How to Speed Up Your Bat Swing

Getting the bat head through the hitting zone

One of the most crucial elements required to hit a baseball harder and farther is bat speed. This phrase refers to the speed of the bat head through the hitting zone as it makes contact with the ball. Good hitters at every level of baseball understand the importance of bat speed and continually strive to improve. There are a few modifications that can be made to your swing to get the bat through faster. You will also need to strengthen muscles in your legs, wrists and midsection.

Instructions

Change Your Swing

1. Study the pros by watching online videos of great hitters like Tony Gwynn, Ken Griffey Jr. or George Brett, and model your swing after theirs. Pay special attention to the mechanics of their swings.

2. Lower your hands. Start with your hands about even with shoulder level. When you begin your swing with your hands held high, it is common to lower them as the pitch is on the way. This will cause a hesitation in your swing that could make you late for the pitch. Lowering your hands from the beginning will allow you to eliminate one step and get your bat through faster.

3. Shorten your stride. Professional hitters take a very short stride toward the pitcher when they swing. Shortening your stride enables your hips to move quicker and your swing to begin.

Strengthen Muscles

1. Strengthen your midsection by doing weighted crunches and rotation exercises, so your trunk will be able to turn toward the baseball faster.

2. Strengthen your legs by doing barbell, dumbbell or machine squats with a moderately heavy weight, as well as weighted lunges. The speed of your swing and the force required to hit the ball a long way is generated from the ground up. If there isn't a strong base, nothing else will work properly.

3. Strengthen your hands and wrists by practicing a variety of different squeezing exercises with tennis balls or racquetballs. Also do wrist curls and reverse wrist curls with as much weight as you can handle for 10 to 15 reps per set. This is where you get the power to flick the bat through the hitting zone and really increase bat speed.

Tips & Warnings

• When studying someone else's swing, model yourself after someone with a similar body type.

• Don't go overboard with strength training. You are a baseball player, not a bodybuilder. Over-training can lead to injury and less flexibility.

• If using a weighted bat, use the same swing you would use in a game situation. This will keep all the right muscles in shape to increase bat speed when you really need it.

References

• Bodybuilding.com: Build Bat Speed
• Baseball Hitting Lessons: Baseball Swing Guide