This is the key to creating quickness. Wrist roll exercises are to develop strength from the fingertips to the elbows, which is important. But this is the secret to creating Bat Speed!.
If you have been playing baseball for a few years, you probably have a few different sizes of bats laying around in the garage. Go get them. They are your tools for success. Ideally, you need at least three graduating sizes of bats. A tee-ball bat (maybe 16 oz. in weight), a Little League bat (approximately 20-23 oz. in weight), and a Senior League bat (about 27 oz.). You also need a weighted bat, or a device to weight your heaviest bat such as a “donut” or “power fins”. Additionally, you need an extremely light bat, such as the XLR8 Speed Bat
If you can’t get one of these, you can use a cut down piece of broom stick. You have to have this progression in order to make this system work.
Set your “tools” in progressive order near you from lightest to heaviest. Begin with the middle bat, taking some smooth, easy cuts. Just loosen up. Take about 15-20 cuts like this and get your muscles prepared to work. Do a little stretching, make sure your muscles are prepared before you stress them.
Okay, you are set to begin your workout. Again, with the middle bat, get in a fundamentally sound stance and imagine a ball in your power zone. Take a solid, balanced, but powerful cut at that imaginary ball. Concentrate on your rhythm, your cocking, your timing step, you hips and hands exploding to the ball. Exaggerate your hands staying as close to your body as possible. Really rotate with explosive power. Concentrate on finishing balanced. The perfect swing, that’s what you want every time. Repeat this 10 times. Set the bat down and graduate to the next heaviest bat. Repeat the same perfect swing for 8 reps. Set that bat down and progress to your weighted bat. Repeat the perfectly explosive and compact swing 6 times. Concentrate on doing everything perfect.
Now, start back down the line of bats. The second heaviest bat gets 8 perfect swings. The middle bat gets 10 perfect, compact and explosive swings. Now, you get to the fast twitch muscle building as we reach the lighter bats. Swing this one 12 times as compact and explosive as you can.
When you get to that Speed Bat you will be swinging with tremendous speed. Bat quickness! Rip those hands through the strike zone with all of your might! 15 times with the Speed Bat. Again, do not forsake form. Drill the proper form into your swing by concentrating on doing everything correctly. See the imaginary ball and keep your hands in close as you explode your hips and then rip the Speed Bat into the imaginary ball. Finish balanced, every time.
For the first week this is all you do. One time through the bat progression. The second week, go for two times through. From the third week on, try to get three “sets” in during each session. Do this routine Tuesday, Thursday and Saturday of each week.
Wrist roll on Monday, Wednesday and Friday. Grad-U-weighted bat workout on Tuesday, Thursday and Saturday. Rest on Sunday. You will be amazed at the difference in your bat speed and power by the time that six week period is over. I am certain that you will not be the only one to notice. In fact, I am certain you will be approached by at least one of your teammates and probably one of your coaches. They too will be impressed. That should be all the incentive you need to continue what you are doing. Dedication.
This drill is undoubtedly capable of putting a tremendous amount of power in your hitting if you are disciplined enough to do the drill properly, have the desire to turn yourself into a better hitter, and are dedicated enough to continue it even in the off-season. Make yourself into the great hitter that you want to be. If you believe, you can achieve!
