Headbanger Sports - How to Increase your Bat Speed

Bat speed is one of the most important components of a successful at-bat, and if you want your team to succeed, these drills to increase bat speed will help propel them toward a successful season. 

What is Bat Speed?

Bat speed is how fast the sweet spot of your barrel is going when it reaches impact with a ball. The faster your swing, the more power you have to propel the ball into the field. Faster bat speeds allow for further hit balls in the outfield, and your ground balls become more difficult to field. While there are many components that determine how a ball will travel after making contact with your bat, your bat speed remains one of the most important. 

Drills to Increase Your Bat Speed

Blow the Hands Away 

This is a simple drill that requires a partner, a bat, and a few baseballs. The goal of this drill is to increase bat speed by coordinating your wind up with your breathing. As the ball approaches the batter, they will inhale and load up their stance. When the ball crosses the plate, they exhale and release all the built-up air as they swing. Players should exaggerate their breathing to help them generate power and focus on this release of energy on every swing. Players should take 5 swings and switch places. This drill is great for warming up as it helps release tension and allows for a loose swing. 

Back and Stop

This simple drill teaches players how to increase bat speed by breaking their drill into two sections. The load up and the follow through. Players start by pitching balls to a batter. The batter loads up and swings all the way through, reaching to the back of their swing as fast as they can. Don’t focus so much on making good contact with the ball in this drill, as it is more about the full motion of the swing than anything else. Do this for 5 pitches and switch. After both players have done this swing, they will switch things up and focus on the start of their swing. The batter will use the next 5 pitches, exploding to the ball and holding it there as soon as it makes contact. Once this has been done 5 times, switch. Now that you have practiced both parts of your swing, it is time to tie it together and practice the full swing, focusing on the movements you just worked on. Make sure players explode through their swing from the beginning of their swing to the end. This drill is great for increasing your team’s batting power and it should help them focus on their swing as a whole.

Weighted Bat Drills

Using a heavier bat is a great way to increase your speed. All you need for this one is a heavier-than-normal bat or a weighted baseball doughnut. During this drill, make sure to watch your players swing, as they should be practicing proper mechanics and not allowing their swing to drop lower than normal. If they are continuing to do this, make sure to take some weight off or find a lighter bat to practice with. During this drill, the player will take 10 at-bats with the weighted bat before switching to their normal game-time bat. They should notice they are swinging faster, and it is a simple drill to increase bat speed that helps players recognize a difference right away. Remind them to focus on maintaining this power in all of their swings, as this will lead to better hit balls and more successful at-bats.