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Online now: 4 members: Jesse Torres, TABLE SETTER 11, TonyA, tammym37; 116 anonymousDiscussion: Has Anybody Tried At Home Bat Swinging Routines?
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| Dec. 24, 2010 softballnuts 81 posts | Has Anybody Tried At Home Bat Swinging Routines? Have you done any bat swinging workouts? Like swinging a light or plastic bat then swinging a heavy bat or parachute and then swinging your normal bat. How often did you do it? What were your results after 3-4 weeks? Did you notice bat speed improvement? Are you still doing it? What's the Pro's and Con's? Any suggestions? |
| Dec. 24, 2010 DMac Men's 60 207 posts | I do those drills two or three times a week and have noticed a big difference. I have a tendency to overswing so bat speed was not a major concern for me. These drills have made my stroke more fluid and I am very happy with the results. I use a 37oz bat and my 27oz Combat. For the light bat I used a kid's bat but I was unhappy with the length. I solved this problem by cutting a piece of PVC pipe. With caps and a little water, I have a nice 34inch, 17oz bat. Good Luck |
| Dec. 27, 2010 softballnuts 81 posts | How long have been doing this exercise? Do you get any sort of shoulder pain or stiffness? |
| Dec. 27, 2010 armiho211 Men's 70 449 posts | softballnuts- qbout a year ago i started swinging a 5 lb dumbell like a softball bat,using my normal grip. took about 3 sets of 25, then went to a 10 lb dumbell and did the same routine. i try to go to the gym 2 or 3 times a week , i work this routine in between other workout sets. i think that by working out the muscles that are involved during a normal swing, you should get a stronger swing. i will be 70 next year, i doubt that i have hit 15 hr's in the last 15 yrs i have been playing senior ball. in 2010 my hr total was around 25 to 30. this total includes tournaments,league and dayball games, approx 175 games. i realize that this is a drop in the bucket for the real home run hitters, but for me that's fantastic. my .02c . good luck ! |
| Dec. 27, 2010 softballnuts 81 posts | armiho211- Wow! That's great. I'm impressed. Thanks for your input. Good for you! |
| Dec. 27, 2010 cyborg45 Men's 75 194 posts | This is "Mighty Mikes" bat speed exercise. I have been doing it for the last 15 years or so. I use a 23oz. for the lighter weight, an old 37oz that I used to lead off with in 1980, for the heavy bat. It is a great exercise. It is a 13 week program for the winter,or off season, that can sustained with a smaller program during the regular season.Warm up well, then 10 swings with the lighter bat followed by 10 swings with the heavy bat. 3 sets, or 60 total swings. After 5 weeks, follow with 10 cuts off a tee with your game bat. Have't had any problems with shoulders. Have had a few problems with inner elbow (golfers elbow), but that also could be attributed to the heavier weight program in the winter. |
| Dec. 27, 2010 cyborg45 Men's 75 194 posts | Forgot to mention, this is twice a week for 13 weeks. Thanks, Ron |
| Dec. 28, 2010 mad dog Men's 65 4191 posts | i also use the demarini bat chute,be careful when swinging a regular bat after using the chute,as it will feel real light and you might toss your bat,LOL. dmac a broom stick is great for the light bat,in mikes drill. with mike's bat drill,i like to do mine off a tee.24 oz-32 oz-26oz,at 10-15 swings each and go thru it at least twice,with gamer oz bats for another 20-40 swings.yeah i get about a 100 swings in.do it most of the time in a cage,but like a regular field also,so i can work out the arm when i go to pick the balls up.do it like long toss. for my weight work i use dumbells,(no not #6 or armiho)and do curls,flys,over head press and tricep press. |
