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Softball drill

Call-the-bunt machine drill

A coach calls a bunt and a side before each pitch, a pitching machine throws a strike, and the hitter bunts it between cones on that line. It builds bat control on every kind of bunt against a steady pitch.

A youth softball hitter squared to bunt as a ball flies from a pitching machine fed by a coach, orange cones up both foul lines
Video by JUGS Sports on YouTube. The write-up below is ours.

At a glance

Sport
Baseball and Softball
Skill
Bunting
Ages
10U to High school
Players
1 hitter at a time, with the team rotating through
Time
About 10 minutes
Level
Intermediate
Equipment
A pitching machine, A bucket of balls, Bat and batting helmet, Four cones
Indoors
Yes

A machine throws the same strike every time, which is exactly what a hitter needs while learning to control a bunt. Add a coach calling a different bunt before each pitch and the hitter has to change the bat angle, the side and sometimes the footwork from one pitch to the next.

Two pairs of cones up the lines show at a glance whether each bunt went where it was called. Use it as a cage station during batting practice, with hitters rotating every four to six bunts.

Setup

  • Set the machine at a normal pitching distance and adjust it to throw steady, hittable strikes.
  • Place two cones up the third base line to mark a landing zone, starting a short way out from the plate, and two more up the first base line.
  • The hitter wears a helmet. The coach feeds the machine and calls each bunt.

How to run it

  1. Before each pitch the coach calls the bunt and the side: sacrifice to third, sacrifice to first, drag, push or squeeze.
  2. The hitter sets up for that bunt and gets the bat angle aimed at the called zone.
  3. The coach feeds the ball. The hitter catches it on the barrel out in front and steers it between the cones.
  4. The coach calls the next bunt right away. Four to six bunts each, then the next hitter.

Coaching points

  • Set the angle early. The barrel points at the zone before the ball gets there.
  • The bat head stays above the handle so the ball goes down.
  • Bend the knees to reach the pitch rather than lowering only the hands.
  • Relaxed arms and soft hands catch the ball out in front of the body.
  • Hitters who are not bunting retrieve balls well away from the machine's line.

Common mistakes

  • Jabbing at the machine pitch instead of letting it meet the bat.
  • Dropping the barrel below the hands and popping the ball up.
  • Starting a sacrifice from a full hitting stance and squaring too late for a routine bunt.
  • Calling the same bunt every time. The call is the drill.

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

Slow the machine down and call only sacrifices to each side until players are steady, then add the drag and push.

14U and up

Speed the machine up, call the bunt later, and add squeeze calls where the hitter has to square late.

Next: Free lineup card generator.

Frequently Asked Questions

Is a pitching machine good for bunting practice?

Yes. A machine throws the same strike every time, so hitters can work on bat angle and placement without chasing wild pitches. Feed the ball where the hitter can see it go in, so they can time the pitch.

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