How to Hit With Wood Bats in Batting Practice
Hitting with a wood bat in batting practice is different than hitting with an aluminum bat. Aluminum bats are easier to hit with because they are more forgiving, but wood bats allow you to hit the ball just as far if hit in the sweet spot. This is because most of the weight of a wood bat is located in the barrel as opposed to the thin, evenly distributed weight of an aluminum bat. Major league baseball players are limited to using wood bats only. Using a wood bat in batting practice will allow you to feel like a major leaguer and experience some of the same things they do.
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Instructions
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Choke up on the wooden bat in batting practice. Choking up just two or three inches will help the bat feel more balanced in your hand. Because most of the weight in a wood bat is in the barrel, choking up will help get the weight closer to the hands and create the feeling of a balanced bat.
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Hit the ball on the barrel, not the handle. Since you will be facing several pitches in a row in batting practice, it is not wise to hit too many balls on the handle because it will break easily. The handle in a wooden bat is very thin in an effort to get most of the weight in the barrel of the bat.
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Swing at outside pitches only. Swinging at outside pitches will allow you to get your arms extended and really drive the batting practice pitches. Inside pitches may be hard to handle in batting practice because the bat head tends to lag behind the hands due to its weight. Outside pitches where the arms can be extended will help you hit the ball on the sweet spot and put on a show for anyone who is watching.
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Tips & Warnings
Put a thick coat of tape around the handle of the wood bat to change the center of gravity.
Wood bats that break can be dangerous to other players and fans if not paying attention.
References
Resources
- Photo Credit bat and ball image by Scott Williams from Fotolia.com
