Does anyone use them (basically drop 0s) for training? If so, do you use them in season? Where did you get it and approximately how much?
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I will assume you are using for improving bat speed. My son uses the superspeed slugger for warm ups and ramp up during the offseason. His team uses weighted bats for overload/underload training, I believe they are the driveline/Axe bat ones.
My kid used a drop 34 drop 0 for wood bat BP and wood bat events during his junior/senior years in HS (he was a big kid). He was a solid low to mid .300 hitter in HS with a lot of pop (4 hole, but not special). He seemed to think it helped, but it's not like they let him hit in college...
When my son trained at Cressey they used a very heavy bat at times. I think they used it to get the hitter to focus on using the lower half. No way you’d be able to swing it without doing so. Guys from every level we’re using it.
Dad of 3:
Many years ago in Michigan, I read about weighted "warm up" bat.
Found a old wood bat and drilled out the barrel and pored molten lead into the end of the bat. It is 50 ounce.
It is a proud possession to this day. The bat has traveled from Michigan to South Dakota to New Mexico and now in California.
IT BUILDS UP THE WRISTS!!
Bob
My son's 15-16u coach had them use a wood bat that he hollowed out & filled with pennies & epoxy, it was probably 40oz. I always expected to see pennies fly all over the cage, but it held up to massive abuse for the 2 seasons I saw it.
Now he uses my old 16" softball wood bat, it's 34" & probably 38oz if not more.
Do weighted bats slow your swing?
https://www.stack.com/a/should...-bats-while-on-deck/
Weighted bats do not increase bat speed?
@Consultant posted:Dad of 3:
Many years ago in Michigan, I read about weighted "warm up" bat.
Found a old wood bat and drilled out the barrel and pored molten lead into the end of the bat. It is 50 ounce.
It is a proud possession to this day. The bat has traveled from Michigan to South Dakota to New Mexico and now in California.
IT BUILDS UP THE WRISTS!!
Bob
I was actually thinking of doing the same thing
@RJM posted:Do weighted bats slow your swing?
https://www.stack.com/a/should...-bats-while-on-deck/
Weighted bats do not increase bat speed?
Thanks, I was wondering such a thing as well. Going to read these. TY
Check out Bear Valley Bats. They make the best custom bats we've ever used. The info about the type of wood they use is fascinating. We have 5 or 6 or theirs. Most are game weight. 2 are heavy. (Hickory). If you get the Heartwood upgrade, you will not find a better bat. Tiny little place. Ask for the MS19 turn model. Similar to the warstick bonesaber.
Read those links, no I am not so sure….
@BB and BB posted:Check out Bear Valley Bats. They make the best custom bats we've ever used. The info about the type of wood they use is fascinating. We have 5 or 6 or theirs. Most are game weight. 2 are heavy. (Hickory). If you get the Heartwood upgrade, you will not find a better bat. Tiny little place. Ask for the MS19 turn model. Similar to the warstick bonesaber.
I’ll check them out. Right now he uses Aul bats. Really want to support them. Kid who loved baseball makes these bats out of his garage. I think some guys in the mlb are starting to use them. Very good bats.
Went to Play it Again Sports and talked to the owner. I got the longest, heaviest swing weight bat they had in the back. No labels on it, so he couldn't sell it due to bat restrictions. Also had an old drop 5. Used the bats on tee work and soft toss. An occasional full throw for entertainment.
Seemed to increase bat speed and added some good variability to his practice. He had over 100 mph exit velo in high school. Due to weighted bats, I doubt it. I think the variability really helped him be more adjustable in the box.
Got my son a bat from HeavySwing.com about 10 years ago. I think its 50 oz with the bulk of weight in the handle...impossible to really swing it without getting lower half involved. If he can't get to a proper hitting facility for whatever reason he'll hit weighted plyo balls with the heavy bat...able to take full strength reps in a limited space.
College ball started for me fifty years ago. I read an article that seemed ahead of its time. Fast twitch was not a term then. But the article explained if you can’t swing a weighted bat the same as your regular bat it’s not going to help reaction time. It also stated any value of swing a weighted bat in the on deck circle is gone by the time you walk to the plate. It all made sense to me.
I used a weighted bat in the on deck circle to stretch out and get loose. I didn’t take any swings with it. I improved by reaction time and bat speed having BP pitchers throw hard from in front of the mound.
When I was in high school Pete Broberg was one of the top pitchers in college. He went straight from college to MLB. I remembered reading some opponent pounded the crap out of him by taking BP from a pitcher in front of the mound throwing at a required reaction time quicker than Broberg’s pitching. It made sense to me.
