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quote:
With all the new fangled techniquers sometimes the simplest methods work best and they sure are cheaper


I couldn't agree more. I have heard of the bat in the swimming pool drill. To me it makes perfect sense. Increased torso or "mid section" strength will naturally add to an increase in bat speed. Along with alot of other strength conditioning. If you have bad technique, then work on the technique. I would think strength has to be a consideration in bat speed.
Tr, some of these guys haven't actually been around the game, but they sure can read a hitting website and remember all the details.
Old fashioned resistance can be found in many ways. They do make a bat handle attached to therabands and it works well with conditioning. Water resistance can be used for building leg strentgh, arm strentgh under water, and swing resistance. Some of us know this, and some don't.
Two things here. #1 Improving your swing mechanics will increase your bat speed. #2 Being stronger will increase your bat speed.

If you try to swing harder with poor swing mechanics you will actually produce less bat speed. You should only have one swing. Not a hard swing and a not so hard swing or a power swing vs a contact swing. Your swing should be your swing. The first thing you should do is make sure your swing is fundementally sound. Then you should work on getting your core stronger. I dont care how physically strong you are if your swing mechanics are not very good your not going to mash. And the stronger you are with good swing mechanics the more bat speed you will be able to produce with your swing. Guys that try to muscle up to produce power simply can not hit. One swing one speed on the swing there is not difference in approach on the swing itself , at least there shouldnt be.
"THE REST OF THE STORY"

In 1984, we selected Gregg Jefferies and John Wetteland to join our American High School team for our 1st Goodwill Series in Japan.

During this trip, Gregg, his father and I traveled outside Osaka to a glove maker who made a handmade SSK glove for Gregg. Later when Gregg signed with the Mets, we equipped him with the special SSK bats. The 5'9" Gregg, hit the ball extremely hard with the SSK bats that the opposing team pick up the bat and cut it in half to look for cork.

Gregg's father devise the hitting in water with a flat barrel bat. He also threw indoor bp with tennis balls with numbers.

Gregg is the only player [now over 7,000] in our 23 years of International Goodwill Series to ask me "can I hit again later tonight". This was in Osaka on our 1st practice after 10 hours in the airplane.

"Bat speed, desire, inner arrogrance, focus and no fear" are the characteristics of a hitter.

PS: we use the automobile tire, hanging on a rope from a tree. Swing your old wood bat threw the tire, 5 swings, then rest and do it again.

Ichiro uses "rapid fire" soft toss. My son Robert now sells the SSK wood bats to Barry Bonds and he discusses hitting with Barry Bonds. Jefferies and Bonds attended the same high school in San Mateo.

Bob Williams
I dont know why some of you are giving TRHit such grief here. There have to be a lot of merits to swinging in water not the least of which has to be the feedback. By being slowed down, you can probably ascertain what components of your mechanics are slowing you down the most.

We will try this a bit this summer... I think there will be a couple of other things that will help using this method.

Cheers...
Not


It is not grief --they are expressing their opinions

I prefer the water to the tire drill--if you hit the tire improperly you can severely shock the wrist, elbow and shoulder joints



One of the first athletes I knew of using water was Jets QB Joe Namath---he could not run without pain in his multi operated on knees and the swimming gave him the exercise he needed without any adverse impact such as he had in running
TR, ..this is very interesting to me. Son is a lifeguard ( his part time job ), so having a pool and a bat close by is always convenient to him.

What would you suggest is a good number of reps ( swinging the bat ) at a time, in the water?

He swims as an added part of his baseball work out, and this sounds like it might be a good extra drill he could try.
Last edited by shortstopmom
I have heard where someone well known used swinging a bat under water. I've never actually seen it though. I have seen many other excercizes that players do under water in rehab situations.

My question for those that might know or have actually wittnessed under water swinging of a bat...

Is the hitters head under water? Or does the swing start out of the water and then drop into the water?

Or is it used to work on the swing just in the swing plane?

One method for developing bat speed has always been swinging something extra light (ie. broom stick). Theory, you practice speed to get better at speed. It seems to me that it would be next to impossible to swing a bat under water at anything other than very slow motion.

I could understand the value for rehab or even strength gain... So here is one more question... does added strength automatically translate to more bat speed in every case?

Anyone here ever swung a bat under water? Hate to sound stupid, but I'm curious as to what it's like and if it works.

Thanks
quote:
Originally posted by PGStaff:
... One method for developing bat speed has always been swinging something extra light (ie. broom stick). Theory, you practice speed to get better at speed. It seems to me that it would be next to impossible to swing a bat under water at anything other than very slow motion.

I could understand the value for rehab or even strength gain... So here is one more question... does added strength automatically translate to more bat speed in every case? ...


What you are saying has been tested and is known as underload / overload training. DeRenne and many others have performed controlled experiments with training using overweight / underweight bats / balls to measure the effects on bat speed and pitch velocity.

The overload portion teaches the body to recruit more muscle for the movement. The underload portion teaches the nervous system to fire quicker. (This is paraphrased.)

I never seen anyone swinging in a pool. I have seen hitters use bats equipped with fins that provide air resistance proportional to bat speed.
My son carries and manuevers concrete cinder blocks under water as part of his lifeguard training/conditioning.
I was assuming that he would be swinging the bat submerged underwater, ( head and all )...although perhaps easier said than done! ha!

I cant quite picture it either. Would love for someone to explain in detail.

Bats equipped with fins?
Who would have thunk?
I learn something new here almost every day!
I would advise not to swing a bat under water!!

Just as I would advise not to swim to get your body fit for any competition other than swimming!!...Possibly for water polo, I'm not really sure!!

You would be teaching your motor control function the wrong things for swinging a bat!!

The wrists are the weakest joint in the body for a reason....They are merely a linkage and aren't to be used to produce power....Same goes for the shoulders!!
Last edited by BlueDog
TR, since you brought up the idea about swinging the bat in the pool, can you explain it to me? I believe PG asked some questions about this technique also, so it is more than just I and my son, who are interested.

The word war between you and Bluedog seems to be getting in the way.

My son is going to the pool this afternoon,...if I he knew what and how to try your proposed technique, he could start today. ( which is good because we have snow on the ground outside. )

quote:
I would advise not to swing a bat under water!!
....thank you for your opinion Blue Dog.
Son's interest is peeked and he wants to try.
Last edited by shortstopmom
I played in the minor leagues and I used the under water bat drill every off season since I was around 11.

Here is how I did it:

Stand in the shallow end of the pool, with the water anywhere from chest to neck height.

Do your normal stride load sequence and swing. The bat will go from being over the water before you swing to in/under the water as you approach the hitting zone.

When swinging, you will feel a great deal of resistance. If your hands come out of the slot or bar at all, it will be very hard to get the bat through the hitting zone. (the hitting zone, in this case, is the water)

Work on driving through the ball with the hands inside, and finish high. The bat will be out of the water again at the end of the swing.

As for bats, I suggest an older aluminum bat. Even if its a bit lighter to start off with, thats fine, As your strength and mechanics improve, you can always move up weights.

The purpose of this drill is to stay connected with the arms, hands, and elbows, build bat speed, and keep the bat in the hitting zone for as long as possible.
Last edited by JKBHS15

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