Using Baseball Bat Speed Drills To Improve Game Skills
Baseball Bat Speed Drills
When it comes to developing strong batting skills, baseball bat speed drills are a must. Practicing speed drills will enable a player to build up the quickness of movement and wrist strength that are essential in a great baseball player.
While many believe that batting is all about power hitting, it is actually the speed and quickness of a batter combined with strength that enables a hitter to become a consistent run batter.
Here are a few baseball bat speed drills that will help a player develop speed, work on quickness, and build power in the bat swing.
Control Hand Drill
The purpose of this drill is to develop and strengthen the coordination and movement of the dominant top hand gripping the bat. The top hand guides and directs the bat through a good swing. To develop bat speed and improve batting accuracy, building up the strength in the top, or control hand is a must.
This drill can be done using tossed balls, a batting device, or a hitting stick machine.
The player takes a position of extending the forward leg while the back knee is pointed downward. This position ensures the batter is only using his arms to control the direction of the bat swing. The balls are to be directed just above the batter’s head. As the ball comes forward, the batter is to raise the bat’s barrel above the ball and hit the ball downward.
Thirty to forty control hand drills are recommended per day, split up into 2 or 3 sets.
Grip Drill
Gripping the bat properly and practicing until the proper grip becomes natural will build up bat speed, quickness, and strength.
Some of the more traditional bat grips actually slow speed down. The choke and fist over fist grips are two holds that may decrease bat speed although they are two very common bat grips.
Place the bottom hand right above the bat knob and flick the bat, allowing the wrist to control the movement of the bat swing. This drill will improve batting speed very quickly if done correctly. Ensure that this is a slow controlled move until the wrist moves naturally through this drill.
Under Over Bat Drills
This bat drill increases bat speed by having a player practice with different weight bats. Three bats will be needed. One regular game bat, one bat slightly less heavy, and one slightly more heavy than the game bat. Practice taking 10 to 30 cuts with each bat. With each bat, ensure use of good, solid bat rotation and work on getting a faster cut with each consecutive swing.
Timing will need to be adjusted with each different bat weight, however, the bat speed will start increasing the more this drill is practiced.
Drills Work, But Only If They Are Done Properly
Drills do work, but only if a player takes the time to complete them properly. As always with a new drill, the emphasis should be on completing the drill in a proper sequence and using the required muscles to complete the action. Once the sequence starts being natural, then, and only then, should the drill start emphasizing speed and endurance.
References
Baseball Hitting Forum: Bat Speed Drills - https://www.batspeed.com/messageboard/7579.html
Baseball Corner: Batting Tips & Drills - https://www.baseballcorner.com/battingtips.asp
Active: A Need For Speed - https://www.active.com/baseball/Articles/A_Need_for_Speed.htm
