|
Real Players Hit With Wood
Why you should & how to achieve success!
Coach John Peter
Let me say this up front.
I do not like aluminum bats . . . but I'll win with them.
Practice with wood . . . and you'll win with aluminum.
It's really very simple. An aluminum bat swing can be mechanically flawed but still get results. Inflated averages & power numbers abound with huge aluminum sweet spots & tricked-out metal alloys!
But eventually, bigger fields and better pitching eliminates many aluminum bat hitters well before High School . . . and it doesn't have to be!
Allow me to explain and Know This Now.
Much of the physical side of the game is about:
BATSPEED
HANDSPEED
FOOTSPEED
Much of hitting is about:
TIMING & BALANCE (Strength helps too. most noticeably after puberty)
Wood Bats feel head-heavy and have much smaller sweet spots so any imperfections in a swing will be magnified. Are you getting the picture?
Training with wood forces the player to become mechanically precise & will build bat speed and strength. Additionally, wood trains hitters to really learn the strike zone and not swing at bad pitches (if you have ever hit one off the end or the handle - we call it "the bees" - then you know what I mean . . . it hurts. and many times it breaks the bat!).
The Lesson?... Focus on hitting balls that are thrown in the strike zone (at least until 2 strikes.then you just battle and expand the size of the strike zone so the umpire doesn't call you out on close 3rd strikes). Wood bats will force you to learn the strike zone, thus making you a better aluminum bat hitter. Are you getting this?
To successfully swing with wood you must:
- Trigger earlier, starting with the hands into the load position.
- Keep your hands inside the ball (meaning hands closer to the body throughout the swing to make for a quick rotation to the ball).
- Stick with it until your muscle memory acclimates to this new weapon.
#1 Defined
Trigger Early - Dead Hands Kill Players!
The first thing a hitter must do is take away the pitcher's fastball. In general, that is a pitcher's best pitch. From Clemens, Johnson, Martinez & Maddux, to the baddest pitcher in your league. Spot the fastball and you are a real pitcher. Okay, hitter what are you going to do about it? You're going to crush it. that's what!
Hands Start The Swing!
Start your swing with your hands (they are your timing mechanism). . . and you can time a jet or any fastball! Call it a trigger, load or hitch, it's all the same. Just get some movement from your hands starting when the pitcher separates his hands from his glove. From your rest position, your movement will be toward your back shoulder. Wood bats have more weight near the bat head. This causes a slightly longer time to get the bat head into the contact area. To overcome this, you start your load just a bit sooner!
#2 Defined
Keep Your Hands Inside The Ball.What?
Keep your hands 4-6 inches from your body throughout the swing. Think about hitting the inside half of the baseball (the half that's closest to you). This will train you to have a shorter, quicker stroke and will help keep balls straight and not allow them to hook foul.see Barry Bonds!
#3 Defined
Stick With It!
Use your wood bat instead of your game aluminum for tee work, soft toss, in a cage & when hitting live pitching & you'll get the results you're looking for!
NOTES:
Wood Increases Bat Speed!
Bat Speed Equals Power!
In summary, any player or team that trains with wood will hit the ball harder, increase contact and power over all who don't. Ask any hitting coach!
Which Bat Is Best For Me?
There are real reasons that some bats cost $20 at Wal-Mart and some cost $130. Wood is graded by quality long before they make it to the bat factory or mill.
The $20 bats are the lowest grade and are worth a little more than firewood. You should buy this stuff only if that is all that is within your budget and be very careful not to swing at anything outside the strike zone.
The $130 bats are little more than the theft of your hard-earned money! No batter will become a better hitter by spending that kind of money. Period!
We carry great stuff priced fairly.
Our BWP PRO Maple Stock ($59 each - discounts for 2 or more) is the finest Pro Maple and I will put it up against any brand, any day! I recommend these bats for any player with medium to a lot of wood bat experience. I configured these models to have great balance for any ballplayer of any age. Sizes are available in 32, 33, 34 inch and all have -3 oz weight drops (3 oz. less than the bat length). Great look of a cherry barrel with black handle.
Our Brett Brothers Composite Bats ($49 - 59 each - discounts for 2 or more) are what I would recommend for any amateur player regardless of skill or experience level! I have a 9 year old player successfully swinging a 28" and my own son, who is a 19 year old College Freshman player, has been swinging the same Brett Stealth model over 15 months without breakage (yes, he does know the strike zone).
Do they break? - Absolutely. But they will outlast any real wood bats that I have seen.
Why Do I Need More Than 1 Wood Bat?
Well, you don't.until you break one. Ideally you should have 3.
Here's the drill. 1st, you have a cage bat (this is used for all your practice stations from tee work and soft toss to live pitching in the batting cage and on the field).
Then you have your "Gamer." This bat is used in games only and is your favorite stick. I would advise that you don't lend it to other players because if someone else breaks it he owes you AND neither of you has a Gamer!
Finally you have your Keeper. This stays at home, in the closet (due to weather changes, you don't leave wood outside, in the trunk of a car or in the garage). Your Keeper becomes extremely important when you break your Gamer. You never want to be experimenting with unfamiliar equipment at game time. Our bats are almost identical so when you have one Brett Stealth model, your 2nd bat will be almost identical if produced at the same time and in the same lot! I have seen many players brought to their knees due to a broken glove web or a forgotten favorite hat. (Have you seen some of the disgusting hats and batting helmets that some pros wear every day?) Superstitious.you bet. BUT never fool with a streak or success!
Do check out our great Brett Bats page and if you need even more knowledge on wood bats check out the article How to Choose A Wood Baseball Bat.
| 
Send this page to a friend 
Akadema has risen to the top of the glove industry with its innovative designs and use of technology. Among their numerous endorsers are Hall of Fame chief advisors Ozzie Smith, Gary Carter, and Carl Yastrzemski.
