Bunting Bat angle

We teach slightly above horizontal, definitely not 45. If you start at horizontal and move to a low pitch location, the tendancy is to drop the barrel and pop up the bunt. If you start slightly above, you are much more likely to stay at horizontal or slightly above and catch the top half of the ball.
I never understood the logic of 45.

quote:

Originally posted by cabbagedad:
We teach slightly above horizontal, definitely not 45. If you start at horizontal and move to a low pitch location, the tendancy is to drop the barrel and pop up the bunt. If you start slightly above, you are much more likely to stay at horizontal or slightly above and catch the top half of the ball.
I never understood the logic of 45.

If the pitch is low you will probably drop the barrel in either case. Maury said start high at eye level and drop with the knees to go get a low pitch. Most players pop it up because they are not starting at eye level and working there way down.

You might want to look at MLB bunters on video. Maybe someone has a link.

quote:

Originally posted by standballdad:

quote:

Originally posted by cabbagedad:
We teach slightly above horizontal, definitely not 45. If you start at horizontal and move to a low pitch location, the tendancy is to drop the barrel and pop up the bunt. If you start slightly above, you are much more likely to stay at horizontal or slightly above and catch the top half of the ball.
I never understood the logic of 45.

If the pitch is low you will probably drop the barrel in either case..

Don't agree.

quote:

Maury said start high at eye level and drop with the knees to go get a low pitch.

Totally agree. Well, actually, top of the strike zone.

quote:

Most players pop it up because they are not starting at eye level and working there way down.

..and/or because they drop the barrel head below their bottom hand

quote:

Originally posted by cabbagedad:

quote:

Originally posted by standballdad:

quote:

Originally posted by cabbagedad:
We teach slightly above horizontal, definitely not 45. If you start at horizontal and move to a low pitch location, the tendancy is to drop the barrel and pop up the bunt. If you start slightly above, you are much more likely to stay at horizontal or slightly above and catch the top half of the ball.
I never understood the logic of 45.

If the pitch is low you will probably drop the barrel in either case..

Don't agree.

quote:

Maury said start high at eye level and drop with the knees to go get a low pitch.

Totally agree.

quote:

Most players pop it up because they are not starting at eye level and working there way down.

..and/or because they drop the barrel head below their bottom hand

cabbage, not helping me here, gonna cost me a beer

Sorry, I'll buy ya two

Besides, I think you get my vote... way closer to horizontal than 45.

We teach top hand thumb just needs to be higher than bottom hand thumb.

I am not a 45 guy (but I have heard many good baseball men teach it). I like the flat approach.
The reason the kid fouled it into his face though isn't the 45, it's because he was 'hanging out'.
You've got to extend the bat to get plate coverage without sticking your face in front of the ball.

I can taste the beer now!

I always taught 45 degree to start then catch ball with your hand. However, bat in the way. If you teach flat then harder to get hitter to catch the ball with the hand. Also high to low and not low to high. Above the ball working down to get the ball down.

I just saw AJ Burnett take a foul bunt off his face. He had a very aggressive 45 angle to his bat.

I have taught my kid to hold the bat at maybe 10 to 15 degree angle at the most.

get it flat on the top of the zone , if your a RHH and want to bunt to first point the knob at third if you want to go to third point the cup at first.

quote:

Originally posted by lambo:
get it flat on the top of the zone , if your a RHH and want to bunt to first point the knob at third if you want to go to third point the cup at first.

Watch a game, the good bunters are all very close to horizontal. I do not see anyone teaching a 45 anymore.

additionally how many bunt attempts do you see in a game----not a heck of a lot

Even if big leaguers start at 45 degress (few do), they almost always are horizontal at contact. My thoughts, if its going to get horizontal anyways, start with it there to minimize movement and possibility of error.

quote:

Originally posted by brushout:
I just saw AJ Burnett take a foul bunt off his face. He had a very aggressive 45 angle to his bat.

Many still teach that bunt contact should occur with a sharply up-angled bat.

They would change their minds if they got their lazy posterior into the fast cage and used that technique. Facemask recommended.

quote:

Originally posted by TRhit:
additionally how many bunt attempts do you see in a game----not a heck of a lot

Every winter coaches talk about it. But spring arrives and they don't flash the sign.

Eckstein bunting - 45 to flat

Ichiro bunting - 45 to flat

Pablo Sandoval - 45 to flat

Chris Young - 45 to flat

Tim Lincecum - flat to flat

Alexi Casilla - Fake bunt

quote:

Originally posted by freddy77:

quote:

Originally posted by brushout:
I just saw AJ Burnett take a foul bunt off his face. He had a very aggressive 45 angle to his bat.

Many still teach that bunt contact should occur with a sharply up-angled bat.

They would change their minds if they got their lazy posterior into the fast cage and used that technique. Facemask recommended.

As my Pirates new acqusition, AJ Burnett, just found out......out for 8-12 weeks due to a broken orbital bone...

quote:

Originally posted by TRhit:
additionally how many bunt attempts do you see in a game----not a heck of a lot

Confined primarily to pitchers in MLB, but a big part of the College & H.S. games particularly with new bats.

I have always taught horizontal, start at the top of the strike zone and give with the legs on a low pitch, if the pitch is buntable you realy shouldn't have to dip the barrel.

My kid has been given the green light by his HS coach and will attempt a bunt at least once every game.

S of S, look at Ichrio's technique. That is what I teach. See how it looks like he is trying to catch the ball with his top hand. Perfect. Thanks for the youtube link.

CoachB25

We use the same terminology of catch the ball with the top hand. One of the easiest, most effective things we do with kids that are not quite getting what we want out of them is to have them catch it.

I ask them if they could catch the ball if we put a glove on their top hand,and the all say yes. So, we put them in the box with no bat, in a bunting stance and have them catch the ball. After a couple of those, we will get a 1st baseman's mitt and put it on their top hand and lay the barrel of the bat across the palm of the glove and have them bunt the ball. Works like a charm.

Step up one step in the box more in the field of play. (Don't look down at your feet when you do this.) Most players hit from the back line. Fair territory is the point of the plate and the lines going to first and third.

Step in the bucket (don't have feet parallel and open, this is not balanced).

Make sure your setup is so that if the bat is dropped it covers the whole plate. I have my players drop the bat at set-up to see coverage. This takes some time to do. You don't want them lunging to outside pitches.

Start at the top of the strike zone. Have the bat level (at a 0 degree angle & not slightly angled up) and out in front, not deep. Use your legs to adjust the height of the pitch. It is also harder to get plate coverage with an angled bat.

Catch the ball on the barrel. It is more like fielding than hitting.