Training bats are excellent tools for practicing fundamentals.  Whether you are an experienced pro, or justing starting to play the game, it’s always important to practice good baseball fundamentals.  Training tools such as fungos, one-handed bats, and heavy bats are used in all levels of the game.  More importantly, they are an essential part of an individual’s, and team’s success.

Coaches use fungos to practice hitting ground balls and fly balls.  Fungos are slightly longer than normal baseball bats, has a smaller barrel, and are extremely light.  With fungos, one is able to more easily manipulate the ball and hit it in a more precise manner in order to allow the fielder to work on specific aspects of their defense. 

One-handed bats are great for isolating a hitter’s swing, using only one hand, in order to work on the small details.  These bats are much shorter in length and weigh less than regular bats, but with a bigger barrel.  The idea of the shorter length is to allow the hitter to swing the bat with only one hand, in a fluid way, with the balanced feel of using two hands.  Hitters are able to do hitting drills using either top or bottom hand, or work on the feel of a short, quick swing using both hands. 

Heavy bats can be used as a strengthening tool, to practice balance, and as a warm-up before your at-bat.  These bats are much heavier than regular bats.  They can help hitters improve their strength and bat speed through repeated use in practice, as well as help players work on problems with balance at the plate.  Hitters often use heavy bats right before their at-bat by swinging it as a warm up.  This helps them to increase blood flow in the hands and wrists, and make their regular bat feel lighter.

Training bats are an important part of baseball, and are essential for successful players and teams.  These bats, however, should only be used as a practice tool.  They should never be used game action or live batting practice.  And remember that good players practice until they get it right, but great players practice until they can’t get it wrong!

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Goefrey Tomlinson is the Retail Operations Manager at B45. He played professionnal baseball for 13 seasons, including 4 seasons in the Kansas City organization. He reached the AAA level in 2000. He has 10+ years of experience as a bat maker.

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