overload/underload- training with heavy and light bats

A while back I thought someone posted a training routine that involved taking cuts with heavy bats on some days and light bats on others.
Can anyone direct me to where I could find this information?
thanks!

I posted yesterday about using a heavier wood bat vs the lighter game bat and got no replies. But from what we have worked with it, it seems to help. It's not so heavy that it doesn't break her mechanics down but when she goes to the game bat, she def swings harder.


Hoping you get some replies.

If I remember correctly to improve bat speed you should swing a lighter bat 20% lighter 10 times, then a heavy bat 20% heavier 10 times, then your game bat 10 times. Or something close to this.

Obbay and 4girl,

I was hoping someone smarter than me would respond!

Search for any one of several threads by Hitter, (Howard Carrier), about proper grip. There is improved batspeed in grip alone if improper grip is being used.

There used to be a website that had a routine with a players game bat, a bat 5 ounces heavier and a bat 5 ounces lighter and you were supposed to whip it back and forth fast 10-15 times and rotate through the bats. The site has been taken down. We never did that program. I wasn't in love with the idea of the whipping the bat to and fro. Might have been awesome, don't know.

What we have done on the recommendation of posters here is weighted gloves in the winter as well as Pro-cut bat weights. They keep the weight at the knob. Some people think the best/safest way to overload train is to put the weight at the knob.

Pro Cut Hitting

I have the 8 ounce counterweight. They have a light bat that Ralph and Karen Weekly endorse, I have not seen one.

Some here recommend heavy bats but it seems that without someone watching form carefully, problems could creep in. My two dd's swing wood on occasion and my oldest, a junior in hs has really begun to like her wood bat. I think the benefit is mechanic's more than bat-speed. In December she was swinging it almost exclusively. She really enjoyed the feel. We stopped using it for moving balls, only tee work. It seemed like she began committing to the swing too early after using it on moving balls. We probably were just doing it too much. Might work some more pitched balls in with wood. I really like it for tee work though. Don't overdo it, I think you can train yourself to swing too slowly.

I really like under-loading. I think they need to feel themselves swinging faster to swing faster. It is hard to find a bat the same length that is 5 oz lighter. I have made a few PVC bats that have weight in the handle and a dowel inserted in it to make it rigid that fit the bill. Most are also 5 inches longer than game bats. We hit tennis and whiffles with them. I actually think for bat speed under loading is more important but again in limited amounts so form does not deteriorate.

These are all unsubstantiated, non-expert claims, but I hope it will help. There are many on here that use wood bats a lot more than we have, maybe they will add some thoughts. We worked much harder on good swing form than anything else, that is probably where the big gains are.

Edited to add this link to a good thread:

http://www.discussfastpitch.com/softball-training/8134-bat-speed-training-equipment.html

Westwind said:

There used to be a website that had a routine with a players game bat, a bat 5 ounces heavier and a bat 5 ounces lighter and you were supposed to whip it back and forth fast 10-15 times and rotate through the bats.
Pro Cut Hitting
http://www.discussfastpitch.com/softball-training/8134-bat-speed-training-equipment.html

Click to expand...

Bat Speed Routine

That's the one I was thinking of, Vdubya.

Was going to add that I found some wood softball bats on Amazon that were -5 but they are swinging a regular lS baseball bat that can be found anywhere.

WW-
Thanks for the info and links- lots of good info here!
what is the "regular IS bat" you mentioned?
I'm looking for light bats now...

Sorry- a regular Louisville Slugger, should have been LS not IS.

I love the procut bat weights. DDs hitting coach uses them quite a bit.

Hey Ark, I do to.

Can you tell us a little about how he uses them?