How to Bunt a Baseball

Show bunt if necessary.

If you’re bunting to move runners, get into the stance immediately. Showing bun means stepping into the batter's box and immediately getting into bunting position, with two hands on the bat. You show bunt when everyone knows you're going to bunt — if you're a pitcher for example. You may not want to show bunt if you want to lay down a surprise bunt. As soon as you show bunt, the third and first basemen on the other team should begin to move in towards the batter's box to field the bunt. If you're trying to surprise them and increase your chances of laying down a successful bunt, you probably don't want to show bunt until the pitcher starts his motion.

Shift your feet and lower the bat.

As the pitcher gets into the stretch, start moving into your bunting stance. Leave your bottom hand in the same spot as when you usually hit. Slowly slide your top hand to where the bat begins to thicken into the barrel. The barrel of the bat should be tilted upwards slightly so it's at a 30° to 45° angle from the ground. The barrel should rest above the hands at all times. If clutching onto the barrel of the bat, be sure to keep your thumb and index finger firmly behind the barrel. You don't want any fingers sticking out, and you certainly don't want the front of the bat — the part that's closest to the pitcher — being blocked by overeager fingers.

Square up for the pitch.

Turn your back foot towards the pitcher as your square up to bunt. You don't want both feet to form a straight line with the plate, as this will leave you very exposed, and won't let you explode out of the batter's box if you happen to lay down the bunt. Instead, turn your back foot towards the pitcher and square off your upper body towards the pitch. If the pitch comes inside, you can quickly turn your body back to avoid being hit.

Pull back on balls.

Unless it’s a suicide squeeze, look for bunts in the strike zone. Pull your bat back if the pitch isn't a strike. In a suicide squeeze situation, you want to bunt any pitch you can make contact with. Otherwise, you only want to bunt strikes. If the pitch is down low, up high, or way outside or inside, simply pull the bat back to indicate to the ump that you're taking the ball, not trying to bunt. If you just keep your bat over the plate, the ump is likely to call a strike.

Angle your bat.

Turn the barrel in the direction you want to place the bunt. Where you place your bunt has a huge impact on whether you beat out the throw. If you want to place your bunt on the third base side, angle your bat so that it squares off with the third baseman. If you want to place your bunt on the first base side, angle your bat so that it squares off with the first baseman. Take a look at the infield before you get in the batter's box. If the third baseman, for example, is playing close to the grass or is shaded closer to the shortstop than he should be, you probably want to aim your bunt as close to the third baseline as possible. There's no consensus about where the best place is to place your bunt. Some say that bunting it between the pitcher and the third baseman is ideal, as they might get confused about who's going to field it. Others think that bunting towards the second baseman forces the second baseman to make a really tough throw, across his body. If there's a runner on first base, try to bunt towards the second baseman. If there's a runner on second base, try to bunt in between the third baseman and the shortstop.

Bend down and spread your feet.

If you drop your bat without bending, it’s hard to make contact. Dropping your bat to bunt a low pitch is very difficult and requires amazing hand-eye coordination. Bending your knees is relatively easy — anyone can do it.

Track the pitch to make contact.

Keep your eye on the ball as it comes in to the plate. As the pitch comes, look the ball into the bat. You want your eyes focused on the ball as much as possible.

Back off the ball as you hit it.

Pull the bat back slightly right before the ball makes contact. If you leave your bat rigid when it makes contact with the ball, the ball is more likely to bounce off of it harder, tumbling easily into the mitt of the pitcher, third-, or first baseman. If you pull your bat back slightly right before making contact, the ball should travel just the right amount — equal distance from the catcher, pitcher, and any infielder. This helps you achieve the perfect bunt.

Hit the ball with the bottom half of the bat.

This will send the ball down into the ground instead of up into the air. If you hit the ball on the bottom half of the barrel, the ball will travel down onto the ground, where it will need to be fielded. If you hit the ball on the top half of the barrel, it will travel up into the air, where it can easily be caught.

Remember the two-strike rule.

If a bunt goes foul on two strikes, you’re out. Be super careful when you’re bunting on . Many batters transition to their hitting stance with two strikes and try to hit. Take cues from the third base coach about whether or not you should try bunting with two strikes.

Make a run for it.

As soon as you make contact with the ball, sprint to first base. If you're a left-handed batter, you can "pull" the bat with you towards first base before you've made contact. (This is called a "pull" or "drag" bunt and it's hard to do!)