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Minnesota State High School Baseball Coaches Association

2014 John Wilkens Fall Clinic

Bunting - Matt Parrington

Bunting Game Development
Matt Parrington
Macalester College
parrington@macalester.edu

Develop Bunting Philosophy

  • Create a high level of want and buy-in
  • Create enough time in practice – both offensively and defensively – to work on small ball
  • Create competitive environment – fun

Why Bunt? 

  • Put pressure on opponent
  • Take advantage of your team’s strength or opponent’s weakness

Key Factors

  • Type of athletes on your team – speed/power/bat control/table setters
  • Athleticism and skill of opponent – shut down pitcher/poor defensive team

Explain Goal of each Bunt

  • Sacrifice:   advance base runner - give at-bat to the team
  • Base Hit – Drag or Push:   get on base
  • Safety or Squeeze:   score a run – give at-bat to the team

Understand Terms

  • Alley vs. Triangle
  • Placement vs. Pace
  • Pre-Set Angle of Barrel
  • Push vs. Drag

Sacrifice Bunt

Goals

  • Advance runner(s) on bunted strike
  • Keep the ball fair between pitcher, catcher and baseman
  • Pace then placement – doesn’t have to perfectly placed

 

Technique

  • Position in Box – straddle home plate
  • Timing – square on pitchers leg lift
  • Lower Half – pivot with slight jab of back foot – 50/50 or 60/40
  • Upper Half – flexed arms/barrel even with front foot
  • Grip –  divide bat into thirds/create bridge with top hand
  • Barrel – pre-angle for placement – label aimed toward SS or 2B
  • Contact –  top half ball on outer edge of barrel for pace – let ball travel
  • Bunt, then run

Safety Squeeze

Goal

  • Score run
  • Advance backside runner
  • Placement then pace

Technique

  • Sacrifice technique
  • Either 1B or 3B alley – easier read for base runner

Suicide Squeeze

Goal

  • Score a run
  • Keep ball fair and on ground

Technique

  • Timing – square when pitcher’s front foot lands
  • Base Running Technique – timing is very important
  • Mentality – get it done

Drag Bunt (3B Side)

Goal

  • Reach 1B on base hit to 3B side
  • Force 3B to field ball on run
  • Miss foul if you miss
  • Placement then pace

RH Technique – show late for deception

  • Drop step
  • Barrel is parallel to 1B line on contact

LH Technique – show late for deception

  • Jab Step with either foot to contact
  • or Shuffle to contact
  • Contact point is deeper in zone
  • Bunt, then run, placement more important than pace

Push Bunt (1B Side)

Goal

  • Reach 1B on base hit to 1B side
  • Push ball to backside of triangle – edge of grass
  • Force 2B or 1B to field ball – firm contact by the pitcher
  • Placement and pace are essential

RH Technique

  • Slight drop step with back foot
  • Start w/hands in close to body
  • Weight going forward on contact – step through
  • Strike on sweet spot of barrel – pace
  • Push with arms –  don’t roll wrists – placement

LH Technique

  • Cross over with back foot
  • Keep hand in close to body
  • Weight going forward on contact
  • Strike on sweet spot of barrel

Sacrifice Drills

Develop Technique and Confidence with Skills

  • Knee/Stand with Pre-Set Angle
  • Entire sequence – include pitchers leg lift for timing
  • Repetition based  vs. Competitive based

 

Base Hit Bunt Drills

Drag/Push Sequence

  • Pre-Set Angle with no step
  • One step - to contact and no further
  • Two step – include step out of box

Team Drills

This is graduate level work.  As a coach you need to build-up the fundamentals for these drills to have desired effect.

  • Create feedback for bunters
  • Create decision making opportunities for defenders/communication
  • Strengthen your weakest link defensively - PFP

Team Drills – Fungo or Coach Pitch

  • Fungo – allows for precision placement by coach and creates desirable defensive situations
  • Coach Pitch – high rate of strikes helps put everything together – highly competitive
  • Maximize the amount decisions in a short period of time
     

Micro Scrimmages

Goal

  • Define specific situations and repeat in short period of time
  • Break team into groups – rotate as group

Situations

  • 3B Triangle – base hit/safety/squeeze/tweener    
  • 1B Triangle – safety/push/tweener
  • Defend 3B – sacrifice with runners on 1B & 2B (only need runners on 2B)

Fundamentals of Small Ball

  • Bunters – Placement/Pace /Strike Zone Discipline
  • Base Runners – Technique/Timing/Decision Making
  • Catchers - Decision Making/Communication/Technique
  • Pitchers – PFP Fielding Technique/Close Quarter Throwing
  • Infielders - Fielding Technique/Decision Making

Create Pressure – Bunters/Fielders

John Wilkens Minnesota High School Baseball Fall Clinic

Information and Registration Form for the 2014 clinic information and registration is posted below.  Click on the document below to download and send to John Wilkens.  Dates are October 24th to the 26th at the Ramada Plaza(same location as years past).  MSHSBCA annual meeting is 8:00 a.m. on Saturday morning, October 25th.  

2014 John Wilkens Fall Clinic Speakers/Topics

SCHEDULE for 2014 MSHSBCA COACHES CLINIC

Friday – October 24th:

4:45 pm                                  Registration/Visit Exhibitors

5:30-6:15 pm                          George Tsamis, St. Paul Saints Manager – Have a plan/How to throw a Bull Pen

6:35-7:20 pm                          Rich Maloney-Head Baseball Coach, Ball State University—“Practice Organization”

7:45-8:30 pm                           Bob Rients, Head Baseball Coach, University of Minnesota- Duluth— Outfield Drills

8:30pm -????                          Coaches Mixer

Saturday – October 25th:

7:30 am                                   Registration/Visit Exhibitors

8-9:15 am                                           MSHSBCA Meeting

9:30-10:15 am                        George Tsamis, St. Paul Saints Manager – PFP’s & How to Practice Them/Holding Runners

10:35-11:25 am                      Rich Maloney-Head Baseball Coach, Ball State University—“Double Plays for MIF’ers”

11:45-12:30 pm                     Jeff Albert-Hitting Coordinator for the Houston Astros-Hitting I

12:30-2 pm                             Lunch Break(on your own)

2:-2:45                                    Nate Damman, Bullpen Catcher for Minnesota Twins – “Catching….The Anchor of Any Team’s Success”.

3:05-3:50 pm                          Jeff Albert-Hitting Coordinator for the Houston Astros-Hitting II

4:10-4:55 pm                          Rich Maloney-Head Baseball Coach, Ball State University—“Infield Situational Defensive Play”

7-9 pm                                    Hall of Fame/Awards Dinner

Sunday – October 26th:

7:30-8:45 am                          FCA Breakfast

9-9:45 am                               Jeff Albert-Hitting Coordinator for the Houston Astros-Hitting III

10:05-10:50 am                      George Tsamis, St. Paul Saints Manager – Pitch Grips &   Mechanics

10:50-11:40am                      Matt Parrington-Head Baseball Coach Macalester College—  “Bunting—part of the Game Left Behind”