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Train with Wood, Hit with Aluminum |
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| With all of the training aids available today such as video analysis or speed training, one thing that I think is often overlooked by coaches and parents is the use of wood bats for practice. It is a fact that a metal baseball bat hits the ball further than a wood bat. It is also a fact that these metal bats have much larger sweet spots than wood bats. When kids use these bats consistently they don’t truly learn the art of hitting. If you were to take a kid who has used nothing but a metal bat during their games and training and put a wood bat in his hands he would likely be discouraged by his initial results. Using a wood bat does several things for a young player. First and foremost it increases the attention to hand-eye coordination. Since the barrel is smaller the player must keen hand-eye coordination to make good contact. Furthermore, since you can break a wood bat, it forces the player to make consistent contact on the barrel of the bat. The instant feedback that a wood bat gives cannot be replicated with a metal bat. If you get jammed with a metal bat, the ball will still carry past the infield for a Texas leaguer. However, take the same pitch off the fists with a wood bat, and if you’re lucky enough not to break it, your jam shot ceases to be a hit. When a player is forced to recognize a pitch before he swings so he makes sure to get the best part of the bat on the ball, he is practicing pitch recognition without even realizing it. Come game time, pitch recognition and its naturally following pitch selection will have been honed in a cage with a wood bat without specifically working on it. One more benefit of using a wood bat is that it builds strength that a metal bat won’t. Metal bats are designed to maximize the barrel and minimize the weight of the bat. While this is great for getting the most out of your swing during a live game, it’s hardly a way to get better when you’re working on the back fields away from the bright lights. Since wood is a natural substance there is only so much that can be done to make the weight of the bat lighter. By practicing with wood you are enhancing hand-eye coordination, pitch selection, and strength. When the time comes to dig into the box with your $400 metal bat, just think of how much more prepared you’ll be by spending 20% of that money on a wood bat. You can’t put a price on that. Its why all coaches should recommend practicing with wood. |
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