Hold your bat like you are holding a broom stick.

[dunkky]

Just wanna share my experience. This is something that everyone already knows, but I have never experienced it like the way I did recently.

So, here's the story. sometimes, poptoss timer is off. I found myself completely unready, bat head on the ground, shoulder down, I hear POP! Oh damn, I look at the ball and quickly launch my swing. Nice line drive.. A luck. This happened more than a few times, and most of the time, I was able to square the ball better and hit nice line drives.

I mean, I have been ignoring it, just luck. Then one day, it hit me. Maybe, I am relaxing, my whole body, my grip, my arms, and when launching my swing, I am actually snapping it better.

So, I did a testing yesterday. I hold my bat like I was holding 2oz waffle bat. my shoulder, my arms have no tension what so ever, completely relaxed.

Man, I was very satisfied with the result. My snapping was better, arm extension was consistent, overall, just smooth swing.

so, if you haven't, try it. completely relax your arm, shoulder, grip. And when you ready to launch, that's when you apply the force.

 

[tonys1]

I find thats the best strategy to use for me too when I have a Miken in my hands and I'm trying to launch it into a garbage can that's 40 feet away.

 

[T Dot]

I came across something a long time ago, it’s the main reason why I stopped using batting gloves. The tighter the grip you have on the bat and the more you squeeze - the less fluid you become. If you grip the bat as hard as you can and just do a dry soft swing - watch your hands and the bat do weird things.

Vladimir Guerrero never used gloves and I would see him relax and release his fingers/grip every at bat. That’s what I do now.

 

[TWmccoy]

I came across something a long time ago, it’s the main reason why I stopped using batting gloves. The tighter the grip you have on the bat and the more you squeeze - the less fluid you become. If you grip the bat as hard as you can and just do a dry soft swing - watch your hands and the bat do weird things.

Vladimir Guerrero never used gloves and I would see him relax and release his fingers/grip every at bat. That’s what I do now.

I agree with this. I only use batting gloves in BP, when I'm doing a couple hundred swings. I use them solely to protect my hands from blisters from repeated abuse. In games I go bare handed. I get a cleaner, finer grip on the bat.

I grip the bat lightly, just enough to keep from throwing it. You want to crack the bathead at the ball like a whip. You can't do that if you're gripping too tightly.

 

[T Dot]

I would like to add something to this that I also feel is just as important. BREATHE! Don’t hold your breathe as it does something similar to gripping the bat tightly.

You want to be like Monica Seles (tennis player). It is much better to exhale or scream during the swing. It’s hard to monitor or even getting use to - but for me it greatly affects my fluidity.

hope this helps.

 

[dunkky]

Yeah, Jeff hall grunt.. LOL. I really wanna practice that. I need to come up with something that sounds cool other than sounding like a little lizard.

 

[dunkky]

Just came back from another poptoss bp. Man, now, I am not even grabbing hard nor try to put so much tension on my arm and shoulder even at the swing. Pretty much, just let the bat fly, throw it at the ball. With no tension, my swing speed should reach my maximum. I was afraid, with that much loose grip, I might feel the vibration in contact. Nope, ball flys like a missile. I love it. I don't know if I have gained this much satisfaction out of all the bp I did during my 4-year softball career. I am very confident now. btw, I am using a complete overlap grip. my top hand just sitting on top softly.

 

[swingnmiss]

My whole body is chill when I'm in the box................. First of all, I have confidence in my abilities and don't stress about it. I don't have to do anything special, swing from my ass or launch myself into the ball, to hit one 350'. Just lift my foot, keep my hands steady and focus on the part of the ball I want to hit, stride into it and let it happen. Now........If you really think about it, why do you see sprinters always "Shaking it out" and taking deep breaths before they get into the blocks? Because relaxed muscles are more responsive and explosive than tense muscles. So, you are on the right track with relaxed grip, but I think you need to carry that through your whole approach.

 

[dunkky]

I think you need to carry that through your whole approach.

I completely agree with you swingmiss. I also read your thread on a similar topic, that was very helpful.

 

[Hiltz]

I'm the opposite re: batting gloves. I feel they allow me to hold the bat looser because of the added grip. I want to try a pair of Spiderz with the silicone grip patches. I tried wide receiver gloves but found them too thick.

 

[msw4indy]

I'm the opposite re: batting gloves. I feel they allow me to hold the bat looser because of the added grip. I want to try a pair of Spiderz with the silicone grip patches. I tried wide receiver gloves but found them too thick.

I have used the old Nuemann receiver gloves (tacktified leather) for probably the last 25 plus years. They have just the right amount of stickiness to grip loosely. They also will last at least a year before they are worn out. Just getting harder and harder to find since they went out of business....but if you can find those, they are worth it!

 

[dunkky]

I went out last night again. All I can say is that this has been a game-changer for me. I am hitting the ball farther than ever. bp has been so much fun when you see a significant improvement.

