The Ole Ball Game

how would you teach a twelve year old to bunt?

by matthew posner
(ft. lauderdale)

what is the preferred method to teach a twelve year to bunt? square up or pivot?

Matthew Posner asked: How would you teach a twelve year old to bunt? Square up or pivot?


Rick answered: Matthew, thank you for your question!

I prefer to teach just the pivot, for two reasons.

1. When players pivot, rather than square up to the pitcher, they are in a less vulnerable position for getting out of the way of a pitch that is headed straight for them.

When they are squared up, the only defense they have is going backwards and absorbing the hit. With the pivot, they are still essentially in their hitting stance and can protect themselves as they would normally. You can see the methods for player protection on the site at fear of being hit . You can also reach that page from the nav bar, Coaches Line up section under, Fear Of Being Hit.

2. The pivot method also simplifies the amount of movement a player has to accomplish to get into the bunting position.

Movement in hitting, or bunting, generally relates directly to head movement. When the head moves, the eyes move. When the eyes move, the baseball moves, becoming harder for the player to track.

An additional benefit of the pivot is it allows the player to wait a little longer before showing bunt, as the steps needed to get into position are less complicated.

You will find additional bunting information at this location on the site.

Bunting is an essential skill and still an important part of the game, even in the age of aluminum bats. It is all a part of "making your opponent play the game, and defend the entire field".

Yours in baseball,

Rick

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