I truly hope that hitters, coaches and baseball parents realize that bat speed and quick hands are crucial for successful hitting. Let’s keep this very, very simple. Forget all other baseball tips on hitting. Very simply, the faster the head of the bat is going when it hits the ball, the harder a hitter will hit the baseball. Period. There are hundreds of baseball tips on hitting but don’t the hitters with the quickest bat speed hit the baseball the hardest? You can talk about many things that are required to be a successful hitter and right near the top of your list should be bat speed.
It’s very enjoyable to watch a big, strong hitter clobber the baseball. It’s at least equally as enjoyable to watch a smaller hitter who is not exceptionally strong clobber the baseball. The only way for the smaller player to be competitive with the bigger and stronger hitters is with his very quick bat speed. All the baseball tips on hitting in the world will not help if you don’t have quick hands and bat speed.
Another huge advantage to having quick bat speed and quick hands is that it will help you against off speed pitches. Of course it will help you against the fast ball because your bat will have a better chance to catch up to the heater. But if you can stay back a fraction of a second longer because of your quickness, there is less of a chance for you to be off balance and out in front on off speed pitches. There is simply no substitute for quick hands and being quick to the baseball.
Several Things You Can Do To Improve Your Bat Speed:
- Practice your swing every day. Some professionals will take as many as 500 swings a day in the off season. That’s very possibly one of the reasons why they are now professional hitters. I’m not saying it’s feasible to take that many swings every day but practice your swing as often as possible. Remember to take your practice swings exactly like you are swinging the bat in a game. You’re cheating yourself if you do otherwise. If you are willing to spend the time practicing your swing, you deserve to benefit from the time you are putting in. What exercise can possibly be better to improve your strength and quickness as a baseball hitter than practicing the swing itself? There is no such exercise!
- Avoid gripping the bat too tightly, which is a common problem especially with younger players. They often have the mindset that “I’m going to grip this bat real tight and really clobber this ball.” Nothing can be further from the truth. It actually will slow down the speed of your bat. It’s identical to a pitcher who holds the ball tighter to slow down a pitch and a baseball hitter gripping the bat tightly will slow down his bat speed also.
- Make sure you swing directly to the ball. One of the best baseball tips on hitting you will ever learn is that the very beginning of the swing is not level at all. It is a downward movement and only levels out at the point of contact! At the very start of your swing, your front elbow should be facing ground and NOT facing the pitcher. If your front elbow is facing the pitcher at the very START of your swing, it will create a slight loop inj your swing making you a fraction of a second late to the baseball. (A fraction of a second is an eternity in baseball.) You absolutely must be “quick to the ball.” Short and quick to the ball is far better than long and strong!
And remember that having quick bat speed is the best equalizer in the world. I can be twice as strong as you but if you’re quicker than I am to the ball, you will beat me out every time! Baseball parents, players and youth coaches, I post a new FREE baseball article on hitting, pitching or fielding every Monday at LarryBaseball.com that you can add to your favorites now. You and other baseball people you share them with will benefit by reading them.ย Please feel free to use the links for your website, blog or newsletter to attract more visitors or to keep your current visitors returning. I promise you will be raising a few eyebrows.
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