Welcome to BuntDown
Teach your atheletes to become superb bunters because...Bunting does WIN games!
The BuntDown Baseball Training Bat provides an innovative way to teach baseball and softball players the proper way to bunt.
Although similar in size to a conventional bat, it differs in shape in that the hitting surface is half-round from just above the trademark to the end of the bat. This encourages the batter to keep the bat over the path of the ball which is essential when bunting. When used properly, this bat teaches the batter to hit the ball on the ground and not to pop it into the air. Repeated use effectively reinforces the primary rule in bunting which is to let the ball come the the bottom of the bat.
NEWS! Buntdown voted "Best of Show" at the American Baseball Coaches Association Convention in Philadelphia. Read the whole article here (PDF) or see the following excerpt:
Back in 1957, the greatest inventor of our generation by the name of Danny Litwhiler came up with an instructional bunting bat. While Litwhiler was coaching at Florida St., he mentioned to his batters that to bunt correctly, you had to have the bottom half of the bat meet the top half of the ball.
A student named Ron Fraser (who later became a Hall of Fame coach at the University of Miami, Fla.) suggested that the part of the bat that wasn't supposed to be hit be carved away for practicing proper bunts.
Litwhiler had a carpenter carve his bat to his specifications, and had the end filled with lead because it was too light.
Casey Stengel saw it and ordered a dozen. Many other coaches saw the benefit of this bat and purchased them which allowed batters to be superb bunters. For a number of years, Litwhiler's bunting bat has been off the market.
That is why it was a pleasure to see the Bunting Baseball Training Bat designed by Tom Kelliher from Holyoke, Mass. make its debut at the ABCA Convention exhibition hall. It is a different design but has the same concept as Litwhiler. It will help every bunter become proficient at the fine art of bunting.
