Bat Speed Training For More Power

Bat Speed Training For More Power
By guest author: Alan Bryan

Using bat speed training can help you quickly gain an additional thirty to even one hundred feet in your power. The most common refrain in hitting is that it is not how hard you swing, rather, how quick your swing. Simply, it is the laws of physics that apply to hitting, as the velocity of the bat connecting with the ball determines the distance a ball will travel.

There are many bat speed training methods that can help you increase your velocity. However, despite all the great training out there, selecting the right bat is also a factor. Most bat speed drills should be done with a wooden bat. With the new, technologically advanced aluminum bats allowing for more error in your swing, many hitters have become dependent on technology rather than practice to hit for more power.

Simply, there are no soft hitting zones in the new aluminum bats. A wooden bat, however, has a very defined sweet spot, and when you miss that sweet spot, the wooden bat will let you know by either shattering or stinging your hands tremendously. Learn how to properly get the head of a wooden bat through the hitting plane, and you are one step closer to hitting for more power.

Effective bat speed training involves several components, some of which are not directly baseball related at all. In additional to practicing with wood bats, you should also strengthen your wrist and lower body using light weight resistance. Putting it all together can help you start hitting for more power in record time.

Effective bat speed training can take your game to the next level by increasing your power and average. When used correctly, bat speed training techniques are extremely effective. Learn the best training methods, recommended by professional scouts, by visiting www.batspeedtraining.info.

Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/?expert=Alan_Bryan

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5 Ways to Add Power to Baseball Swing and Improve Arm Strength

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By Jack Perconte

If there is one thing I would have done differently in my major league career it would have been to consistently use a strength building program during the season. Understand that for most of my early career lifting weights was frowned upon for baseball players. Why that was I am not sure. Probably because people assumed that lifting weights would make players build muscle that would inhibit the long fluid actions ballplayers need. Anyway, gaining and maintaining strength for ball players is essential and can keep a baseball player physically and mentally strong throughout the season. The great number of games during the season often zaps a player's strength which may lead to mental fatigue as well.

Of course, the best way to develop strength and power is to swing the bat and throw the ball more. Performing repetitions of the actual skills of swinging and throwing will lead to strength. For players who want to be their best, there is no substitute for swinging and throwing more than your competition. From experience I have noticed baseball players who throw and swing more months (up to nine), are the players who increase their power and arm speed the most. It is a good idea to give the body and mind a two or three month break from the skill training, but the conditioning and strength work can continue year round.

However, it has been proven over the years that bigger, stronger, faster can be improved through a weight training program. With that in mind, following are some basic tips that players of all ages can use to develop power and arm strength without having to hire a personal trainer or buy expensive exercise equipment:

1. Much of the bat speed, control of the bat and throwing speed comes from the forearms, hands, wrists and fingers. Players can work on these areas by squeezing things. There are many useful items on the market designed to help, but squeezing a tennis ball or water out of a towel will work just as well. Doing this a few minutes a day will develop the strength that will make a difference with how to get the ball to "jump off the bat" and have a "livelier" fastball.

2. The next set of muscles to develop is the core muscles of the midsection. Doing fast hip turns while holding a weighted object are good. Gradual increases in the amount of weight held will develop this core strength. Old fashioned sit ups or any variation of those are beneficial too.

3. Most of the time we think of running exercises only for running speed. However, working on fast crossover steps and explosive first moves of the lower body are just as important for hitting power and throwing speed. Much power is generated by the muscles around the thighs and rear end. Using these muscles with explosive movements will help. Working on explosive crossover steps will develop fast hip rotation for both the hitter and pitcher.

4. Old-fashioned pushups are still great strengthening tools that are good for any and all ages. They will help develop the bigger muscles around the chest and shoulders. Performing different variations like hands wide, hands together and finger tip push ups will work on different muscles.

5. Finally, doing lunges and knee bends will help develop the leg and rear end muscles, which are a major source of power for both a hitter and pitcher.

