I will be at the NSCA Sport-Specific Training Conference in Orlando this weekend.  I have a short 20-minute “From the Field” presentation on Friday at 12:20, where I’ll talk about overload-underload training and drills for bat speed development.  Send me a message if you’ll be there…….

The basics are that 3 groups of 20 college players were trained 4 times per week for 12 weeks under the following conditions: batting practice group, dry swing group, control group.  The BP and dry swing group followed this swing training protocol using varied heavy and light weighted bats while the control group just dry swung with a regular weighted bat.

The results say that each group significantly imrpoved bat speed, but that’s a little misleading if you don’t read the whole study.  The batting practice group improved 10%, the dry swing group imroved 6%, and the control group improved 1%. 

I believe the 10% improvement from the BP group is the highest bat speed documented in published research.  Bat speed improvements above 10% are shown on the results page…although that’s not published research.

Something I like about this study is that it is practical and easy to implement.  If you work with a team, you can do this same program in your existing practices.  For example, have a group of 4 players take their batting practice – use the regular bat to hit live BP, have two other players swing the heavy and light bat, respectively, while the 4th player takes a rest before the live round in the cage.  Not only does this squeeze in some bat speed training, but it kills some wasted dead time around the cage.

An even easier way to implement this is in the batting cage using front flips.  This is why I formed an exclusive partnership with Max Bats to provide overload-underload training bats that players can actually hit with.  This research study suggests there is a significant difference in being able to hit the ball while training versus dry swinging, and maple bats won’t fray like ash bats or dent like the light aluminum bats used in this study.

Another think I like about the study is the implication of the use of dry swings in the weight room.  More on that at a future time…

Effects of Weighted Bat Implement Training on Bat Swing Velocity

DeRenne, Coop; Buxton, Barton P.; Hetzler, Ronald K.; Ho, Kwok W.

The purpose of this study was to determine the effects of weighted bat training on bat swing velocity. Sixty male university baseball players volunteered to participate and were randomly assigned to one of three equal-sized training groups: batting practice (BP), dry swing (DS), and control. The BP hit live pitched baseballs with alternated overweighted, underweighted, and standard 30-oz bats for 12 weeks. The DS dry-swung with alternated overweighted, underweighted, and standard bats. The control group dry-swung with a standard bat during the 12 weeks. All three groups showed significant increase in bat swing velocity during the study (p < 0.05). Furthermore, the differences between pre- and posttest scores (delta scores) were significant between BP and control, between DS and control, and between BP and DS (p < 0.05). It is suggested that training with variable weighted implements will significantly increase bat swing velocity, and that the use of loads specific to the target activity but with sufficient variation about the standard load will induce further training adaptations.

(C) 1995 National Strength and Conditioning Association

Pasted below is the abstract from a bat speed training article published by Chester Sergo and Douglas Boatwright in 1993.  The italics and red text are emphasis added by me.  Read the abstract, but I’ll summarize and make a few points:

 - 24 subjects averaged 19-20 years old and were college students practicing in the off-season

- All the training was done with just dry swings, during practice.  100 swings in sets of 20 performed 3x/week for 6 weeks

- Group 1 (regular bat only), Group 2 (62 oz. bat), Group 3 (alternated sets with 62 oz. & fungo bat)

- Each group improved bat speed 8-9%, with no statistically significant difference.  Group 1 (8.8%, highest), Group 2 (8.0% lowest), Group 3 (8.2 %)

- FYI the average bat speeds reported for these players began in the low 90’s and ended around 100 mph, measured by some light timing device made by the school’s engineering department

Overload-Underload Maple Training Bats

 

 

 

I’ll add these points:

1.) This type of training is relatively easy to implement for any player or team.  Even with just a regular bat and dry swings, players will improve if they set their focus on high intensity, quality swings.

2.) Heavy bats are not bad.  I tried to suggest this in the weighted warm-ups post.  Remember there is a difference between acute and chronic training effects.  I would not recommend the volume of swings with as heavy of a bat as used in this study, but both overload and underload training components are valuable within a suggested range (see swing training page).

