Help Bat Speed Needed!

[bbb3601]

My 10 y/o is having what I think is bat speed issues. We have looked at grip stance swing etc etc. He just isn't through the zone quick enough. Is their any drills to help address this problem? His bat isn't too heavy I already tried that. He has this problem even with bp.

[FiveFrameSwing]

My 10 y/o is having what I think is bat speed issues. We have looked at grip stance swing etc etc. He just isn't through the zone quick enough. Is their any drills to help address this problem? His bat isn't too heavy I already tried that. He has this problem even with bp.

Many confuse bat speed with efficiency. By this I mean that lack of speed isn't the issue so much as an incorrect barrel path to the ball. If you post a clip here then we have some posters that can comment intelligently on his swing efficiency and likely give pointers for further progress.

If you truly are interested in increasing bat speed then google overload/underload training and see what you find.

Also consider Jake's recent comment regarding a hitter's mentality. They think the pitch will be a strike until proven otherwise. To do the opposite, and determine if the ball is a strike during the pitch is too slow. When working with young kids I tell them it's either "yes, yes, no" or "yes, yes, go". In other words ... "yes it is a strike, yes it is a strike, no/go". The "no/go" decision is made after the forward weight shift (which ideally occurs during the launch) and during the initial portion of the swing, but prior to full commitment.

[virg]

Does he stride with every pitch, or only upon deciding to cut?
If the latter, he'll look slow. A swing clip would show only the distortion of a late forced swing. Check it out before making big changes.

The menu carried over from playground slowpitch is:
Watch- Decide- Stride- Swing.
The faster menu is:
Stride & Watch- Decide & Swing (at strikes) pass on the others.
This separates stride and swing and relieves rushing.
Stride with the pitcher, every pitch. Starting point; your foot lands with his. Then adjust later, incrementally, so it fits your swing.

[Swing Coach]

Lack of bat spped with my 10-year-olds is almost always too long of a swing, caused by getting the hands too far away from the body. Have your son stand close (2-3 feet) to a net/fence and swing the bat without hitting it. This will force his hands to stay in. My guess is, you will see a tremendous increase in bat speed.

[Nater44]

The Swing Coach has some great advice. Yes, poor hand path away from the body would be the cause. There are multiple ways of solving this, but a solid understanding of the below are necessary to develop as well.

1. The problem
2. Identifying the problem for future correction

I have recored a clip on YouTube you can access to help some on understanding a good hand path and extension.

[Mark H]

Lack of bat spped with my 10-year-olds is almost always too long of a swing, caused by getting the hands too far away from the body. Have your son stand close (2-3 feet) to a net/fence and swing the bat without hitting it. This will force his hands to stay in. My guess is, you will see a tremendous increase in bat speed.

Don't care for the fence drill myself. http://imageevent.com/siggy/hitting/...=0&w=4&s=0&z=9

[Mark H]

The Swing Coach has some great advice. Yes, poor hand path away from the body would be the cause. There are multiple ways of solving this, but a solid understanding of the below are necessary to develop as well.

1. The problem
2. Identifying the problem for future correction

I have recored a clip on YouTube you can access to help some on understanding a good hand path and extension.

That clip is not what I see elite hitters doing and is a recipe for slow bathead speed through the zone but it will keep your bathead in the zone longer.

[bbb3601]

Keeping his hands in all of the time has been an issue. I think I will try the fence drill. Is this the only recommended drill? I have posted video in the past and the hands seem to be his weak point. In the past we have tried laying his bat flat just above the shoulder? As always thank you all for the help!

[Mark H]

Did you look at and understand the problems with the fence drill shown in the video clip? Almost everyone understands the need for a connected somewhat circular hand path and most of the time this is not what the fence drill promotes. Whatever the problem is you are trying to fix, IMO, the fence drill, if it fixes it, will do so by creating another problem like this goofy swing demo. http://www.quickhands.net/pics.html

The fence drill CAN be done, with close educated supervision, in a manner that doesn't promote disconnection but it doesn't happen often IME.

I suggest making sure you understand everything on this link. http://imageevent.com/siggy/hitting/analysis

I further suggest signing up on Englishbey's webite. The video analysis part is on the free public side and you could learn quite a bit there.

[korp]

When doing soft toss you can throw the ball quicker so it gets in on the hands and forces them to be quick to the ball. You can also speed up a pitching machine and just work on better timing, quicker swing ect.

[Nater44]

That clip is not what I see elite hitters doing and is a recipe for slow bathead speed through the zone but it will keep your bathead in the zone longer.

I don't wish to engage in a long debate it's not the intent of the article, though I would encourage you to look at some videos of elite hitters and watch how they enter and finish through the zone. This technique for example was taught to me while I was in the Seattle Mariners Organization. Some modifications may be needed with fastballs reaching mid 90's. But by that time in the career those changes should be easier.

[Swing Coach]

The fence drill works if done correctly. Have the player imagine he is hitting the ball up the middle..and don't have him stand super close to the fence, especially at the beginning. One key to this drill and others, is to make sure your son's elbow is tucked in to his side...this will help with the drill and give him the feel of his hands staying in.

Nater..I have to agree with Mark....that clip is not at all what happens in any high-level swing. The hands coming down through the zone ahead of rotation is not good technique. You will not find one mlb hitter (I have seen many in slow-mo or freeze frame) who leads with his hands like this. I wouldn't use that clip as a good example for the Dad. It will actually slow his barrel speed down.

SC

[Nater44]

The fence drill works if done correctly. Have the player imagine he is hitting the ball up the middle..and don't have him stand super close to the fence, especially at the beginning. One key to this drill and others, is to make sure your son's elbow is tucked in to his side...this will help with the drill and give him the feel of his hands staying in.

Nater..I have to agree with Mark....that clip is not at all what happens in any high-level swing. The hands coming down through the zone ahead of rotation is not good technique. You will not find one mlb hitter (I have seen many in slow-mo or freeze frame) who leads with his hands like this. I wouldn't use that clip as a good example for the Dad. It will actually slow his barrel speed down.

SC

I fully agree with you in that the hands should never lead rotation. However, maybe I should have clarified the intent of the clip. The focus of the clip was on the extension through the zone, therefore we set the lower half differently to avoid distraction in that first close up. The idea that the hands need to remain close to the body and extend out in front of the plate is the main point.

The other clips we've filmed demonstration the other lower-half of the mechanics. As does this article I've recently written.

[Twitch5]

The other clips we've filmed demonstration the other lower-half of the mechanics.

What do others think about the "Front Side Hitting Drill" that is also shown on Nater44's YouTube site. I don't think I've ever seen the drill presented this way, but it does seem like it would be beneficial.

Twitch5

[randy]

it is excellent-my son's instructor has had him doing it for a couple of years.