Softball Bat Speed Drills

The faster a batter is able to swing the bat, the farther the ball is likely to travel when hit. Learning to swing a bat faster is a simple process that doesn't involve any special equipment. All you need are some bats and some softballs.

  1. The Overload/Underload Training Protocol

    • For this drill you need three bats: a regular 24 ounce bat, a heavier wooden bat, and a bat that's less than 24 ounces. The general rule is that the heavy and light bats weigh within 15 to 20 percent of the regular bat. After warming up with a regular bat, the batter then does ten proper, full speed swings with the heavy, wooden bat. Following that, he does ten swings with the light bat. The goal of this drill is to then swing the regular bat at the same speed as the lighter one. Repeat this drill three times with two-minute breaks between the cycles. This drill should be repeated two or three times a week for six to eight weeks.

    Quick Toss

    • A quick toss drill improves swing speed and batting mechanics (it's also good fielding practice for the other players). The coach and batter stand on opposite sides of home plate, with the coach at a safe distance to ensure that he doesn't get hit with any close-range balls. Starting with roughly a half bucket of balls, the coach tosses the balls one after another into the batter's strike zone. It's done in rapid succession so the batter learns to swing quickly and get back into the proper position in time for the next ball. Being able to swing the bat quickly isn't the only goal of the drill. It's key that the coach keeps an eye on the batting stance and swing to ensure that the batter is using proper mechanics.

    Quick Switch Up

    • This drill can be done on your own while waiting for your turn at bat or in batting practice. It's similar to the Overload/Underload drill, but uses one extra bat for a shorter amount of time. When the player is waiting for his turn at bat, he takes practice swings with a bat that's slightly heavier than the one he'll bat with. When it comes time to bat, exchange the heavier bat for the regular one. The batter's swings will speed up because his muscles have become used to the heavier load.