Strength and Conditioning Programs to Increase Bat Speed in College Players

Bullets from the study:

• Greater strength, power, lean body mass = higher bat speed

• All anthropometric variables(height, mass) were associated with bat speed

• 3 performance variable had weak statistically significant association with bat speed 

• Baseball specific training APPLIES power to swing - power+coordination+timing

• The average bat speed for this college group was 65.37 mph with a range of 56.23 to 76.6

• The authors provide suggests for each group of players based on their results

Summary

"Strength and Conditioning Programs to Increase Bat Swing Velocity for Collegiate Baseball Players" investigates the anthropometric and physiological variables associated with bat swing velocity (BSV) and explores strength and conditioning programs to increase BSV in collegiate baseball players. The study involves 78 male collegiate baseball players, and various measurements were taken including BSV, anthropometric measurements (height, body mass, lean body mass), grip strength, back muscle strength, standing long jump, and backward overhead medicine ball throwing. The results show that BSV is correlated with anthropometric and physiological variables, particularly upper and lower body strength and full-body explosive power. The study suggests that strength and conditioning coaches may consider using this information when designing training programs for collegiate baseball players.

Subjects were divided into 3 groups (fast, middle, slow) based on performance.  The table above shows the difference in characteristics between groups.

Solid description of baseball-specific training from this study.  Baseball specific training APPLIES power to the swing and includes both coordination and timing.

Link to article

Haruna, R., Doi, T., Habu, D., Yasumoto, S., & Hongu, N. (2023). Strength and Conditioning Programs to Increase Bat Swing Velocity for Collegiate Baseball Players. Sports, 11(10), 202.

Comparison of baseball swing biomechanics between different age and competition levels

Kinematic comparison among difference age groups compared the hitting mechanics of players from different levels.  Little league, high school, division 1 2 and 3, minor league and major league players did a biomechanics motion capture while batting off a tee.  This video summarizes the research study and the differences between the players with some practical coaching applications.

A few take always for me were:

1. Prevalence of excessive back shoulder aDDuction in youth.  Aka long swing or bat drag, this is when the back elbow is lower and closer to the midline of the body.  Also typically an indication of mis-alignment or inability to effectively rotate the torso.
2. Youth segment speeds can rotate just as fast as older players.  Hips, in this instance, rotated faster for youth than higher levels.
3. Learning to TRANSFER energy from one segment to the next is just as important as developing rotational speed.  This could be addressed with either strength/stability OR timing/technique improvements.
4. Start teaching kids to move better when they are young!

References:

Dowling, B., & Fleisig, G. S. (2016). Kinematic comparison of baseball batting off of a tee among various competition levels. Sports biomechanics, 15(3), 255-269.