Sacrifice and drag bunts

Setup

1. Mark two bunt lanes with cones, 3–5 m long, starting about 3 m up each foul line from home plate.
2. A coach pitches easy underhand from behind an L-screen, about 10–12 m from the plate.
3. The catcher wears full gear: helmet with mask, throat guard, chest protector and shin guards. The batter wears a helmet with a face guard.
4. A first and third baseman charge each bunt; corner infielders wear face masks if you have them.

How it runs

1. Sacrifice: the batter squares or pivots early, deadens the pitch into the first-base lane, then runs to first inside the running lane.
2. The first baseman charges, fields and throws to first (a coach or spare player covers the bag), or just rolls it back while learning.
3. Three sacrifices to each lane, then switch to drag bunts.
4. Drag (right-handed batter): show the bunt late and push the ball down the third-base line while stepping toward first.
5. Left-handed batters drag toward first base or past the pitcher. Score one point for every bunt that stops in a lane.

Coaching points

• Sacrifice: show early, bat at the top of the zone, barrel above the hands, knees bent to go down for low pitches.
• Catch the ball with the bat. Soft top hand slides up the barrel, fingers behind the bat, out of the way.
• Bunt strikes only. If the pitch is above the bat, pull back and take it.
• Drag: show as late as you can and be moving to first as the ball hits the bat. Speed beats placement only if it's in the lane.
• Angle the bat to steer the ball: the lower barrel points to where the ball should go.

Common mistakes

• Stabbing at the ball, so it pops up or rolls hard to a fielder.
• Fingers wrapped round the front of the bat, where the ball can hit them.
• Showing the drag too early, so the third baseman is already charging.
• Running out of the running lane and getting hit by the throw.