Power Bat Drill

The purpose of the Power Bat Drill for a baseball player is much the same as a boxer using a heavy bag to train with. Baseball players learn to develop power in their swing by hitting through a heavier object than a normal 5oz baseball. The result is the same for both athletes" increased power through the point of contact! For a baseball player it means more of a chance to knock the ball out of the park!!

Tools you will need:
- Tee, plunger, a flat basketball, hitting net and a bat

Here is how it works:
Place the plunger handle into the batting tee.
Place the flat soccer flat basketball onto the plunger.
Execute your normal swing repeatedly

What you will see is that with the first few swings the barrel of the bat will stutter through the impact zone. By "stutter" I mean that it will decelerate at the point of impact for a fraction of a second before resuming its speed to the finishing position. The goal is for the hitter to strike the much heavier ball without having the bat decelerate at the impact point. This takes proper technique and explosion at the point of impact to achieve.

Encourage the player to concentrate on the proper mechanics and not concern himself with launching the ball. Proper mechanics will accelerate the bat head sufficiently to power through the heavier ball. The flight path of the ball should be level (or very slightly higher than chest high) into the hitting net. A properly struck ball will have "12 to 6" rotation. When this same type of contact is conducted on a 9" and 5oz. baseball, the "12 to 6" rotation will result in rocket line drives that soar over the outfielder's heads.

Power is all about bat speed at impact, not the size of the player. This drill will increase the power at impact if it is used on a regular basis. Remember to always use a flat ball for this drill.