When I was in college I would go into the cage at 90 (bringing it in the 70’s) and take swings from 55 feet.
A friend owned a baseball facility. His son was a friend and high school teammate of my son. Without telling my son this story I walked in one day to find them taking BP off Pro Batter at 100 mph. I suggested they program in a few 80 something off speed pitches to keep them honest and not timing the pitch.
My son has done overload/underload training for the last few off-seasons. 6 weeks, two times per week. I ordered a drop zero C271 from LS and added a hitting sleeve for the overload. He used a LS C271 lightweight ash for the underload bat. His wood game bat is also C271. 15 swings with overload then 15 swings with underload followed by 8 swings with game bat. Repeat for 3 rounds.
Just my $.02
Not a fan of the concept of increasing bat speed as the end all to better hitting. My focus would be on swinging as heavy a bat as I could and still have barrel control. Light bats have destroyed to many swings, created armsie swings vs using the body, so increasing MOI is now the thing. Swing fast, swing with intent, so when you run into a baseball (1 in every 20 at bats) you hit a bomb.
In my opinion training would be all heavier than my game bat. Not for bat speed, but for better bat control. You don't have to swing hard to hit the ball far. Better contact produces a further hit ball than fast poor contact. There is an epidemic in today's game of thinking being a .250 hitter with more homeruns is better than a .350 hitter with fewer. The problem is that there are too many .250 hitters who still can't hit homeruns.
As my son's hitting coach says, if you can't hit .400 in HS baseball, you can't hit. That might be a bit much, but I get his point and don't disagree with it.
To me, by chasing bat speed, the swing is in danger of becoming a pull swing, potentially ripping the shoulder or front elbow out to increase velocity. Feels great, feels strong, but... You would have to be really careful to mind that in order to increase your bat speed without cheating in that manner. Which of course then causes issues like, casting, running out of barrel, not getting extension, poor direction, exposes the outer 1/3 of the plate, rollovers, etc.
Of course the pull swing is an inside pitch swing and has it's purpose, but it isn't an every pitch location swing.
Don't lose a good swing with good direction, chasing bat speed.
If you are looking for weighted bats, over and under load. I'd simply buy used bats or cheap bats that weight more.less, unless you are already swinging a 34" but taping pennies to the end with hockey tape works. Those weighted bat systems can get expensive for no reason.
@HSDad22 posted:Just my $.02
Not a fan of the concept of increasing bat speed as the end all to better hitting. My focus would be on swinging as heavy a bat as I could and still have barrel control. Light bats have destroyed to many swings, created armsie swings vs using the body, so increasing MOI is now the thing. Swing fast, swing with intent, so when you run into a baseball (1 in every 20 at bats) you hit a bomb.
In my opinion training would be all heavier than my game bat. Not for bat speed, but for better bat control. You don't have to swing hard to hit the ball far. Better contact produces a further hit ball than fast poor contact. There is an epidemic in today's game of thinking being a .250 hitter with more homeruns is better than a .350 hitter with fewer. The problem is that there are too many .250 hitters who still can't hit homeruns.
As my son's hitting coach says, if you can't hit .400 in HS baseball, you can't hit. That might be a bit much, but I get his point and don't disagree with it.
To me, by chasing bat speed, the swing is in danger of becoming a pull swing, potentially ripping the shoulder or front elbow out to increase velocity. Feels great, feels strong, but... You would have to be really careful to mind that in order to increase your bat speed without cheating in that manner. Which of course then causes issues like, casting, running out of barrel, not getting extension, poor direction, exposes the outer 1/3 of the plate, rollovers, etc.
Of course the pull swing is an inside pitch swing and has it's purpose, but it isn't an every pitch location swing.
Don't lose a good swing with good direction, chasing bat speed.
If you are looking for weighted bats, over and under load. I'd simply buy used bats or cheap bats that weight more.less, unless you are already swinging a 34" but taping pennies to the end with hockey tape works. Those weighted bat systems can get expensive for no reason.
Increasing bat speed is only one element to becoming a better hitter. We also focus improving quality of contact and swing decisions.
My hitters, including softball hitters, hit with a 33-inch drop 0 bat. My daughter grew up hitting with the 33-inch version of the same composite wooden bat but that bat is worn out now. We take athletic tape and add it to the barrel until it is drop zero. The goal then is to teach a hitter to use their core to hit. IOWs, learn how to use connection properly. If a hitter extends too soon, the weight of the barrel gets too heavy and drops. A hitter who can use connection properly can control that barrel. One result may be to have better bat speed but the real goal is to learn how to use the body and core correctly. We finish every hitting lesson with the hitter's game bat. All of my softball hitters have wooden bats to hit with that are drop 3.