Baseball drill

Bunting tee drill

Name: The Bunting Tee Drill
Channel: Baseball By The Yard
Description: Hitters work on the push bunt and the drag bunt off a batting tee, so they can learn the footwork and bat angle without having to time a pitch. A good first step before bunting for a hit off front toss.

Hitters work on the push bunt and the drag bunt off a batting tee, so they can learn the footwork and bat angle without having to time a pitch. A good first step before bunting for a hit off front toss.

Video by Baseball By The Yard on YouTube. The write-up below is ours.

At a glance

Sport: Baseball and Softball
Skill: Bunting
Ages: 10U to High school
Players: 1 per tee (2 with a partner checking)
Time: About 10 minutes
Level: Intermediate
Equipment: A batting tee, A bucket of balls, Bat and batting helmet, Home plate
Indoors: Yes

Bunting for a hit asks a lot at once: hide the bunt, move the feet, set the bat at the right angle and make contact before leaving the box. Off a live pitch that is too many things to fix together. A tee takes the pitch away, so the hitter can slow everything down and get each part right.

In the video, right-handed hitters work the push bunt toward the right side and left-handed hitters work the drag bunt toward first base, but any hitter can practice either. Use it as a station in the cage or at home, then move the same bunts to front toss.

Setup

Set the tee on the plate at a normal strike height, out in front where a bunt would be made.
The hitter takes a normal batting stance beside it.
Keep a bucket of balls next to the tee and a clear space in front for the bunts to roll.

How to run it

Push bunt: from the batting stance, the hitter slides the top hand up, opens a little toward the pitcher and sets the barrel angled toward the right side.
The hitter pushes the ball off the tee firmly with both hands, aiming past where the pitcher and first baseman would charge.
Drag bunt: from the batting stance, the left-handed hitter starts the first step toward first base, drops the barrel to the ball with the bat angled to send it up the first base line, and makes soft contact while moving.
Make contact before the front foot leaves the box, then take a few hard steps toward first.
Do five to eight of each, then change the tee height or move it in and out to copy different pitches.

Coaching points

Barrel above the hands on both bunts.
The push comes from firm hands and the legs, not a swing.
On the drag, the bat meets the ball before the hitter runs. Contact first, then go.
Stay hidden. From the stance, the bunt should start as late as it can and still be clean.

Common mistakes

Running before contact on the drag bunt, which leads to missed or foul bunts.
Pushing the ball too hard right back where the pitcher would be.
Loose hands on the push bunt, so the ball dies in front of the plate.
Stepping out of the box before contact, which in a game is an out.

Printable drill card

Take this drill to the field: the setup, steps, coaching points and equipment on one card, with the video's address to find it again. Free, no account needed.

Print the drill card

Smaller: half page or quarter page (PDF).

By age

10U and 12U

Do the bunts with the feet still at first, then add the footwork once the bat angle is right.

14U and up

Hide the bunt until late, push with enough pace to get past the pitcher, and time the drag so the hitter is moving at contact.

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Frequently Asked Questions

Can you practice bunting off a tee?

Yes. A tee is a good way to learn the footwork and bat angle for push and drag bunts before adding a pitch. Set it out front at a normal strike height and move it around to copy different locations.

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