A bat is a long, cylindrical piece of wood that has the shape of an “L” when viewed from above. The bat is used in many sports to hit balls, especially cricket and baseball. Batting weights are small metal or plastic discs that players attach to the handle of their bats to increase its weight during batting practice.
A heavier bat will provide more momentum for hitting balls while lighter bats allow for faster swings and easier maneuverability around the field. This blog post discuss the How Batting Weights Can Help Your Swing
How Batting Weights Can Help Your Swing
Batting weights are most beneficial when it comes to practicing strength and flexibility drills, but they don’t aid in bat speed. When utilized correctly, batting weights can be a useful tool for practicing or stretching.
When using batting weights, keep in mind that the added weight just improves your bat speed and force. Batting weights should never be used during spring training or before a real game unless absolutely necessary.
There are various ways how batting weights can help your swing. The main objective of the heavy bat is counteracting so-called “bat drag” or slowing down the bat head speed at contact with a ball, which implies that it develops grip strength and makes you feel the weight of the bat.
Bat Drag
Bat Drag occurs when there’s too much weight on one side of the bat (e.g., end loaded) causing players to drop their back shoulder excessively in order to compensate for their poor hip rotation.
This will prevent them from squaring up balls consistently because they are using an incorrect path to make contact with the ball. Poor hip rotation may also develop due to poor transition mechanics after taking a stride foot off of ground.
6 Ways On How Batting Weights Can Help Your Swing
Batting weights are used to improve the swing of baseball players. It is an additional weight added on either end of a bat which will force you to use better form during your swing. The added weight will also help in strength and flexibility drills.
- Batting Weights Enables The Batter To Hit Balls Further With Accurate Results
When it comes to hitting a ball, the batter wants as much power and speed as possible. That is what batting weights can do for you. It enables the batter to hit balls further with accurate results because of the weight that’s added onto the bat.
- Batting Weight Drills Helps Develop Strength And Flexibility
The best way to use batting weights is by doing strength and flexibility drills. Doing so will help the batter to increase their bat speed, improve their swing, and develop better grip strength. However, it is important to note that batting weights should not be used before a real game unless absolutely necessary.
- Batting Weights Can Be Used To Reduce Fatigue
This is why some baseball players use more than one bat during their game. A heavy bat will make you tired very fast because it requires greater effort on your part to swing thus making your arms work harder thus tiring them out faster.
There are players that actually use up to three bats in a single game where they alternate from one another after each inning or even when fatigue starts kicking in. Batting weights can be useful for this purpose since it makes you hold the bat in place for a longer time.
- Batting Weights Can Be Used For Strengthening The Arms
This is the same reason why training with weights is actually done in order to increase muscle mass and strength. The heavier the weight, the greater amount of effort exerted in moving it thus resulting in stronger muscles in that particular body part.
Batting weights work in precisely the same way where players use them when training so they can strengthen their arms enabling them to hit balls with more force than usual especially if they’re playing baseball or softball.
Aside from the arm muscles, batting weights also strengthen one’s wrists allowing them to turn their wrists faster when swinging which has an abundance of benefits such as hitting balls with greater accuracy and having more velocity on your hits.
- Batting Weights Can Be Used To Increase Stamina
This is the opposite of what happens when you use weights to strengthen your arms. Instead of gaining muscles in your arms, batting weights are used to make your arms tired faster thus allowing you to increase your stamina because it takes more effort on your part to swing a bat with heavy swinging weights without getting too tired early.
It doesn’t just stop there either since adding weight on one end of the bat will force you to stay balanced while swinging which can further help improve your endurance and stamina during game time.
- You Get More Control Over The Bat
One of the fundamentals in any sport is having control over whatever object you’re using. If you want precision, accuracy and velocity when using your bat, you need to use batting weights.
Adding weight on the end of a bat will cause it to rotate so you must hold it and control it in order for it not to sway too much thus giving you more control over where you want your bat to hit the ball. If your bat is balanced, you won’t be able to swing as fast as that swinging weight will keep on moving thus reducing accuracy and making you miss most if not all balls thrown at you.
These are just some of the things why players use batting weights when practicing or training during practice sessions. There are also other advantages such as hitting balls further and greater velocity on your hits but these ones listed above should give you a better picture about what exactly batting weights can do for you and your playing.
Two Types of Weights for Bats
There are two types of weights that can be attached to a bat, the first is an actual weight that is added to the end of the bat called weighted barrel sleeve. The second option is a weighted grip which means that there is weight inside the grip area of the bat called bat donut.
Bat Donut
It is a piece of plastic that has an opening for the handle and resembles a donut. It is also known as a batting weight. There are many companies that make Bat Donuts and they vary in price and quality, so it’s best to read reviews and ratings before purchasing one.
