showing bunt and pulling back to hit

[Westwind]

Dumbest thing I have ever seen in a college game. Older DD’s team did it. The only players that did it successfully were the ones that pulled back so early (and got into their good position to hit) that it was completely pointless. The rest were late/late/late and hit weak ground balls or whiffed their third strike.

Maybe the coaches weren’t teaching it right. Which seems strange since this is 1980’s goofiness and they were all 1980’s players.

I can’t tell you how stupid it was.

 

[Dabears17]

At 10u we would use it occasionally as a short-term fix for players who were in slumps as a timing mechanism to make contact to put the ball in play to build up confidence, but it wasn't used long term. The goal was during practices to fix what was causing the slump. I didn't like it on one of my DD's 12u teams it was used long-term with a girl who was in a slump instead of fixing what was causing her issues.

I've seen it used sometimes as a kind of right-handed slap/drag bunt.

 

[Shawn]

Here is a guy with a lot of hand movement. Can someone say a steroid freak.

I remember watching an old 96 game and all they talked about was a juiced ball. Something was juiced alright.

 

[Agcy]

Our HS coach loves to 'teach' this. She will point out that a few years ago (before my involvement) they almost beat a really good team by using this 'technique'. I absolutely loathe it. Her intent is to not pull back all the way and just get the bat on the ball enough to force to just get it in play. Her idea is that if you can't hit it hard, hit it weak because week hits are hard to field.

But, if I give it any credit at all, we have 2 girls that use it successfully - as power hitters. They have a tendency to pull their shoulder/head when they hit. This 'technique' does seem to allow them to start at a contact position, wind up, and then unwind through the contact position. Keep in mind that these 2 girls only play (and practice for that matter) during the HS season so there isn't a lot of experience to build off of.

 

[clemenslee1]

DD team does it. may fake the pull back and actually bunt, especially if the 3rd baseman doesnt move and stays back. or the pull back and swing.

 

[_MIA_]

My favorite is the fake bunt, pull back, take ball down the middle on a steal attempt..

 

[El Oso]

I don't understand the mindset of having a girl use a completely different and foreign method of hitting, one that she has little to no experience compared to her normal method, when she most needs contact.

To me it's like having your pitcher who uses a backswing change and pitch out of the glove on 3-0 counts. Who the heck thinks that is a good idea?

 

[CoachJD]

A couple thoughts on this, and I've definitely said this before.

1) If this method was actually somehow a superior way to hit, you'd see Major League players doing it. You'd see teams like the Rays teaching it at the lowest levels of the minors. This could have some limited value for a certain player, and doing it doesn't preclude someone from hitting the ball well, but it's a ridiculous thing to teach as an actual style of hitting.

2) There is nothing about this that puts a hitter into a better position to hit than loading the "normal" way does, though that doesn't mean some individual player who struggles with a proper load couldn't benefit (though I'd want that to be a short-term thing as a way to get her to do it the right way).

3) Nothing wrong with this as a strategic move. If it messes with the pitcher, causes the defense to move (or they don't move because they think you're crying wolf and the you do something), etc. Sub-optimal tactics can be effective as a matter of game theory.

Wheels work fine. Let's stop reinventing them.

 

[Rolling Hard]

Little different topic but what do people think about the right-handed hitter step over push bunt. Try to get it past the pitcher and have 1st and 2nd basemen go for the ball. Kinda right handed slap. With today's bats it doesn't take much to bounce past the pitcher.

 

[_MIA_]

Little different topic but what do people think about the right-handed hitter step over push bunt. Try to get it past the pitcher and have 1st and 2nd basemen go for the ball. Kinda right handed slap. With today's bats it doesn't take much to bounce past the pitcher.

With some of the pitchers you have just as a good a chance of getting on base if you bunt it right to them