Speed Training Tips to Help Improve Your Hitting

When it comes to having success at the plate, putting the bat on the ball is only half the battle. You have to be able to reach base safely from home, otherwise your powerful swing will be all for naught. So, adding speed training to improve hitting can help baseball and softball players.

Introducing speed training into your hitting begins, naturally, in the batter’s box. Your ideal swing will be as balanced as possible every time. This can leave you in better control of your body and able to get moving toward first base easier.

However, there are going to be times where you’re off-balance after contact. “Sometimes, you’ll have that outside pitch and you hit it to left field and you’re out over the plate,” says Frank Velasquez, director of sports performance for Allegheny Health Network. “You have to gather yourself, redirect and get going in the other direction to get to first base.”

To accomplish your redirection and have quicker feet out of the box, you must involve your upper body. Velasquez says to get in the habit of pumping your arms as fast as possible after you hit the ball. If you’re lazy with your arm motion, your legs will follow. “You want to be violent with your arms in this forward, backward movement to get your legs moving to get you to top speed as soon as possible,” Velasquez says.

Try working on your arm movements in batting practice. Take a few hard steps out of the box to simulate sprinting to the bag. Use these Pro Tips to get a leg up on your batting performance this baseball and softball season.

Your speed training is not the only specialty component to successful batting. Be sure to take some time during training to focus on developing your vision to help with another vital aspect to your success at the plate.