Bat Speed and Exit Velocity: What They Are and How to Train Them

Two numbers describe most of what matters at the plate.

Bat speed is how fast the barrel is moving at contact. Exit velocity is how fast the ball leaves the bat. Exit velocity depends on bat speed, on how squarely the ball is hit, and on the pitch itself. On a well-struck ball it runs roughly 1.2 to 1.4 times bat speed.

Why hitters chase them

Harder-hit balls become hits more often. They get through the infield faster and carry farther in the air. As a rough rule, each extra mile per hour of exit velocity adds a few feet of distance on a ball hit at a good launch angle.

Rough benchmarks

• Youth: 40–50 mph bat speed, 50–60 mph exit velocity
• High school: 60–70 mph bat speed, 70–80 mph exit velocity
• College: 70–80 mph bat speed, 90–100 mph exit velocity
• Professional: bat speeds above 80 mph, exit velocities regularly over 100 mph

These are ranges, and tools measure differently. Track your own numbers on the same device over time.

Overload and underload training

The best-known method for building bat speed uses bats that are heavier and lighter than your game bat.

• Overload bats, around 10–20% heavier, build the strength to move the barrel.
• Underload bats, around 10–15% lighter, train the body to move faster than it is used to.

Used together, they work on both ends of the problem.

Doing it properly

• Keep the swing the same. If the heavy bat changes your mechanics, it is too heavy. You are training your swing, not a different one.
• Progress gradually. Volume and load go up over weeks, not sessions.
• Measure. Check bat speed and exit velocity regularly. If the numbers are not moving, the program needs to change.
• Lift. As with throwing, there is a limit to how fast the same body can swing. Lower-body and rotational strength raise that limit.

For two-way players

If you also pitch, hitting work adds to your weekly load. Plan it with your throwing and lifting, not on top of them. In our program, two-way players add about four to five hours a week, scheduled so the hard swinging days and hard throwing days do not stack up.