Despite the Dingers, You Still Need to Bunt

Guest post by Ken Krause, Life in the Fastpitch Lane blog

Those who have been around our sport for a long time remember when the short game (bunting in particular) was an integral part of the game. Every player on every team, even the power hitters, took pride in their bunting and could lay one down on command. At least we remember it that way.

Today it seems more and more like bunting is a lost art. Watching the WCWS it was amazing how many times a player either fouled off the ball or popped it up. Some good bunts went down, but they were a low percentage of the total — even when the bunt was supposed to be a sacrifice.

In these days of multiple home runs and $400 bats, no one seems to want to bunt anymore. Can't say as I blame them in some ways. Who wants to pay $400 for a bat to hit the ball 10 feet? You can do that with a $30 bat. Besides, home runs are dramatic, and at the college level they get you on TV.

Yet the short game is just as critical today as it was back in the day. Maybe even moreso. With the ball coming off the bat so fast players are required to wear face masks in some leagues, and make the choice to do it in others, being able to drop a bunt can make the difference between success and failure.

After all, if the ball is rocketing off the bat, fielders are probably going to play a few feet deeper in order to give themselves a little more time to react to the ball. Which should make it easier to get on base with a bunt.

Now, longtime members know I'm not a huge fan of the sacrifice bunt. I hate to give up an out to advance a runner from first to second, especially since statistically it does little to improve your chances of scoring. But in that same situation if I can end up with runners on second AND first, I'm all for it.

So why don't players bunt better? A big part of it is practice, or lack of the same. It's sort of like golfers going to the driving range and hitting a couple of buckets of balls off a tee. I'm not a big golfer by any means, but even I know that the problems aren't usually when you're 400 yards away. The big problems occur from 180 yards and in. But it's more fun to wail on the ball off a rubber mat than work on hitting 120 yard chip shots.

The same goes for hitting. Kids love to whack the ball, and coaches love to watch them do it. If they practice bunting at all it's usually a token "five bunts first" and then swing for all you're worth.

That's just not enough, especially if those five bunts result in foul balls and pop-ups. To get good at bunting, like anything else, you have to work at it. And that takes time. It also takes pride.

Work on your short game with the same enthusiasm you use to work on smacking line drives and you'll win a lot more ballgames. It may not be as dramatic, but it is usually a lot more reliable.

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For more great offensive ideas, tips, and strategies that will help you score more points and win more games, check out Making Things Happen.

photo credit: bunting photo courtesy of Gary Leland, Fastpitch.tv