3 Baseball Hitting Training Aids to Think Twice About
(Republished from SwingSmarter.com)
Baseball hitting training aids can be a
waste of time and money if you're NOT careful. We'll discuss 3 of the
most sought after hitting tools, and talk over why NOT to buy them.
In analyzing these hitting contraptions we'll stick to 8 rating principals, and give grades (A through F) for each:
- Durability,
- Weight,
- Economical,
- User Friendly,
- Convenient/Compact (for storage),
- Easy Assembly,
- Partner Needed? (Y/N)
- Does the device teach you something? (Y/N)
Ideally,
baseball hitting training aids need to be built to last, reasonable in
price, user friendly, easily broken down, stored, and assembled,
shouldn't need a partner to operate, and above all, it should NOT be difficult to get something good out of it.
Most
of the research Swing Smarter has done reveals companiesmisleading the
consumer into false benefits, like increased batspeed, quickens the
hands, etc. Most of them are NOT true.
First, let's start off with the...
Bat Stick (and its other distinguishing names)
I believe
there are 2-3 different manufacturers making this hitting tool, and the
one thing they're good for is father-son/daughter time, it doesn't help
the swing at all...a hitting tee will help 10 fold over this one.
- Durable - C
- Weight - A
- Economical - B+
- User Friendly - F
- Convenient/Compact (for storage) - A
- Easy Assembly - A
- Partner Needed? (Y/N) - Y
- Does the device teach you something? (Y/N) - N
Depending on if these baseball hitting training aids are made anywhere else but the USA, then forget about durability. With heavy team use, they go bad real fast.
Although,
it's light weight, offers convenience and a compact nature, no assembly
is required, and being priced economically are pluses for this hitting
tool.
Unfortunately, the Bat Stick doesn't measure up when it
comes to being user friendly, partner is needed, and its lazy nature
keeps a hitter from developing the right muscle memory.
Let's address why it's NOT user friendly...
The poor parent holding it has to use the wrist strap to keep the tool from flying out of their hand, this puts a lotof torque on the wrist and hand, especially when the hitter ages and gets stronger. From a fitness specialist stand point, this is bad on the body.
Also, there's NO way of using this hitting device by yourself unless you're an octopus, so pass or fail, and this fails!
And,
last but NOT least, this is my own personal opinion, so take it for
what it's worth, but the Bat Stick doesn't teach the hitter anything,
and most importantly, does NOT make them better.
Invest your $29-40 on a decent hitting tee instead.
Next,
The Hands Back Hitter
- Durable - A
- Weight - A
- Economical - C-
- User Friendly - D
- Convenient/Compact (for storage) - C
- Easy Assembly - A
- Partner Needed? (Y/N) - N
- Does the device teach you something? (Y/N) - Y
Baseball hitting training aids should make a hitter better, it looks good on paper, but it still missed the mark.
Although
it seams durable, is light in weight (a few strings, a bulgy bar, and a
ball stand), easy to assemble, and no partner necessary, there are a
few drawbacks...
This contraption is priced at about $98 and, to
me, seems OVER-priced. Try $39 for what you get. I've also heard from
parents who unfortunately invested in the Hands Back Trainer found the
string you have to step on to release the ball, is too high, and the
hitter's step had to be very firm to trigger the ball to pop up.
This gets the hitter focusing on the WRONG things.
Here's why these baseball hitting training aids aren't good for a budding hitter...
A
stride must be short (3 inches max), low, and with minimal effort, so
this device does the opposite of what is intended. Sure it keeps your
hands back, but at the expense of ruining the most important parts of
the swing, timing and swing tempo.
It's NOT user friendly, and
with the bulgy stationary bar, is NOT convenient/compact for storage,
and lastly, does NOT teach the right execution of a healthy swing.
Which brings us to our last baseball hitting aid...
Instructo Tee Swing Trainer
Of all baseball hitting
training aids this is the abominable snowman in the room. I remember
when Ken Griffey Jr. endorsed this one almost a decade ago, and he had
good right to pull his name from the contraption.
I want to
apologize in advance for getting on my soapbox with this one, please
make sure to get ear muffs for the little kiddies.
How did it stack up?
- Durable - A
- Weight - F
- Economical - F
- User Friendly - F
- Convenient/Compact (for storage) - F
- Easy Assembly - C-
- Partner Needed? (Y/N) - N
- Does the device teach you something? (Y/N) - N
Yes,
this hitting tool is durable (steel bars), and you definitely do NOT
need a partner, unless to cry with you to the bank because you wasted
$179!
I remember my first experience with this baseball hitting aid fondly...
It
loomed in front of me cold and stiff, me holding my $250 aluminum bat
($500 nowadays), I had to put a ball between the two bars on the little
tee, and hit it without striking the menacing unfeeling painful steel
bars. Ouch!
As I grew up and learned other more effective ways to
re-create this drill with other more simple AND less intimidating
baseball hitting training aids, I began to realize what a waste of time
and money my relationship with the Instructo Tee Swing Trainer was.
The
weight of the steel bars makes this "thing" inefficiently difficult to
move, breakdown, re-assemble, and switch over for righties and lefties.
Also, I wouldn't accept one of these as a gift, so no matter what the price, it's too expensive.
As
far as I'm concerned, this hitting contraption doesn't teach anything,
only to intimidate kids into pulling their hands in (wincing), swinging
with crocodile arms, because they're afraid they're going to hurt their
hands, again...
Not to mention, the parents wince in pain from
the pocket book, seeing another new $500 aluminum bat purchase looming
on the horizon, thanks to those clanging fascist steel poles.
You can get fantastic results with two cheap Franklin Tees
equaling less stress and MORE success (video above)! Make sure the back tee ball is slightly higher than the front.
The
Instructor Swing Tee Trainer is just empty calories when it comes to
baseball hitting training aids. So, please save yourself the agony and
do NOT buy any of these three aids.