For today—January 21, 2013—we will discuss a training drill that I discovered on BeABetterHitter.com. For a hitting drill to be “good” it must do several things; it must be simple, creative, and make you practice your technique. The Grad-U-Weighted Bats Drill from BeABetterHitter.com has all three of these qualities. While the drill is simple because it allows you the practice hitting on your own, the drill is also simple in the way that it may be done with old bats that you have around your house and requires no financial investment.
For the drill you need five bats of varying weight:
Ideally, you need at least three graduating sizes of bats. A tee-ball bat (maybe16 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 .
The drill uses the idea of pyramid training that is present in weight lifting programs. Begin by stretching out and taking 15-20 swings to prepare yourself. Now, take ten perfect swings—focus on form throughout the entire swing and emphasize the location of your hands inside your body—with the middle bat. Next, take eight swings with the second to the heaviest bat, and after that take six swings with the weighted bat. After that take work your way back down the row of bats and take 8 swings with the second heaviest bat, and 10 swings with the bat in the middle. Once you get done with the bat in the middle, take 12 swings with the second to lightest bat, and then 15 swings with the lightest bat. The most important part of the drill is that you focus on your form. Through muscle memory and repetition of the drill your form will be solidified and your bat speed will flourish. The drill is meant to be an exercise that is a main stay in your training regiment. Practice the drill every other day, and as the articles creator states, your bat speed will increase exponentially.
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