How Important is Bat Speed?

While at times controversial, bat speed is a key component of a hitters success.

  • Want to have more time before you have to make a decision to swing? Increase your bat speed
  • Want to hit for more power? Increase your bat speed
  • Want to have a better chance of playing at the next level? Increase your bat speed

But as a hitter or a coach you don't want to  know that swinging faster is important, you want to know the best and most efficient ways to train bat speed and exit velocity. We have you covered.

Video

What is Smash Factor?

Smash Factor is the measure of how well you turn your bat speed into exit velocity

A hitter’s bat speed sets their ceiling and their floor, and their smash factor and swing decisions determine where they live in between the two.

How to Hit the Ball Harder

This course gives you everything from drills and our favorite tools but also deep dives into the why. We explain our favorite drills for bat speed, some of our favorite tools for increasing smash factor and exit velocity. While also explaining the detailed why. 

Breaking down the analytics of how why you would want to use peak exit velocity over average, or vice versa.

The course finishes up with detailed research findings on what we've seen in regards to bat speed in our motion capture lab.

Course curriculum

  1. 1

    • Welcome!
  2. 2

    • Bat Speed Description

    • Training Bat Speed

    • Importance of Bat Speed

    • Introduction to Weighted Bats

    • Overload-Underload Training - (05:04)

    • Overload & Underload Training Quiz

    • The Why of Overload Bat Training - (01:50)

    • The Why of Underload Bat Training - (02:08)

    • Drills with the Endload Bat - (01:48)

    • Copy of Drills with the Handleload Bat - (02:42)

    • Copy of Drills with the Underload Bat - (02:19)

    • Copy of Drills With Under and Overload Quiz
  3. 3

    • Seasonal Weighted Bat Training - (07:18)

    • Seasonal Weighted Bat Quiz
  4. 4

    • Smash Factor Description and Explainer

    • Training Smash Factor

    • Bat Path Adjustments for Better Bat to Ball Skills

    • Ways to Adjusting Flips to work on Bat Path

    • Working on Smash Factor with Bat Path Drills

    • Sample Hitting Plyos Practice Plan
  5. 5

    • The Relationship Between Bat Speed and Performance - (16:28)

    • Relationship Between Bat Speed and Performance Quiz

    • Comparing Peak vs Average Exit Velocity Part 1 - (8:00)

    • Comparing Peak vs Avg Exit Velocity Part 2 - (8:06)

    • Comparing Peak vs Average Exit Velocity Quiz
  6. 6

    • Introduction to Motion Capture Bat Speed

    • The Physics of the Bat & Ball Collision

    • Mocap Bat Speed Player Comparison