 

4. As this is happening, the hitter will transition from their regular grip to move their top hands just below the barrel setting the angle for the ball to go down the 1B side. 

*It's called a push bunt, but as I said earlier, you don't want to push the bat at the ball, it should be more of a 'guide' than a push. 

RHH Drag

The fundamentals are very similar between a RHH push and RHH drag. 

The biggest difference is the angle of the bat, with the angle of the barrel now guide the ball down the 3B line. 

One of the phrases my college coaches used to say that I felt helped me was: "bunt it down the line or foul" 

Either it's a hit or a foul ball, we don't want to make the mistake of bunting it back to the pitcher because our angle was not correct. 

Conclusion 

There are 2 main ways to help hitters get a hit with a bunt. 

• Push Bunt 
• Drag Bunt 

If nothing else, it's good for hitters to track the ball in practice

Whenever you're ready, there's 1 way I can help you:

Are you a hitter who wants to improve...

• Mental Game
• Mechanics
• Power 
• Approach 

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We're currently working with hitters in Cincinnati, Ohio.