Bat Speed -- Baseball Hitting Forum

Posted by: Andrew (drog29@aim.com) on Mon Jan 2 18:10:08 2006

> Hi All
>
> Happy New Year! – I would like to start the new year by addressing a topic I brought up In December 2005 but received no response. It concerns ‘bat speed’ vs ‘bat quickness’. I noted while visiting some of the other discussion boards that a good number of coaches believe that a batter my generate great bat speed but be slower getting the bat to the ball than a batter with less bat speed.
>
> I have trouble understanding how two batters can launch the bat from the same position and the batter who generates less bat speed could get the bat to the same contact point quicker than the batter generating greater bat speed. Would someone help enlighten me on this subject?
>
> Note: I define “launch position” as the position of the bat when shoulder rotation (and the swing) is initiated
>
> Jack Mankin

Coach Jack
I think bat speed is how fast the bat is moving, and bat quickness is how efficient your path is (how well you line up the path of the bat head with the path of the incoming pitch). You can have 90+ bat speed, but if your swing path is not correct, it doesn't really matter. You will not make solid contact. On the tee I have made swings at 90+, but I would roll over. My path was bad. I have also had swings in the upper 80s wher my path was good and the result is a line drive. I also have noticed that my bat speed is usually better when my path is more efficient. I think this is true because when the swing path is good, the bat head continues to accelerate on that path. When the swing path is poor, the hitters instincts is to get the bat on plane at the last instant (I find this to be true for me, but maybe it is not for other hitters). Any force acting on the bat causing it to change directions will slow down the overall speed. Think if you were accelerating down the highway in your car and exited off the highway at the last second, the speed of your car would decrease because you are changing direction. Do you agre with these thoughts?

Andrew

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> > Hi All
> > 
> > Happy New Year! – I would like to start the new year by addressing a topic I brought up In December 2005 but received no response. It concerns ‘bat speed’ vs ‘bat quickness’. I noted while visiting some of the other discussion boards that a good number of coaches believe that a batter my generate great bat speed but be slower getting the bat to the ball than a batter with less bat speed. 
> > 
> > I have trouble understanding how two batters can launch the bat from the same position and the batter who generates less bat speed could get the bat to the same contact point quicker than the batter generating greater bat speed. Would someone help enlighten me on this subject?
> > 
> > Note: I define “launch position” as the position of the bat when shoulder rotation (and the swing) is initiated
> > 
> > Jack Mankin
> 
> Coach Jack
> I think bat speed is how fast the bat is moving, and bat quickness is how efficient your path is (how well you line up the path of the bat head with the path of the incoming pitch).  You can have 90+ bat speed, but if your swing path is not correct, it doesn't really matter.  You will not make solid contact.  On the tee I have made swings at 90+, but I would roll over.  My path was bad.  I have also had swings in the upper 80s wher my path was good and the result is a line drive.  I also have noticed that my bat speed is usually better when my path is more efficient.  I think this is true because when the swing path is good, the bat head continues to accelerate on that path.  When the swing path is poor, the hitters instincts is to get the bat on plane at the last instant (I find this to be true for me, but maybe it is not for other hitters).  Any force acting on the bat causing it to change directions will slow  down the overall speed.  Think if you were accelerating down the highway in your car and exited off the highway at the last second, the speed of your car would decrease because you are changing direction.  Do you agre with these thoughts?
> 
> Andrew

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