BUNTS

The proper fielding of a bunt begins with understanding three main premises:

1. I will never make a better, more accurate throw than when I am balanced, under control, and have my momentum going towards my target.

2. I will approach the ball, get my feet set, and position my left hip towards the target before picking up the ball.

3. Until my front foot is set, my hands never go below my knees.

Before discussing what I believe is a good way to field these balls, I want to remind us of what happens when bad technique is used.

I believe one of the most common reasons for bad throws by catchers after fielding a bunt is that the catchers pick up the ball before being properly set up and aligned for the throw. Then, when they have picked up the ball, the brain kicks into "throw mode," and they make the throw regardless of how they are aligned to the target. The throw is often off-target, and an out is lost.

While we won't always have the time to get properly aligned to our target, it should be the default approach, and we should do everything in our power to be in control of our body when making the throw.

To continue, we're going to split the field into three areas, each with a slightly different approach since each requires different body movement to align ourselves with our target. These areas are in the middle of the field directly in front of home plate, up the third baseline, and up the first baseline.

To figure out how we're going to attack each field area, we'll break the skill into two distinct parts:

a. Approach and setup

b. Pick up and throw

MIDDLE:

A. Approach and setup:

The basic concept here is that while we are approaching the ball as quickly as we can, we must get ourselves set up over the ball and aligned towards the target.

Catchers should come out from behind the plate and take a route that follows a slightly curved path to the ball. I tell the players that the path is a banana-shaped route that starts out going to the left of home plate and curves back around to the right, so we end up coming into the ball from the left side.

As we approach the ball, we set the instep of our right foot towards first base, then set our left foot so we are positioned directly over the ball, our left hip towards the target.

When we are over the ball, our hands are separated, out in front of our body, we are balanced and in control, and our weight is evenly distributed across the balls of our feet.

From here, we can now lower our hands to the ball and prepare to pick it up.

B. Pick up and Throw:

At this time, both of my hands head towards the ball. I "rake" the ball into the throwing hand using the glove and throwing hand.

In all but the most extreme circumstances, we're going to avoid separating our hands from below our knees. This can lead to the brain yelling at us to throw when we're not in control of our body or from an angle we cannot guarantee accuracy.

Instead, we'll be bringing the hands and the ball to the middle of our chest as we stand up. From here, we take a shuffle towards first base, our hands separate, and we make a strong, balanced, controlled throw to first base.

Since my hips were already set towards the target as soon as I pick up the ball, I can put all my effort into making a good strong throw, knowing I am properly aligned.

FIRST BASELINE:

A. Approach and setup:

When the bunt goes down the first baseline, we can take a slightly more direct path to the ball. We again attack the left side of the ball, set the right foot first, then the left, with our hips pointed towards our target.

B. Pickup and throw:

Just as before, we bend down and rake the ball into our glove, standing up with our hands still together. However, we now have a bit of an issue—the batter running up the first baseline. We want to avoid throwing the ball near the batter or making it hard for our first baseman to catch.

To create an angle that gives our first baseman a clear view of the ball, we slide our right foot backward behind our left and up the line. Once the back foot plants past the front and off the line, we can redirect all of our momentum towards our target. The hands separate at the same time, and we make a strong throw to first base. To maintain control, we recommend staying in contact with the ground while the back foot moves off and up the line behind the front, keeping our chin and nose in front of our hips and toes.

THIRD BASELINE:

A. Approach, Setup & Throw:

When a bunt goes up the third base line, we change our initial approach to the ball. There are two ways to approach a bunt to a catcher's left.

The first approach is to slightly extend the "banana curve" we took with a bunt in the middle of the field to get around the ball and aligned towards your target. From that point, we'd go through the rest of the play as outlined above.

The second approach is a bit more direct but poses a bit more risk of losing control of your body while going through the footwork. In this approach, we run to the right side of the ball. Once we are in front of it, we step over to the left side of the ball with our right foot, getting the instep of that right foot pointed towards first base. As we plant that foot into the ground, we go down with two hands, rake the ball into our throwing hand, bring our hands together, and immediately redirect our momentum towards first base with a shuffle in that direction.

FINAL THOUGHTS - BUNTS:

As I mentioned in the video, bunts are routinely one of the most given-away outs in the games of baseball and softball. It's our job as a catcher to not reward the hitter with something they didn't earn. There will be moments where we just have to rely on our athleticism and get the ball to our target the best way we can in that moment, but having a good fundamental foundation that we will always default to will make it easier when the time comes for improvisation.

Accuracy matters more than anything here. Being on target is more important than being on time.