3.) The study makes reference to an unpublished thesis from 1970 which concluded that swinging a heavy bat in conjunction with weight training significantly improves bat velocity, whereas weight training alone did not.

4.) It doesn’t take tons of hitting drills or fancy weight room exercises to improve bat speed.  Mechanics and strength training are important, but remember —> intent, specificity, feedback.

 

Training Methods Using Various Weighted Bats and the Effects on Bat Velocity

-Sergo, Chester; Boatwright, Douglas

The purpose of this study was to determine if baseball bat velocity could be improved as a result of training with both weighted and light bats as opposed to training with either bat alone. Subjects (N=24) from a collegiate baseball team were pretested for bat velocity and randomly assigned to one of three training groups (n=8). Each group dry-swung a bat 20 sets of five swings each with 20 seconds rest between sets, 3 days a week for 6 weeks. The control group used a legal bat of their choice. Group 2 used a 62-oz weighted bat. Group 3 alternated a 62-oz weighted bat and a light bat between each set.Subjects took their normal swing through a light timing device, using a 31-oz bat, as if hitting in a game situation. The average of the last five swings was used for data analysis. A 3 x 2 (Group x Time) ANOVA with repeated measures on the last factor was used for statistical analysis. The reliability for the testing procedure was determined by pooling the test-retest data from the pretest and posttest. Data analysis revealed no significant group effect, a significant time effect, and no Group x Time effect. The evidence suggests that swinging a bat of any weight under the training program’s guidelines would significantly improve bat velocity.

(C) 1993 National Strength and Conditioning Association

before & after

Yes, that is the same guy.  All of our work was done in a 2-week period when this player was on his Christmas break from school.  We got together maybe 8-10 total times over that stretch and took a ton of swings.  No magic weight room exercises or extra forearm or grip strength work here.  Just an initial video analysis, some weighted implements (heavy & light bats), feedback for swing speed and quickness, and some intent to swing faster. 

Not only did he swing the bat with more velocity, but his overall swing was quicker.  He had a better swing plane and path through the ball, he had better weight shift and distribution, better hip rotation, and an overall improvement in the connection and sequence of the different body segments (hips, shoulders, arms, bat).  The mechanics of his swing improved in just about every way.  Well done!

For more before & after swing videos, check out the Results page.

• how to improve bat speed
• rotational exercises to increase bat speed
• weighted bat-implement training (ie overload-underload)

You can check out more on Bob Alejo at his website.

This week we test the fact that a lighter bat gives more bat speed than a heavy bat, and what does that mean.

Episode 62 – Bat Speed? – The Fastpitch Softball TV Show

This video comes from softball site fastpitch.tv and deals with how changes in bat weight effect bat speed, batted ball velocity, and batted ball distance.  Fairly simple test – use radar to measure bat speed of different weighted bats (imagine that!).  They could have just hit balls off a tee and measured the ball exit speed (like this), but I suppose getting actual calculations assuming a more constant environment are more controlled.  Here are some conclusions:

• the light bat gets swung the fastest
• faster bat speed helps hit the ball farther
• 1 mph bat speed translates to about 4 extra feet of distance

I am trying to use my larger muscles more when I swing and I thought perhaps you had some type of specific drill with a medicine ball or some weight that would help develop my rotational strength.

Check out this post I made on Resistance Training for Batspeed.  The article in there covers a lot of basics about general, special and specific training for bat speed.  Each of the protocols referenced there were used successfully with high school and college athletes.

The medicine ball exercises are basically standing rotation movements similar to a swing – just pick a couple basics, there’s not one magic one..  You can look for more exercises here (specifically abdominal and plyometric drills) and also refer to the recent post on texas rangers s&c exercises.  It’s a good idea to mix in some of the bridge exercises for stabilization, and if you’ve been swinging and working out already you are probably okay to move in to the other med ball stuff. 

Also add some weighted implement training to your hitting routine.  This is what is going to take your developing strength and transfer it into your actual swing.  If you’re still playing at this point (in-season) just mix it in on the tee or soft toss.  For more ideas for the off-season, see this post on off-season training.

