Using Heaver bat for practice

[dgat7]

Our travel team set aside a day for hitting only with multiple hitting station with BP in the cage. I am thinking of doing for my DD is getting and Heaver bat to use on the station and normal size bat for the BP.

Curious to know good or bad idea? Is there anyone else who did something similar. If so how many oz did you go up?

 

[PEPPERS]

Our travel team set aside a day for hitting only with multiple hitting station with BP in the cage. I am thinking of doing for my DD is getting and Heaver bat to use on the station and normal size bat for the BP.

Curious to know good or bad idea? Is there anyone else who did something similar. If so how many oz did you go up?

DD is 601 tall a country girl and pretty strong for a girl. She uses a bat 2 ounces heaver for practice than the game bat, I duck taped the sweet spot for reference of barrel awareness during practice. I did receive some flack for using a heavier bat from some here, but I do believed it helped her.

IMO it depends on the kid using a heaver bat for practice, you do not want to use a bat too heavy that it interfere with the mechanics of the swing JMO.

 

[Bigclubswinger]

I think it is generally accepted now that swinging a heavy bat might make you stronger but it probably also makes you slower when you go back to properly weighted bat. There are probably times when limited use of a heavy bat would be good but I don't think it makes sense to use one very often unless the player already has too much bat speed. Just Google heavy bats and you'll see lots of info.

 

[coach james]

I like to stick with game sizes and weights on practice bats just to keep a consistant feel. I do however recommend using a heavy bat for slow motion matrix drills. But not for full cuts

 

[GunnerShotgun]

I am a huge fan of over/under training. Most make the mistake of going to heavy and too light. A couple of oz heavier seems reasonable.

As others have pointed out anything heavier than that and the mechanics breakdown.

 

[Cobb_of_Fury]

I think it's OK to use the heavy bat for tee work to buid up strength, but ONLY - IF they can maintain good mechanics with it.
If they are dropping the head or dropping their hands in order to swing it, then STOP! - swinging it will reinforce bad habits and could break down their swing over time.

But... if they can swing it and maintain a good swing then I think its a good way to build up strength.



I would not use for anything but tee and dry swinging drills though.

 

[riseball]

If your objective is to build strength and bat speed I am sure it has merits. However, if your objective is to develop and maintain superior mechanics I would think that changing bats is ill advised. You change the bat, you change the swing. I find it interesting how many players at the lower levels have 2 - 4 different bats in their bag depending on the speed of the pitcher or how they feel that day. If you cannot hit well with 1 bat what makes you think you can hit well with 3?

 

[Cobb_of_Fury]

If your objective is to build strength and bat speed I am sure it has merits. However, if your objective is to develop and maintain superior mechanics QUOTE]

I don't think these two goals are mutually exclusive.

What good is perfect mechanics without power behind it?
What good is power without good Mechanics?

I think a great hitter needs to have both aspects.
What I think the heavy bat does, besides building strength, is to cause you to be aware of head drop and hand drop because thes things will be magnified by the weight. You have to think about the bat while you are working. That is something that is difficult to get girls to do with their every day bat.
I would not go crazy with it but once in a while as a tool I think it has a place.

 

[straightleg]

I use weight in the handle. 8-10 swings...



SL

 

[iMlearning]

Heavy bats

We use them in the off season and after a warmup start with a 34 oz wood bat; 28oz; 24oz, 23oz. -6 reps each for 2 or 3 sets. As mentioned earlier, the heavy bat is great for feeling it in the hands. DD feels it works her wrists great. We stick with her game bat a month before tryouts or move to a speed stick with small balls if she is getting fatigued.