| Dec. 28, 2010 garyheifner 649 posts | I use a 29 oz bat in games, so my object is to make that bat feel light. I do my daily 20+ exercise dumbbell routine with light weight high reps. I then take an old 30 oz. bat that has a 16 oz. weight on the end. I swing it 250 to 300 times a day in sets of 25. I swing full and easy and its works my forearms and wrists. I do the bat routine while watching TV and its reached a point I hardly notice I am doing it. I have tried the heavy-lite routines as described by others and have had injuries (strains-muscle pulls) when I swing the light bat at high speeds. I won't get into track records/history, but the above has worked very well for me. |
| Dec. 28, 2010 Themikeyman Men's 60 2 posts | just googled mighty mikes softball and was able to get his exact breakdown of his bat swing training. will be starting on his exercise to see if it will help |
| Dec. 29, 2010 softballnuts 81 posts | Thanx 4 the input It is interesting to see so many variations of this workout. |
| Dec. 30, 2010 softballnuts 81 posts | I tried the parachute but it seemed to be hard on my knees. Has anybody else experienced that? |
| Dec. 30, 2010 mad dog Men's 65 4191 posts | nuts,hard on your knees?is this the running one or the bat chute?i haven't had any prols with my knees when using a batting chute,only prol i had was wanting to throw the bat first time swinging it after using the chute. |
| Dec. 30, 2010 softballnuts 81 posts | I have a torn meniscus (Not sure of the spelling) in both knees. I think the resistance from the chute causes my knees to get soreness. I can hit a 100 balls in BP and not feel that much soreness. Swinging a weighted bat does not bother me. Maybe I'm swinging the plastic bat too fast. I don't know. But I only seem to get the soreness after doing the chute drill and rarely any other time. |
| Dec. 30, 2010 Al33 Men's 55 183 posts | softballnuts, It's not surprising your kness hurt after swinging. Meniscus does not heal. If torn they must be repaired. There's no blood supply to the meniscus, only nerve endings which is why they hurt. If the tear stays together there will be little or no pain. When the tear seperates is when the pain comes in. When swinging the torque on your knee seperates the tear. I've had both kness done. Not bad at all. In and out all in the same day. Walking almost immediately. Back to full activity in maybe 3-5 weeks depending on the size of the tear. You should think about getting them done at some time because the pain isn't going to go away. You also could try a knee brace to help. Good Luck. |
| Dec. 31, 2010 softballnuts 81 posts | Al33 Thanks for the info. So far the doctors have not offered surgery as yet. But if/when the problem worsens surgery will be my only option. |
| Dec. 31, 2010 surf88 Men's 65 1000 posts | Everyone, I have been following this thread and it has been helpful. I am in the mountains, in a small town and there are no Senior Players in this area. I have to train/swing on my own. I hit off a "T" when the snow melts. Today is 4 degrees and the snow is 2 feet outside. I need to build up my strength for hitting and I am lean 155 but have good bat speed. Many of you have the time and the locations to do BP and swing strength so please share with me any ideas you may have. I want to get stronger with my swing. |
| Dec. 31, 2010 softballnuts 81 posts | ALL Thanks for your input and info. It is appreciated. HAVE A HAPPY NEW DECADE! AND HAVE A SAFE AND HAPPY NEW YEAR! |
| Dec. 31, 2010 armiho211 Men's 70 449 posts | SURF88-another setup i have in my garage: i bought 7 ft of real heavy duty round bungee cord, i installed a 3/8" heavy duty "screw" eye bolt into the 2x4 stud on the garage wall, attached one end of the bungee cord , ( secure it real well ) i used an old bat drilled a 3/8 hole near the end of the bat, installed a 3/8 " machine thread " eyebolt, attach the other end of the bungee cord to the eyebolt on the bat. you are now ready to go,the further you get from the wall the more tension on your swing. "MAKE SURE ALL YOUR CONNECTIONS ARE REAL SECURE ", you dont want the eyebolt coming at you off the wall. the great part about this,you can workout anytime, in any weather. good luck. |
