How to Increase Bat Velocity

More bat speed helps hitters drive the ball harder and gives them a little more time to decide on a pitch. There are several ways to get there. This post covers them, and we've corrected a few things the original version of this article got wrong about bats.

Pick the right bat (weight matters more than size)

Swing weight is what you feel. A bat that's lighter, or balanced with its weight toward the handle, is easier to accelerate, so you'll usually swing it faster. A longer or end-loaded bat feels heavier and usually swings slower, even if it offers more reach and a bigger sweet spot.

So the trade-off is real: a bigger, heavier bat can put more mass behind the ball, but only if you can still swing it fast and on time. Most young hitters do better erring toward lighter.

Material and certification. Composite and alloy bats can have more "trampoline effect" than wood, which raises exit velocity (the ball's speed), not bat speed itself. And most leagues cap that performance with bat standards, like BBCOR for high school and college and USA Baseball's standard for many youth leagues. Check your league's rule before you buy.

Warm up properly

A good warm-up gets your body ready to move fast and lowers injury risk. Start with light movement to raise your temperature (jogging, skipping), then dynamic stretches for the hips, trunk and shoulders, then some easy and medium swings before full effort. Save long, static stretches for after.

Sequence your swing

Bat speed comes from the ground up, not from the arms:

1. Load into your back side.
2. Stride and plant the front foot.
3. Hips start the rotation, then the torso follows.
4. The hands and barrel come last, like the end of a whip.

Keep your head steady and your posture over your hips as you rotate. When the hips lead and the hands follow, the barrel picks up speed. When the arms do all the work, it doesn't. A good hitting coach and some slow-motion video help a lot here. Hip action matters for hitters too; see using hip movement for velocity.

Build strength and power

Stronger, more explosive hitters swing faster. Focus on:

• Lower body and trunk: squats or split squats, hinges, and rotational med ball throws.
• Grip and forearms: farmer's carries, wrist rollers.
• Upper-body power: med ball chest passes, push-up variations.

Work with a qualified coach on technique and progress gradually.

Try overload/underload training

Many programs use swings with slightly heavier and slightly lighter bats than your game bat to train speed. Keep it structured and short, and always finish with game-bat swings.

Measure it

• Bat speed: a bat-mounted sensor or a radar made for swings, like the Sports Sensors Swing Speed Radar ($149.99 from the maker, 20–200 mph). More options in how to measure bat velocity.
• Exit velocity: a sports radar gun pointed at the ball coming off a tee or front toss. Using a radar gun to improve pitching and hitting shows how.

Measure the same way each time and look for trends over weeks, not single swings.

Want to measure exit velocity? See our guide to the best baseball radar guns →