After a few weeks of this conditioning and continued work on the fundamentals, players will notice the difference with increased bat and arm speed. Working to be bigger, stronger, faster and fundamentally sound will allow players to reach their full potential, without future regret of what they might have done differently.

Former major league baseball player, Jack Perconte gives baseball hitting tips and batting practice advice for ballplayers of all ages. His baseball playing lessons, books and advice can be found at http://www.baseballhittinglessons.com/baseball Jack is the author of two books, The Making of a Hitter and Raising an Athlete - his positive parenting advice and books can be found at http://positiveparentinginsports.com

Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/?expert=Jack_Perconte

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5 Ways to Add Power to Baseball Swing and Improve Arm Strength

---BatAction Machine at CoachesBest.com

By Jack Perconte

If there is one thing I would have done differently in my major league career it would have been to consistently use a strength building program during the season. Understand that for most of my early career lifting weights was frowned upon for baseball players. Why that was I am not sure. Probably because people assumed that lifting weights would make players build muscle that would inhibit the long fluid actions ballplayers need. Anyway, gaining and maintaining strength for ball players is essential and can keep a baseball player physically and mentally strong throughout the season. The great number of games during the season often zaps a player's strength which may lead to mental fatigue as well.

Of course, the best way to develop strength and power is to swing the bat and throw the ball more. Performing repetitions of the actual skills of swinging and throwing will lead to strength. For players who want to be their best, there is no substitute for swinging and throwing more than your competition. From experience I have noticed baseball players who throw and swing more months (up to nine), are the players who increase their power and arm speed the most. It is a good idea to give the body and mind a two or three month break from the skill training, but the conditioning and strength work can continue year round.

However, it has been proven over the years that bigger, stronger, faster can be improved through a weight training program. With that in mind, following are some basic tips that players of all ages can use to develop power and arm strength without having to hire a personal trainer or buy expensive exercise equipment:

1. Much of the bat speed, control of the bat and throwing speed comes from the forearms, hands, wrists and fingers. Players can work on these areas by squeezing things. There are many useful items on the market designed to help, but squeezing a tennis ball or water out of a towel will work just as well. Doing this a few minutes a day will develop the strength that will make a difference with how to get the ball to "jump off the bat" and have a "livelier" fastball.

2. The next set of muscles to develop is the core muscles of the midsection. Doing fast hip turns while holding a weighted object are good. Gradual increases in the amount of weight held will develop this core strength. Old fashioned sit ups or any variation of those are beneficial too.

3. Most of the time we think of running exercises only for running speed. However, working on fast crossover steps and explosive first moves of the lower body are just as important for hitting power and throwing speed. Much power is generated by the muscles around the thighs and rear end. Using these muscles with explosive movements will help. Working on explosive crossover steps will develop fast hip rotation for both the hitter and pitcher.

4. Old-fashioned pushups are still great strengthening tools that are good for any and all ages. They will help develop the bigger muscles around the chest and shoulders. Performing different variations like hands wide, hands together and finger tip push ups will work on different muscles.

5. Finally, doing lunges and knee bends will help develop the leg and rear end muscles, which are a major source of power for both a hitter and pitcher.

After a few weeks of this conditioning and continued work on the fundamentals, players will notice the difference with increased bat and arm speed. Working to be bigger, stronger, faster and fundamentally sound will allow players to reach their full potential, without future regret of what they might have done differently.

