The Bunting MINDSET
3 bunts to change game.
Jackson Prep’s Head Baseball Coach Preaches Bunting to His Championship Team
Prep’s baseball team took the MPSA state championship last year because of good talent, strong coaching, and a commitment to play the bunting game whenever necessary.
"Coaches and players ought to treat the bunting game as integral to their offense," says Prep’s Chuck Box. "At Jackson Prep, we preach that mindset." With 15 years of coaching experience, Box played his college ball at Tennessee’s Freed-Hardeman University. He was head baseball coach at Itawamba Community College and an assistant coach at Mississippi College. Box rattles off facts about how a strong bunting game can help a team and individual players.
Consider the following:
- Bunting gets more players on base
- Bunting gets more players into scoring position
- Bunting gets more players home
- Bunting lets players of all ability levels contribute
- Bunting increases the odds of beating blue-chip pitching
- Bunting creates fielding problems for the defense
- Bunting creates errors.
So if bunting can accomplish all of this for your team, why don’t young players bunt more and bunt better these days?
Box asks a question to offer his answer: "What are they showing on the ESPN replays?"
The answer: Bombs.
"Kids today constantly watch the homer or the big hit," he says. "What young players don’t see replayed much is the sacrifice bunt that gets a player into scoring position. "
The Sacrifice Bunt
- The batter gets up in the box.
- Bat at top of the zone at 45-degree angle.
- Pinch or cradle bat with hands.
- Knees and eyes work together.
- Bunt to 1st base with runner at 1st; to 3rd with runner at 2nd, or at 1st and 2nd.
The Drag Bunt
For Right-handed Batter
- Jab or drop step.
- Drop bat into slot.
- Barrel to 2nd base, nose on ball.
For Left-handed Batter
- Rotate hand back and jab.
- Step to 3rd base with front foot.
- Slide hands up bat and bring forward.
- Bunt ball, then run.
The Push Bunt
For Right-handed Batter
- Shuffle, jab and push.
- Ball must clear the pitcher.
For Left-handed Batter
- Bunt ball first, then run.
- Front foot to 3rd, hands back, push ball to shortstop.
- (A Push Bunt should be directed away from the batter box side.)
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