In my book, Hitting With Torque: For Baseball And Softball Hitters, I describe how in a very short period of time, the simple hitting keys I teach have helped high school and college softball teams break offensive school hitting records by focusing on only one thing…increasing bat speeds!
I’m an evangelist for all players, especially softball players to adopt progressive hitting mechanics that will lead to more doubles, home runs, and higher averages. Here is the latest story about how the hitting keys in my book will quickly produce higher bat speeds and more power.
I began working with the Benedictine University (IL) softball team when college teams could begin practice in early February. Before introducing my hitting keys, I always measure the bat speeds of each hitter. The initial bat speeds of the Benedictine hitters ranged from 50 mph to 66 mph, which was not surprising. The bat speeds of most college softball players at all levels, including D1 athletes, fall in this range. Here is a link to my thoughts on target bat speeds for softball and baseball players. How Fast Is Your Baseball/Softball Swing?
By the first game of the season in mid-March, the top ten hitters in the Benedictine lineup increased their average bat speeds from 61.4 mph to 72.1 mph, with nine of them joining my “70 mph Club”. Just to be clear, this is bat speed and not “exit speed”. In my book I detail how increasing bat speed by 10 mph will increase hitting distance by 50 feet!
The hard work of the Benedictine hitters paid off. Here’s what the team accomplished during the 2018 season armed with faster bats and repeatable swings:
Hits: 433 (4th in school history)
Runs: 313 (3rd in school history and 10th highest in the nation)
Doubles: 96 (School record and 4th highest in the nation)
Triples: 17 (Top ten in school history)
Home Runs: 41 (School Record and 10th highest in the nation)
Batting Average: .356 (3rd in school history and 12th in the nation)
Slugging Percentage: .564 (6th highest in the nation)
On Base Percentage: .421 (15th highest in the nation)
Walks: 137 (School Record)
Strikeouts: 105 (Only 2.3 per game which led the conference)
These impressive results are consistent with other players and teams who have adopted the simple hitting keys I teach and are detailed in my book. I know it’s still an uphill battle to convince high school and college players and coaches to move outside of their comfort zones to adopt new progressive hitting mechanics that will transform their programs into hitting powerhouses.
Hitting Clinics
I enjoy helping college softball teams with their hitting in the offseason and preseason. During these 2-3 hour clinics, I teach and demonstrate all eight of my hitting keys. At the end of the clinic, bat speeds jump and the ball begins rocketing off the bats.
If you are interested in having me lead a hitting clinic for your team, please contact me at paulpetricca@gmail.com.
In the meantime, I will continue my crusade to convince hitters of all ages to adopt hitting keys that will increase bat speed dramatically almost immediately. When bat speeds goes up, so does hitting success. The numbers don’t lie!