I recommend that you go over these things with your local baseball coach and/or strength and conditioning coach.  Good luck!

______________________________________________________________

Here is what she wrote:

“Hey Jeff, hope you’re doing well. Just wanted to let you know that I made first team all county this year and lead my team in doubles and almost tied the school record for homeruns, all thanks to you.”

When I responded to her email, I made sure to let her know that she was the one who put in the hard work. She replied:

“I got so accustomed to practicing hitting and making adjustments as I went along that my coaches would give me a hard time because I would go through bucket after bucket after bucket in the cages, and when we hit on the field I wouldn’t stop until I hit a homerun haha. The accomplishment of my life- hitting a homerun over the right field fence (about 275 ft) off a tee…that and I finally learned how to hit an inside riseball.”

These are the types of players who make a coach/instructor look good. For those of you working hard and looking for ways to improve, here is some more of her story:

______________________________________________________________

Last winter I began working with a softball player in the Atlanta area. I did not know much about her background, but I assummed from her swing that she had received very “traditional” coaching.

In my opinion, her swing had been constructed primarily to beat the ball straight into the ground.

After an initial video analysis, where I compared her to a high level Division 1 NCAA softball player (whom I consider to have a good swing for her level), our first plan of attack was:

1. Get into a more athletic position to hit
2. Learn how to move/rotate explosively out of that position

Here is some before/after video:

On the far left is the first time we met. No instruction or anything other than the recording of some swings.

Next meeting we looked over our video comparisons and some other images, and proceeded mainly with over/under and reaction training with the SETPRO SP-5 unit.

The middle portion of the above clip shows this player doing the no-stride, pure reaction training. Basically, the player begins in a strong, athletic position and learns to rotate explosively into the ball. Feedback is provided in terms of both swing quickness and bat speed, which promotes swing OPTIMIZATION – that is, blend of quickness and speed (power).

Then on the right is a shot of a regular tee swing after a couple weeks of training. Some noticeable points of improvement include:

1. Stronger initial base
2. Better load of the hands and upper body
3. Reduced overall swing time (*note ‘before’ swing starts about 5 frames prior to ‘after’ swing)

And very interestingly, her new swing matched up quite similarly to her “training” swing.

There’s a video clip to show the progression, and the text details a number of things:

• increasing bat velocity
• reaction training
• transition from ‘training’ to ‘hitting’
• points of emphasis for mechanics and drills
• strength training

“Immediate things that jumped out to me were immediate disconnection (total arm dominated swing) and swinging straight down. This fell in line with most of the instruction he had received. And I thought it spoke volumes of his athletic ability to have made it as far as AA ball at that point. His bat speed was high 80s/90 at this point.

I showed him the skeleton clips that Paul made to demonstrate swing plane, especially the one demonstrating the 2 planes. I also showed him some simple stuff (ie hitting chapter in physics of baseball) as well as video comparisons of him next to MLB players to demonstrate the need to learn how to use the “big muscles” to deliver bat to ball

We began doing overload/underload training (BOT/BOF with some reaction mixed in). I mainly wanted to get him stronger and show him some results (improved batspeed) early on. Within about 3 weeks he’d gained around 10 mph batspeed.

From there we added in some more hitting drills like side toss and front toss. We would mostly do no stride swings and focus on UNLOADING the bat. We had been using the sp4 mode for reaction training and he could see that the majority of his bat speed was generated from that no stride position based on how well he could unload the bat. So he could focus on unloading and doing it QUICKLY, as forced by the sp4 (ie see light, swing)

Obviously, the 10+ mph was good. He was establishing a MUCH better swing plane. As far as quickness, the big thing I noted to him was in frame 4, where his hands are making their first move to the ball a full frame later in the new swing than the old. He eliminated his bat lag/drag…but you could still see disconnection in there

