Bunt or Slap?

Question
What constitutes a slap vs a drag bunt? The situation was this...Left handed batter with 2 strikes. Batter moves hands apart (as if bunting) and basically drag bunts the ball foul. There was no slap or swing at all through the zone. I was told that because her feet were moving towards first it was considered a slap and although it was a foul ball the batter was not out. The batter proceeded to do this 3 more times before finally being called out on the fourth foul (I am not sure what was different about the fourth bunt). Each foul ball traveled less than 10 feet.

Answer
Hi Curt,

AH the great bunt or slap problem.

First of all the position of the hands are irrelevant to bunt or slap but this is a judgment call, what did the batter do.

A bunt does not involve a "swinging" of the bat, ie moving just the barrel of the bat forward toward the ball, a slap does.  A bunt is primarily an attempt to "tap" the ball with the bat stationary or the barrel and the handle moving in the same direction and at the same speed. A slap is usually a short chopping motion or quick short swing. The barrel moving forward of the handle.

If the batter was moving toward the pitcher and the the barrel of the bat came forward to the ball it is  slap.

As I stated earlier it is a judgment call by the PU, some call it closer then others.

Mark