2 years ago, I made a post describing how I used a weighted Bratt Bat to help some professional players improve their swing mechanics during their off-season workouts. I am still using the Bratt Bat as part of my training program to help players improve their hitting, and here is another example of how it works.
From the previous post (linked above), here were the “rules”:
What to do:
Use a weight appropriate for the strength-age-level of your player (65-75 oz. for high school, up to 100 oz. for stronger college players and pros)
Avoid a high volume of swings. 5-10 is enough to get the right feel, then switch back to a regular weight bat
Avoid trying to swing too hard. Save that for your overload-underload swings. Just get the feeling of the drill.
Focus on hitting line drives up the middle and towards the oppo gap
Remember this is just a drill and stick to the main principles of swing training for larger numbers of swings
Looking back, I still stick pretty closely to these rules. But in the upcoming example, we’re actually hitting a baseball off of a tee with a full swing (note: the Bratt Bat is not designed to hit baseballs. It’s better to use tennis or wiffle balls for higher volume or intensity of swings, as shown in our previous drill).
Now here is a comparison of a high school junior hitting off the tee with his regular bat (left side) and using a 75 ounce Bratt Bat (right side). After he took several tee swings with his regular bat, all I did was give him the Bratt Bat and tell him to try and hit it up the middle (tee is placed right down the middle, a bit forward of where the stride foot lands).
This is a nice little video from Golf Channel’s Playing Lessons with the Pros where 3-time major golf champion, Padraig Harrington, talks about creating power in his swing. Obviously, the baseball and golf swings are different, but basic principles of movement apply to both – things like stability (on the back leg), rotation, connection (although I typically think or talk about it in the forward swing for baseball rather than the back swing) and the kinetic link.
How did Robinson Cano develop all that power in his swing?
Robinson Cano Home Run Drill
Check out this article that explains a drill that was developed by New York Yankees’ hitting coach, Kevin Long, to help players like Cano develop short, compact and power hitting mechanics.
This drill has become one of my favorites, but I actually do it slightly differently in the batting cage. I like to have the player keep the line drives along the net or through the very small alley created between the screen and the net. This way, the player stays short but really emphasizes staying on the ball rather than pulling off. As the player adapts, I like them to pull the ball a little bit more, but just because their contact is a bit more out in front, not because they are changing the way they get to the ball.
If you remember this video I has posted of A-Rod a while back, use can see him using the drill against the net.
Stack TV has a series of hitting, workout & training video clips featuring Evan Longoria from the Tampa Bay Rays. These cover aspects of his baseball specific workouts in the weight room that target power development through the lower body and core muscles, as well as training the upper body for stability. Just as important to the training, especially considering the daily repetition and long duration of the baseball season, is his mindset of taking quality reps in each area in order to maximize the training effect of his effort.
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