A couple of years ago, I made a post about resistance training for bat speed that outlined a weight lifting program that has been demonstrated through research to improve strength for high school baseball players.  It’s basic multi-joint movements and progressive overload principle provide exellent results.

Something I think that was overlooked there was that the original NSCA article by Dr. David Szymanski also includes a simple protocol for increasing bat speed using overload/underload weighted implement training:

Expected results from implementing this type of program can be found in this post I made about the effect of overweighted forearm training devices on bat speed and batted ball velocity. 

In that study, the control group followed a similar type of resistance training program (minus the medicine ball work) and did only 315 dry swings per week (3 days x 105 swings/day).  This would be the most basic thing you could do to improve bat speed – just try to swing faster! 

Either add swings to the end of your workout or do some compound training (ie add a short set of swings after bench press or squat) and you’re moving in the right direction.  These dry swings alone lead to a 4.6% increase in bat speed for high school baseball players over the 12-week training period. 

Now add some weighted implement bats for overload-underload and some feedback and you’re on your way to serious bat speed improvement!

Jeff Training research bat speed, lifting, power, research, strength, swing, training, workout