Bunting
In the game of softball, one must be able to bunt the ball. Probably the most important part of this game is being able to move runners over into scoring position.
The whole purpose behind sacrifice bunting is to move the runner over by giving up the hitter's at bat. The purpose is NOT for the hitter to get on base. If it ends up that way, then the more the better. But that is not the object of the strategy. The hitter's job is to bunt the ball on the ground to either the first base or third base side, and NOT to the pitcher. Here is the way that I feel is the easiest and most consistent way to get this job done.
To begin with, the batter should always line up as far up in the box as possible when bunting. The reason behind this is that it gives the bunter more fair territory to work with. With the rules stating that fouling off a third strike on a bunt attempt results in a strikeout, the bunter really only has two chances to do her job. So by utilizing all of the fair territory that she can, the better her chances are to be successful.
Step 1: Squaring Up
This step should be performed when the pitcher begins to bring the ball back in her windmill motion. She should give herself plenty of time to get set. The bunter should rotate her back foot, while squaring her shoulders to the pitcher. She could also bring her back foot around so that her feet are even with one another, but I would not recommended that at all. The reason for this is that if she accidentally steps on the plate, then she is automatically out. She could on the other hand open her front foot up so that it is further away from the plate, if she wants to be more square to the pitcher with her feet. I would personally rotate my back foot though. I find it much more easier to control my bat when I put my front hand 6 inches above the wrapping of the handle, while I slide my back hand all the way up the top of the handle. The bat should be flat and at the top of the strike zone. The reason for this is that if the pitch is above the bat, then the bunter should not attempt to bunt it because it will be a ball.
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Step 2: Placing the Bunt
When the bunter decides that the pitch is good enough to bunt, she needs to execute her job. The way to do this is to keep the bat as close to her face as possible. A mistake a lot of players make is that they stab at the pitch. When she does this, she is creating separation between her eyes and the ball. When a bunter extends her arms out away from her, she is most likely to drop the head of the bat down, thus slicing the ball, causing to pop it up in the air. If the pitch is low and outside, then the bunter needs to bend down further and keep her head on it all the way in. When she makes contact, she should direct the ball towards the ground by rolling her shoulders over just a little. After, and only after, she makes sure that the bunt is down on the ground in fair territory, she is allowed to run to first base. Remember, first move the runner, then try to beat it out.
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The purpose for this technique is to try to get on base by deceiving the defense with a bunt. Usually this occurs with a quicker runner, although depending on how the defense is playing a power hitter, she can utilize this technique as well. The best time to use this is when the corners are playing deeper, back towards their respective bases.
Step 1: Performing the Bunt
The bunter should stand in the box as normal, maybe a little bit closer to the front. After the pitcher releases the ball is when she slides her hands up on the bat. She has more control of the bat the higher she goes up. As she is bunting the ball, she is beginning to run to first base at the same time. This gives her an extra half-step to try to beat out the throw.
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