As spring training got closer, we transferred more from training mode to hitting mode. We’d mix in a couple BOT/BOF sessions mainly for swing-strength maintenance, but most of the SETPRO equipment use at that point was reaction (sp4) to add that visual/reaction stress to the swing. We did vary weighted bats a lot on our hitting drills (soft/front toss) to help maintain that swing strength also. And using the weights for the swing not only helped with strength but gave some added feedback as far as where the bat is in space – the added weight makes it easier to tell if you are dragging or pushing the bat. In simplest terms, the better you swing it, the less you will realize you have a donut on your bat

One big thing that helped as the final piece before spring training was access to an awesome pitching machine. I believe it’s called the Homeplate pitching machine. You can program any pitch at any speed in any loacation and set a sequence of up to 8 pitches. The dial says it goes up to 90mph, but honestly it comes out like upper 90s. In the words of an MLB all-start who hit off of it daily, if you want to know what it is like to face Randy Johnson, hit off of that thing

So that was helpful in replicating a pitcher and live situation as close as possible, while still being able to concentrate on the swing as necessary

The simple routine going into spring training was to use some heavy bats (ie Bratt Bat 100oz) to get loose, take some front toss with the varying weights and then hit. We would use the warm-up as mechanical “check points” so that once he was feeling “right” it was time to just hit without thinking about the swing

Fast-forward, he has a good spring training, sticking with his swing changes even though some changes had been suggessted, and got off to a very good start in the first month of the season, hitting nearly .350 before a season ending injury that required surgery

Double fast-forward to this fall, and our game plan was to keep that same level of bat speed as last year, but get quicker – as quick as possible. First step from there was get stronger in the weight room (based on a protocol from Barry Ross). Big part of this was heavy deadlifts. He’s gone from probably low-mid 200 #s to now well over 400# deadlift. Idea behind it is to recruit as many fast-twitch muscle fibers as possible in the weight room and use the swing training to transfer it to the swing

As far as the swing, we wanted to turn more as a unit – trying to keep the hands connected longer…

His bat speed is where it was last year, but he is noticeably quicker now. By staying connected better early in the swing, I think he is able to transfer more energy. We are still working on shifting into foot plant and timing of the scap. load. I still think he has room to improve in the fishhook department, mainly by just trying to turn longer and not let the bat release. The goal from the start this fall was to produce the same bat speed in less time, and he’s doing so.”

This isn’t a new topic, but an article in Scientific America brings up the issue again with a new study in the Journal of Strength and Conditioning Research:

Warming up with 5 swings of a light or normal bat appears to increase post warm-up velocity of the normal bat when compared with warming up with a heavy bat after a rest period of 30 seconds. Within the bat weight spectrum of this study, it is suggested that when preparing to hit, 5 warm-up swings with either a light or normal bat will allow a player to achieve the greatest velocity of their normal bat.

Coop DeRenne, Montoya, Southard and Groomer are all other researchers that have found similar results – basically that bat speed will not be significantly slowed if the warm-up bat used immediately prior does not vary greatly (ie. +/- 13%) in weight from the regular bat.

The show Sports Science also did a piece on this where they showed a slight decrease in bat speed and altered timing after using a couple of donuts as added weight for warm-up swings:

So why do players still use weighted bats to warm-up?

Here are a couple of observations:

1. These images come from the Sports Science video comparing the swings pre- and post-weighted bat warmup.  The video mentions altered timing, but it’s interesting to me that the swing on the right after the weighted warmup is a shorter, quicker swing (this is assuming, of course, that the videos are synched up correctly to initiation of the swing).  All things being equal, I’ll trade 0.7 mph bat speed for the difference in the quickness of those swings.

2. I rarely see someone in the on-deck circle taking full effort hacks with a heavy bat, but players still want to feel good before they get into the box, and part of that for some is still using weighted implements to get loose.  As the player says in the video, it ‘feels’ better.  Understandably lame and non-scientific, but sometimes that’s the way it is…..especially in baseball where the mental game is significant.  If a player has a good pre-AB routing going that gets him focused, then go get ‘em.

Bottom line for me is that getting ready with your game bat immediately before getting in the box (ie. on deck) appears to make the most sense.  If you want to take some cuts with the heavy bat, that’s fine, but get loose and then move on so you at least have a couple of swings with the regular bat.  And don’t forget to watch the pitcher!