| Jan. 1, 2011 cyborg45 Men's 75 194 posts | I do tension resistance as well. Use an old workout tension tube duct-taped to a bat attached to weight bench press. Also have a carpet remnant hanging from one of the the joists in my basement. It is about 9 feet wide and hangs down to the floor with about 4 feet extra on the floor. I place my tee on the edge of the remnant with a 25 lb weight on top of the base of the tee. 2 10 lb weights out on the outer back edges of the remnant. I hit into this after the above bat speed routine. You could also use some netting instead of the carpet.One other tip. If you have an old bat you are not using anymore, an olympic 2 1/2 or 5 lb weight will fit snugly down on the handle. Use this for a monster heavy bat workout. Good luck. |
| Jan. 1, 2011 Gary19 Men's 50 2609 posts | Let's not forget another way to increase bat speed. Strength training. |
| Jan. 1, 2011 Al33 Men's 55 183 posts | Strength training in itself doesn't automatically increase bat speed. Muscles are composed of basically two different fiber types. One type is for strength, the ability to move against heavy resistance, endurance and the ability to perform repetitions without tiring. The other type of muscle fiber is for speed, that is the ability for fast muscle contractions. The bottom line and what people haven't grasped, is that you cannot condition your muscles for speed using the same techniques you use to train for strength. You may think you are making your muscles faster with strength training but, your muscles always know the difference. One of the best ways to condition muscles for speed is with isometric training using resistance bands. This type of training targets the fast twitch muscle fibers which are often ignored with basic strength training. This along with Mighty Mike's regimine is another way to increase bat speed. |
| Jan. 1, 2011 Gary19 Men's 50 2609 posts | Al, it might not but I would guess that McGwire, Bonds, and Sosa did not get their increases in power/bat speed from doing the drills mentioned above. Somehow, while dubious in their methods, they saw a LOT of value in an increase in size/strength. |
| Jan. 1, 2011 Al33 Men's 55 183 posts | Gary, Let's not try to compare steroid freaks to Senior Softball Players who are trying to improve their game. The fact remains that strength training alone will not improve bat speed by itself. This is whether you agree with it or not. |
| Jan. 2, 2011 softballnuts 81 posts | Al33 & Gary19 Thanks for your info. Believe it or not.... You are BOTH correct! Proof is in the fact that you will find both free weights and weight machines for strength training, as well as resistance bands and other equipment for speed training in any MLB work-out room. The trainers use both types of training workouts on players. |
| Jan. 2, 2011 Gary19 Men's 50 2609 posts | softballnuts, I do believe that both Al and I are correct. Sure you have to apply the added strength to the swing. And Al, regardless of the fact that those guys got the strength increases through steroids and who knows what else, the fact is it resulted in strength gains that translated to increased bat speed/power. |
| Jan. 2, 2011 mad dog Men's 65 4191 posts | strength training and speed training are 2 different ways,in the way they effect the body.it has been said that football players have the best workout for hitting slowpitch,as their workouts are more of the explosive type to train the fast twitch muscles,along with getting strength.i like to do a slightly lighter weight to train with and just explode the weight when moving it. also 19 how many mlb'ers,nfl'ers,nba'ers,etc have you worked out with to know what they do...... |
| Jan. 3, 2011 surf88 Men's 65 1000 posts | Thanks guys, I have read all the responses and will use some and perhaps all of them. Really appreciate it. Ed |
| Jan. 3, 2011 BruceinGa Men's 70 3233 posts | I hit from a tee most of the year. I have a sock net set up outside and when it's too cold I have a blanket hanging in my garage that I hit into. Other than using my Swing Speed Radar to keep my bat speed up, no other drills |
| Jan. 3, 2011 softballnuts 81 posts | BruceinGa So what swing speeds do you get on your radar? |
| Jan. 3, 2011 leftyfalcon Men's 65 158 posts | It's most likely 110mph. He has a great swing. |
