Sammy Hagar hit the nail right on the head, “one foot on the brake, one foot on the gas, I can’t drive 55 was a message that really hit home for all of us. The speed limit was a suggestion, not a real law, right?
Whether it is NASCAR, drag racing, street outlaws or the 100-meter dash, faster is better. No athlete in recent memory is a better example than the great sprinter Usain Bolt, just when you thought it was impossible to go any faster, boom here he goes!
In fastpitch there is no doubt that faster is better. They call it FASTpitch, right? Pitchers are always looking to maximize their velocity. Once upon a time, a pitcher who hit 60 miles per hour was an exception. Now she is the rule.
What is the poor hitter supposed to do? Stand on the gas!
Bat speed is like money, no matter how much you have, you always want more. The greater your bat speed the more power you generate, the more balls you hit hard and the longer you get to wait to launch your swing.
Everyone would agree that these are all good things.
Where does bat speed come from?
Technique: The more efficient your swing, the more opportunity you have to create great bat speed. You must learn to use your body well before you can expect it to perform at a breakneck speed.
Attitude: You have to be willing to just cut loose. You have to trick your body into going faster than it normally would. Just like you use a bungee chord or parachute to train to run faster you must use similar techniques to trick your body into moving faster than it want to move.
As you increase your bat speed, you will experience some discomfort. You will feel out of control. You will feel like you are about ready to crash and burn.
And then you will learn to control it and become a truly great hitter.