Former major league baseball player, Jack Perconte gives baseball hitting tips and batting practice advice for ballplayers of all ages. His baseball playing lessons, books and advice can be found at http://www.baseballhittinglessons.com/baseball Jack is the author of two books, The Making of a Hitter and Raising an Athlete - his positive parenting advice and books can be found at http://positiveparentinginsports.com

Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/?expert=Jack_Perconte

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---------------
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---BatAction Trainer - 15 Reasons Why You Must Own This Machine
---Message to Parents From Coach Nick
---If you are looking for BatAction Replacement Balls or Power Bands Click Here

BatAction Demo Videos on Youtube

3 Strength Building Drills to Make Your Baseball Bat the Most Powerful in Your Baseball League

By Nick Dixon

These 3 batting drills should be a part of every serious baseball players daily batting practice routine. These hitting drills are well known and recognized for increasing bat speed and power. These drills should be done regularly during the off season.

Batting Drill #1 - Top Hand Drill

Purpose: To increase the coordination and skill of the top hand on the bat. The top hand is the hand that guides and controls the bat. Building strength in the top hand can make it take a stronger role in the swing thus, improving bat accuracy and bat speed.

Procedure: You can do this drill with tossed balls, a hitting stick device or a batting machine. The most common way to do this drill is to have the player assume a position with the back knee down and the front leg extended. This body position makes the batter use only the forearm and arm to control the bat. The batting aid or target should be held above the head of the batter. The batter should be instructed to take the barrel above the ball and hit the top of the ball to drive the ball unit downward.

Reps: It is recommended that a better do at least 30 to 45 top hand reps a day divided into 3 sets.

Coaching Point - The heavier the bat is the better. These are strength building exercises. We want to limit the number of reps to less than 50 three times a week. We do not want to do these during the season. We would only do these until 2 weeks before the season begins. You should also incorporate some quick hands or speed hands workouts into your daily routine as well.

Batting Drill #2 - Power Hand Drill

Purpose: To increase the muscle strength and power of the bottom hand on the bat. The bottom hand is the hand that generated bat speed and power. Building strength in the bottom hand can make it stronger and increase bat speed and power.

Procedure: You can do this drill with tossed balls, a hitting stick device or a batting machine. The most common way to do this drill is to have the player assume his normal stance. The batter should have his feet shoulder width apart. The batter will turn the hips and pivot on the back foot to do each swing. Special emphasis should be given the batter to grip the bat near the knob. The batting aid or target should be held above the belly button of the batter. The batter should be instructed to take the barrel and drive the barrel through the ball. The bat should be moving parallel to the ground.

Reps: It is recommended that a better do at least 30 to 45 top hand reps a day divided 3 sets.

Coaching Point - The heavier the bat is the better. The batter must keep the bat higher enough to be parallel to the ground or higher. The movement of the bat should never be downward. Therefore the target to hit must be kept high. The reason for this is that the batter can not be aided by gravity if the bat moves parallel to the ground and level. Any downward movement by the bat reduces the work of the muscles and reduces the effectiveness of the drill.

Batting Drill #3 - Bat Power Resistance Drill

Purpose: Use strength building resistance exercises to increase the strength and power of the muscles in the hands, forearms, and shoulders that are vital in generating bat speed and power. The stronger these muscles are the more bat speed and power the batter will be able to generate.

Procedure: This weight resistance exercise requires a stationary object like a pole, corner of a wall, or tree to give resistance to the bat during this exercise. The bat will not move. The batter will do these 3 exercises.

Exercise - Knob Drive Resistance Weight Exercise

The batter when flex the muscles of the forearms. The batter will put place the knob against the resisting object. The batter will flex the muscles 10 times at two locations. The two locations are:
Pressing downward
Pressing toward the pitcher
Exercise - Bat Barrel Resistance Weight Exercise
The batter when flex the muscles of the hands, fingers, forearms and biceps. The batter will put place the bat barrel against the resisting object. The batter will flex the muscles 10 times at two locations. The two locations are:
6 Inches behind the belly button - belt high - (toward catcher)
6 Inches in front of the belly button - belt high - (toward pitcher)
12 Inches in front of the belly button - belt high - (toward pitcher)
Coaching Point - Each exercise is done with the batter keeping the barrel level, belt high, and pressing toward the pitcher.