 

[D-ROCK13]

Relaxed hands and body makes for a bigger explosion of force. I've found i hit harder,and more consistently, when i stand feet together and loose, rather than in an actual stance

 

[dunkky]

I have tried multiple gloves. ironically, the one that works best for me was 7 dollar pig skin one that I bought from a harbor freight. thin and durable, and most of all very good grip. I need that grip since I am hardly applying any pressure on the handle now. Don't want it fly off my hand at swinging. LOL

 

[T Dot]

I have tried multiple gloves. ironically, the one that works best for me was 7 dollar pig skin one that I bought from a harbor freight. thin and durable, and most of all very good grip. I need that grip since I am hardly applying any pressure on the handle now. Don't want it fly off my hand at swinging. LOL

Awesome! If you think the bat is going to fly off - maybe but only in baseball. Never going to happen in softball with your skill. You are at the upper limits of a relaxed grip now.

Keep at it!

 

[ShortYellowBus]

I stick the knob in the middle of my palm and go full overlap with the other. The extra length allows me to barrel up balls further out in front. It works really well on inside pitches that need to go 301ft.

I can’t do this without gloves. I use the $40 Spiderz now, and the STS Palmguard in bp.

I stopped holding the bat with two hands a while back. Helmer does it. Watch a video of that.

 

[TWmccoy]

I stick the knob in the middle of my palm and go full overlap with the other. The extra length allows me to barrel up balls further out in front. It works really well on inside pitches that need to go 301ft.

I can’t do this without gloves. I use the $40 Spiderz now, and the STS Palmguard in bp.

I stopped holding the bat with two hands a while back. Helmer does it. Watch a video of that.

The overlap grip definitely helps with relaxing your grip. Especially if you put the knob in your bottom hand (as you mentioned). I also agree it helps you to hit the ball further out in front. You can reach out and snap at the ball as if striking it with a whip. The distance is effortless.

 

[clementeunknown]

Ive caught myself unknowingly doing what Bubba Mack does before he swings shaking the bat back and forth. Of course I get nowhere near the results he does but it keeps my hands loose and fast.

 

[swingnmiss]

I stick the knob in the middle of my palm and go full overlap with the other. The extra length allows me to barrel up balls further out in front. It works really well on inside pitches that need to go 301ft.

I can’t do this without gloves. I use the $40 Spiderz now, and the STS Palmguard in bp.

I stopped holding the bat with two hands a while back. Helmer does it. Watch a video of that.

Knob in the middle of the palm?? What?? Nah..............The bat goes in the fingers and not the palm..... Out in the fingers. I put mine out in the fingers and my thumb doesn't even touch the bat. My top hand rests on my bottom hand and doesn't touch the bat either. I just pushes on the bottom hand.

 

[clementeunknown]

I can’t do this without gloves. I use the $40 Spiderz now, and the STS Palmguard in bp.

I have those the wrist wraps really helps and the leather is top notch Gucci stuff. Customer service is above and beyond too.. I ordered the wrong size and they live chatted with me in a matter of minutes to fix my order. They're expensive but they're worth every penny.

 

[dunkky]

i think this serves the same purpose. i thought about it, but then, I have elbow sleeves... too many craps to put on... but they will protect your joint area.

 

[CoachDH]

I stick the knob in the middle of my palm and go full overlap with the other. The extra length allows me to barrel up balls further out in front. It works really well on inside pitches that need to go 301ft.

I can’t do this without gloves. I use the $40 Spiderz now, and the STS Palmguard in bp.

I stopped holding the bat with two hands a while back. Helmer does it. Watch a video of that.

Truletic batting gloves have hamate protection in them which help with the stingers.

 

[CoachDH]

I have those the wrist wraps really helps and the leather is top notch Gucci stuff. Customer service is above and beyond too.. I ordered the wrong size and they live chatted with me in a matter of minutes to fix my order. They're expensive but they're worth every penny.

Have you seen Truletic batting gloves with hamate protection?

 

[Hiltz]

I think CoachDH might work for Truletic.

 

[tonys1]

Super relevant to post a batting glove getting smacked with a hammer when your target audience faces 3mph pitching.

 

[BSBR]

I think CoachDH might work for Truletic.

What??? Maybe he just has really tender Hamate's? I know I love quality hamate protection. Just because all 4 of his posts where posted within 5 minutes and each other, and mentions this company "he just heard about", doesn't mean he works for them /S.

 

[Hiltz]

From Truletic's website:

"Derek Hurley grew up on Staten Island, NY. He attended college at Seton Hall University on a baseball scholarship. Upon graduating with a Business Marketing Degree, he was drafted in the 1999 MLB Draft by the Pittsburgh Pirates. After 4 years with the Pirates, he spent 1 season in the Atlantic Baseball League."

I'm guessing Coach Derek Hurley coasted on that baseball scholarship. Most people with a business marketing degree would try harder than joining a dying forum and playing dumb to try to hock a few pairs of gloves.