Softball bunting is tapping the ball with the bat while holding it out rather than swinging it. The goal is to smash the ball close to the pitcher or third baseman so that they must field it. Softball bunting can make the difference between winning and losing a close game despite being unglamorous and uninteresting. The basic components of an effective bunt should be understood by players.
Types of softball bunting
Sacrifice bunt
The main goal of this type of bunt is to move a runner who is already on base. Bunting in softball
involves the processes of Changing course, making interactions, and keep following up.
Changing course
The hitter ought to switch positions on each leg when the pitcher begins to throw in order to align their upper chests to the catcher. The batter should start with the standard batting posture. To position the eyes closer to the game, the knees should be bent. Except for pivoting to allow the rest of the body to turn, the feet shouldn’t budge from their starting posture. The player’s upper arm should raise the bat toward the bottom of the body. The hand should be made into a fist with the forefinger and thumb on either side of the bat.
Making Interactions
- The player should make an effort to have a strong grip on the bat. The arms should flex upon impact to prevent a forceful rebound and ground ball that the defense may readily field.
- The hitter should bring the bat back for any pitches that are above the bat because the bat is set up at the top of the range of the strike.
- The players should lower their arms while keeping the bat at eye level to lower the bat in order to make an impact on shots that are in the area of impact beneath the height of the bat.
- By pulling the lower hand away from the body while it is on the bat, the hitter should send the ball down either baseline.
Keep Following Up
- After making contact with the ball, the player who bats should throw the baseball bat toward the target and the defense.
- The batter should be cautious when running to first base so as not to tamper with the ball.
- Both the hitter running into the ball and the bat touching the ball can constitute interference.
Slap Bunt
Obtaining a base hit is the slap bunt’s main goal. In this form of softball bunting the batter tries to deceive the defensive team into giving up its place in the core of the infield, as would happen on a typical bunt. The batter next tries to strike the ball into one of the open slots.
The slap bunt starts exactly like the sacrifice bunt. But as soon as the ball becomes available, the hitter should put her hand back where it belongs on the bat and put the bat back in a swinging posture. Once the bat is returned, the hands should be positioned at ear level.
The player who bats should attempt to strike the pitch with the alley left open by the shortstop or next fielder using a downward swing path.
Drag Bunt
The drag bunt’s main goal is to score an initial base. The player who bats try to surprise the defending team by holding slightly long. The player who is batting should get into her standard hitting posture to start.
- The hitter should simultaneously position the bat for the bunt and take a tiny stride backward with her back foot as the pitcher releases the ball.·
- The batter should bunt the ball while taking a slight stride toward first base.
Push Bunt
In softball, push bunt’s main goal is to obtain an extra-base run. A player may utilise it to minimise the chances of failure. The sacrifice bunt should be performed the same way as the push bunt. However, the batter should forcefully push the bat forward as the ball approaches her to send the ball past the hard-charging defender.
Important tips for successful softball bunting
A few important steps and strategies are important for the achievement of success in softball. The tips are following
Remain broad and solid.
Bunting requires absorbing the ball’s impact, which can be significant in fast pitch. Therefore, regardless of where the pitch is, a bunter needs to keep her feet wide enough to maintain balance and remain stable, as losing balance is a surefire way to mess up a bunt.
On the Ground & Fair
A bunter’s initial objective is to simply place the ball on the ground and in an area that is considered to be fair. Get new bunters to bunt on the ground and fairly rather than getting overly fussy about the side of the pitch they bunt to. This is good practice in softball.
Exercise under Pressure
Bunting in a game is all about pressure, therefore practicing it in a laid-back, silly setting at practice will only do a little to improve your players’ bunting in crunch time. When practicing Bunting, increasing the strain can produce fantastic game bunters.
Grip
The bunting grip that is most frequently taught appears to involve raising the top hand to the top of the handle and instructing hitters to pinch the bat between their thumb and index finger. This grip is derived from baseball, particularly early Major League Baseball. The bat should be held with all fingers, just further up the bat than when swinging for the fences, for a better, more effective grip. I like using both hands up the bat, but the hitters can position their bottom hand however they feel most comfortable.
Bat placement in the zone
Untrained batters frequently attempt to use their bats to cover the whole width of the plate. If The pitch is outside, that is acceptable. However, hitting an inside pitch with the end of the bat will be extremely difficult if it is inside. Have them cover about half the dish instead. They can then slightly draw the hands in if it is within. Additionally, if the pitch is outside, they can stab the bat out to catch it. This has the advantage that they will likely hit the ball up the first base line rather than at the third baseman who is charging. Additionally, it makes their top hand safer. The batter has an added incentive to move out of the path because, as you can see, in this set-up, if the ball is headed for the top hand, it is also headed for the body.
Final Thoughts
Softball bunting is tapping the ball with the bat while holding it out rather than swinging it. The goal is to smash the ball close to the pitcher or third baseman so that they must field it. Although softball bunting seems uninteresting using a few techniques increases the chances of success in the game. Successful bunting pressurizes the opposite team. Hence it proves a game changer. We have explained different
forms of bunting in this article. So, if you want to become a winner in softball bunting, this detailed article would help you a lot.