The CoachesBest Baseball Store has a great selection of 1400 Baseball Products. Check out the BatAction Hitting Machine baseball pitching simulator. This high speed training machine is 100% Guaranteed to raise Batting Averages and has a full year warranty.

Nick Dixon is the President and founder of Nedco Sports, a sports training company established in 1999. Dixon is also an active and full time high school baseball coach with over 25 years experience. Coach Dixon is better known as the inventor of the BatAction Hitting Machine, the SKLZ Derek Jeter Hurricane Hitting Machine, the SKLZ Target Trainer, the SKLZ Derek Jeter ZipnHit Pro, and the SKLZ Strikeback Trainer. Dixon is also a contributing writer for BaseballCoachingDigest, the Youth Baseball Digest, the Baseball Parent Guide, the Baseball 2Day Coaches Journal, and Blog4Coaches.

Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/?expert=Nick_Dixon

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How to Get a Stronger Baseball Swing

By Paul A Buchanan

It's the offseason for baseball and softball, and it's time to relax, right?

Wrong!

Now is the time to start preparing for next year, trying to keep yourself in shape and improving your swing.

No matter what position you play on your competitive/bar league team, I believe it becomes more fun the better you get, and everyone could use a better and stronger swing.

There are the usual exercises such as putting a donut on your bat or using two bats, and those are fine, if not good.

But a trick I learned a few years back has helped me immensely, and all you need is a bat and a YMCA membership (or access to a pool).

That's right: a pool. Take the bat with you into the water and start swinging! The resistance will really help you build those swinging muscles. There are a few things to think about while you're doing this to make sure you're not forming bad habits, however: make sure the water is deep enough so you can keep most of your form intact (you don't want to be swinging around your hips). And make sure to use an old bat that you don't really care about, as you'll be underwater for a while.

Swing for as long as you can take it, preferably for about half an hour. Do this a few times a week, and by next season, those muscles will be much stronger.

Stay away from sharks if you're doing this in the ocean!

Strong Baseball Swing

Build Your Muscles

Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/?expert=Paul_A_Buchanan

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Baseball Strength - The 2 Best Exercises For Baseball Players to Build Game Record Strength!

By Brandon Richey

In order to be a good baseball player you have got to be a good athlete! Athleticism is built by having a smart strength and conditioning program in place in order for you to be competitive. I have included 2 tremendous exercises here to significantly improve your baseball playing skills!

1. The Double Arm Kettlebell Swing: The smart strength training workout for baseball involves a kettlebell. The double arm kettlebell swing is the base strength endurance lift used in kettlebell training to build superior core strength and all around total body conditioning. This particular exercise is executing by swinging the kettlebell from between your legs up to chest level with both arms. The swinging is done by you having to properly implement a movement known as the hip snap. This movement is done by fluently and continuously flexing and extending at your hips and knees to create the necessary momentum to swing the kettlebell in an arc like motion. This particular movement is priceless when it comes down to developing superior athletic movements and fitness that is specific to baseball.

2. The Single Arm Kettlebell Swing: This lift is executed in the same way as the double arm version with a few more exceptions other than the obvious one arm difference. First of all, to execute this drill you will swing the kettlebell back and forth like the double arm swing. The first lesser known detail though is going to be in your grip. In order to execute this exercise you must grip the bell with a hooking grip. To do this simply grab the bell's handle with your hand with it still on the ground. Make sure that you rotate your grip until your knuckles point directly at the sphere of the bell. If you are gripping it with your right hand then make sure to grab the bell towards the left side of the handle. Reverse this with the other hand. The next detail is to make sure that when you hike the kettlebell between your legs on the descent to allow your hand and forearm to rotate thumbs down. As you ascend in the top of the swing allow your hand and forearm to rotate back to a "palms down" position. Execute these couple of lifts and you will have strength training workout that will significantly boost your baseball game! Train hard and enjoy my friend.

=======================
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