Bat Donuts come in different weights: 4, 8, 12, 16, 20, 24, and 28 ounces.
Why use a Bat Donut?
There are many reasons why you would want to use a Bat Donut on your bat. One of the most common reasons is for added weight in the handle of your bat. This extra weight will help you get through the zone faster and be able to hit more balls squarely during batting practice.
Bat Donuts can be used with or without pine tar on your handle. They may also improve your grip, which gives you more control over where you swing and how hard you swing at the ball. Also, when used with pine tar, it helps keep it from coming off in wet weather conditions such as rain or snow when playing outdoors in colder climates.
How do you use a Bat Donut?
Using a Bat Donut is simple.
- First, clean your hands before handling the donut so that it doesn’t become slippery or sticky from the pine tar.
- Next, slide the opening over your bat’s handle and tighten it so it won’t fall off during use.
- Lastly, attach it to the end of your bat near the knob.
Now you’re ready to swing! If you are using a Bat Donut for the first time, it may take some practice getting used to since they will affect your grip and feel when making contact with the ball. But, with daily use, you should train your hands so that hitting without the Bat Donut becomes easier and more natural.
Where can I get a Bat Donut?
You can purchase a Bat Donut online or in some sporting goods stores like Amazon for Authentic Baseball Shop and CHAMPRO. It is best to read reviews of the different donuts before purchasing one, so you know what to expect on quality, durability, and price.
Tips:
- If you remove the Bat Donut from your bat while playing, be careful not to drop it. Bat Donuts can chip and crack if they fall on a hard surface or get stepped on. The maximum weight for using a Bat Donut is 20 ounces. It is too heavy and may do more harm than good for your batting performance.
- If you are used to using a lighter Bat Donut and want to increase the weight, try decreasing it in increments until reaching its maximum weight of 20 ounces. This will prevent any injuries that come with swinging too hard and allow you to increase strength gradually.
- It’s a good idea to use a Bat Donut on your spare bat as well. This way, you will continue to train with the donut even if it falls off during a game or gets lost.
- Bat Donuts can also be used as an alternative for those who cannot play baseball because of restricted budgets.
Warning: Bat Donuts can be dangerous when used incorrectly. Using them with a bat that is too heavy or swinging fast and hard when not properly acclimated to using it can lead to injury.
Barrel Sleeve
A Barrel Sleeve is a length of thick foam tubing that slips onto your bat, giving you the weight of a heavier bat without having to swing the extra weight. The sleeve will give you more confidence in your swing and might make all the difference when you step up for that game-winning pitch!
It comes in three different weights: 12, 16, and 24 ounces and will fit batting barrels between 2 1/4″ and 2 5/8″.
What are they made out of?
They are made from a durable synthetic rubber. The synthetic rubber is soft to the touch and feels good in your hands.
How do you use a weighted barrel sleeve?
They slip onto your bat just like a batting glove. No need for tape or straps! It only takes a matter of seconds! Just slide it on, one end at a time until the sleeve is fully on your bat.
How long will they last?
They are built to last! Just make sure you remove the sleeve before you put it in your bag or storage area. They won’t do any good if they get scuffed up, cracked, or dirty. Keep them clean for optimal performance!
Tips:
- Make sure you remove the sleeve before putting your bat in a bag or storage area
- Keep them clean and keep them out of direct sunlight for optimal performance
- They will stretch over time, so if they get tight when you put them on, just cut some off the end until it fits. Then tie a knot in the end to keep it from sliding back on.
- To speed up the stretching process, you can put them in a bucket of warm water for 10 minutes or so before using them.
- They come with instructions and tips when you buy one!
Check out Baseball/Softball Bat Weight Pow’r Wrap Sleeve and Varo ARC Bat Training Weight on Amazon.
Weight Limits According to Age
These are general guidelines. Make sure you read the instruction manual for any product to be sure they are right for your child.
- The Little League weight limit is 12 ounces or 30 percent of total bat weight, whichever is greater; bats that weigh two pounds or less may not use weights in the barrel end.
- For high school, college and professional baseball players, there are no limits on what can be used.
- Little League (lower than 11-years old) – No More Than 6 ounces in the Barrel End of Bat
- Junior League (11-12 years old) – The Limit Is 6 ounces in the Barrel End of the Bat
- Senior League (13-14 years old) – 8 Ounces Maximum Can Be Added to the Barrel of the Bat
- T-Ball (8 & younger) – No Weight Restrictions, but no removable weights are allowed.
Barrel Weights Should Be Adjusted Over Time
No matter what type of weight you choose, it’s important that your child develops proper swing mechanics and learns how to time their swings at the right moment during their at bat.
Just like any training method (such as lifting weights), increasing strength will give them more power in their swing. When they become used to swinging with weight added to the end of the bat, they’ll be able to use their own body weight instead of a weight for their swing.