| Jan. 3, 2011 BruceinGa Men's 70 3233 posts | Not quite Joe. Kreugs consistantly in the low 100's at CST 2 years ago. I broke 100 once, using a balanced bat and swinging out of my shoes. High 70's to high 80's is usually good for me. Every once in a while I'll hit 90mph. |
| Jan. 3, 2011 softballnuts 81 posts | BruceinGa What weight bat are you swinging? |
| Jan. 4, 2011 BruceinGa Men's 70 3233 posts | Snut, If you are asking what I'm swinging in games, it's either a Reebok Melee Legend 28el, a MM Combat 29el or 30el. Off my tee at home, it depends on the temperature and if I'm breaking in a new bat. I have a 28oz Miken Velocite 2 that I use for cold weather and have a couple of Combat Virus's both 29el for warmer weather. I was amazed at the difference in bat speed between a 28 balanced bat (Reebok Dictator) and an endloaded bat, probably 7-12mph. For me, I'm just a believer in mass over bat speed. |
| Jan. 4, 2011 mad dog Men's 65 4191 posts | dang bruce thats how we can use those v-2's. |
| Jan. 4, 2011 softballnuts 81 posts | BruceinGa I was asking about the bat weight you used on your radar readings. Anyway, you covered everything, so I got the answer. Something you mentioned I find interesting. The difference between End Load and Balanced. Yes the balanced is faster. I found out that the balance point on a 27 oz. Balanced Bat is only about 1-1.5 inches different than a 27 oz. End Load. Both were Miken Bats. The End Load feels like it's much heavier than the Balanced when swinging it, even though they are both the same weight. |
| Jan. 4, 2011 BruceinGa Men's 70 3233 posts | Right, imo there's too much emphasis on weights. We should be more concerned with swing weight. Wasn't it Worth that put swing weights on their bats in the 80's? |
| Jan. 4, 2011 mad dog Men's 65 4191 posts | yep bruce,i can't remember what mine was compared to their chart they put out,but i do remember having a B type swing weight.wasn't to much after that tho,i discovered the cu-31 al bats,wow,well for back then. |
| Jan. 5, 2011 Mario Men's 50 451 posts | If a guy who doesn't work out, starts working out, his bat speed will be faster than when he did not work out. Anyone Can increase their bat speed. The football player workout/explosive workout will increase your bat speed. A stronger muscule can move a bat faster than a weaker one. Or you can say that a stronger muscule will move your bat faster than a weaker one. |
| Jan. 5, 2011 mad dog Men's 65 4191 posts | yes mario,but you need that footballer's type working out,not the body builders.you have to get the fast twitch muscles working for bat speed.that is the reason for explosion type work outs,don't need the real heavy weight.mark mcquire would do real light weights during the season(along with his juice,LOL)to keep his speed up. |
| Jan. 5, 2011 surf88 Men's 65 1000 posts | Guys, All your comments are appreciated. Shoulder surgery heals more slowly in the high country than in the lower, warmer climates. I'm working on strengthening reps with tubing, etc. Logging this summer did not really help that much. Ed |
| Jan. 11, 2011 softballnuts 81 posts | I have been doing the MM workout twice a week for the last 2.5-3 weeks. I have noticed a little improvement in my swing speed. Not a great improvement but enough to notice that I am a bit faster to the ball. So to adjust for the increased speed, I have noticed I have to wait just a bit longer before I start my swing. Otherwise, I get slightly under the ball and pop up. Any improvement in swing speed means that you will have to compensate by waiting longer for the ball to get into your hitting zone. |
| Jan. 12, 2011 mad dog Men's 65 4191 posts | softballnuts,yes you are right.along with the drill you need live pitching to get your timing,same with me as i hit off a tee a lot b/c of no bp partners close to me to hit with.so just keep doing the drill and get live pitching to go along with it. also another thing to use is a tire hanging and hit the side of it(some use a heavy bag)to spin it,helps you power thru the ball when hitting.another thing to use,is the 16" ball to bp with,need some strength to hit it good. |
