Bat Speed -- Baseball Hitting Forum

Posted by: Ed-C (edco4@aol.com) on Thu Mar 15 18:25:40 2001

I have a question...I coach a little league team (11 & 12 year olds). The other day during BP, I noticed a player swinging a bat that was obviously too heavy for him. I suggested he use a lighter bat, but the players Dad stopped him from using one during practice. he said he wanted his son taking BP with the bat that was too heavy and that he had a lighter one that would be used during games. It's my opinion that this will cause the players' timing to be off, am I wrong? Is this a good method to use? i've never heard of it before, but I want to be able to teach the right methods. Please let me know...Thank You. I wouldn't worry as much about timing as I would about throwing off his mechanics. How much heavier is the practice bat vs. game bat? If the bat is too heavy he may develop
> > > the habit of dragging it through the zone.
> >
> > He is definetly dragging it through the zone. I'd say the bat is at least 4 - 5 oz. heavier than normal. He basically is struggling to even make contact, which makes me also worry about his confidence. Can you list me some ways that he can safely improve his bat speed so I can print them and give them to his dad? << he can use the heavy bat in drills ect.tee,off a bag or tire on a tree but he should swing his regular bat as well in the drill.Batting practice is for timing not training.The only thing I would use different in batting practice is maybe a wooden bat of the same length and weight since it has a smaller sweet spot to try to hit with.

At the end of the year, when it gets hotter, and the kids start dragging, I have them use the plastic weight over the bat, but I throw batting practice to them at 75%. If I throw at 100%, their timing will be thrown off. I do this for 5 pitches, then switch to the next kid. After 5 pitches from the next kid, the 1st one comes back in the cage, without the weight, and takes 5 more. We have been very successful in this method. It build them up, and gets them into the batting simulation of a game!

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> I have a question...I coach a little league team (11 & 12 year olds).  The other day during BP, I noticed a player swinging a bat that was obviously too heavy for him.  I suggested he use a lighter bat, but the players Dad stopped him from using one during practice.  he said he wanted his son taking BP with the bat that was too heavy and that he had a lighter one that would be used during games.  It's my opinion that this will cause the players' timing to be off, am I wrong?  Is this a good method to use?  i've never heard of it before, but I want to be able to teach the right methods.  Please let me know...Thank You.       I wouldn't worry as much about timing as I would about throwing off his mechanics. How much heavier is the practice bat vs. game bat? If the bat is too heavy he may develop
> > > > the habit of dragging it through the zone.
> > > 
> > > He is definetly dragging it through the zone.  I'd say the bat is at least 4 - 5 oz. heavier than normal.  He basically is struggling to even make contact, which makes me also worry about his confidence.  Can you list me some ways that he can safely improve his bat speed so I can print them and give them to his dad?                                                                        << he can use the heavy bat in drills ect.tee,off a bag or tire on a tree but he should swing his regular bat as well in the drill.Batting practice is for timing not training.The only thing I would use different in batting practice is maybe a wooden bat of the same length and weight since it has a smaller sweet spot to try to hit with.
> 
> At the end of the year, when it gets hotter, and the kids start dragging, I have them use the plastic weight over the bat, but I throw batting practice to them at 75%.  If I throw at 100%, their timing will be thrown off.  I do this for 5 pitches, then switch to the next kid.  After 5 pitches from the next kid, the 1st one comes back in the cage, without the weight, and takes 5 more.  We have been very successful in this method.  It build them up, and gets them into the batting simulation of a game!

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