Bat Weights

One of the more overlooked aspects of a player’s preparation in game is the routine in the on-deck circle. The time between your at-bat and being on the on deck circle can be an amazingly productive period. One that can produce incredible benefits if used correctly. So, players use bat weights to help them prepare. Since the time baseball was still watched on small black and white screens and required only a few dimes for a bleacher seat, players have been using their time on-deck to improve their chances when they step to the plate. Famous photographs and grainy video show players like Babe Ruth swinging a hand full of 3 or 4 bats.  The point of this is to make their lone game bat feel that much lighter and easier to swing. Utilizing that logic, manufacturers searched for a way to better prepare hitters for their at-bats. They did this by producing tools that can have use in the important time before the at bat. One of the more common tools offered for on-deck preparation is the standard weighted donut-style bat weight. The donut slips easily over the handle of the bat and secures around the base of the barrel. This is in order to increase swing weight. The increase in swing weight just before a player hits makes their bat feel lighter. This gives that extra split second of reaction time that can be the difference between a base hit or a pop up. [product_tag tags="bat-weights"]

The Standard

The donut was the standard for decades. The creation of additional tools to provide the essential principals of the simple bat weight design. Tools such as adjustable weighted bats and bat sleeves are examples.. They are the result of a desire to equip hitters with tools that better serve their offensive purposes. The need for a certain weight can depend on the speed of the opposing pitcher’s fastball. This is so the ability to adjust a bat’s weight is a welcome evolution in on-deck training technology. The common denominator between tools such as donuts, bat sleeves and adjustable weighted bats is that they provide additional weight in the barrel. The problem that many have come across with these products is that they promote swing mechanics that can be detrimental to a player’s overall production. The increase in barrel weight inadvertently encourages a longer, choppier swing. This causes players to use their shoulder and back muscles to accommodate the extra weight. This discovery caused manufacturers to rethink how and what they supply hitters with to help them prepare in the on-deck circle.

The Epiphany

This epiphany led to products that provide increased swing weights but focus that weight anywhere but the barrel. Instead, today’s on-deck tools have a design to more evenly disperse the weight. Growing in popularity on the major league level, on-deck bats with all of their weight in the handle have shown to promote a shorter, more powerful swing as a result of a reversal of traditional methods. However you prepare for your at-bats, one thing is clear, the thought processes behind the proper way to do so differs depending on who you ask. Whether you choose to use barrel-weight, handle-weight or use no weight at all, the time you have before your at-bat should is important. Bat weights are a necessity for some, but not for others. So, if you want a bat weight, come check out our Baseball bargains website!