Intermediate
Bat Speed
Bat speed is how fast the barrel is moving at contact, in mph. It contributes to exit velocity alongside bat path and where on the barrel you make contact.
Bat speed is the athletic ingredient of power, but like club speed in golf it only converts to exit velocity with a clean, on-plane strike. It is measured by sensors such as Blast Motion and Diamond Kinetics. Adding bat speed without maintaining barrel accuracy can lower contact quality, so the two are trained together.
Example
A hitter increases bat speed from 68 to 72 mph but must keep the barrel on plane to turn it into higher exit velocity.
Related terms
- Exit Velocity (EV)Exit velocity is how fast the ball comes off the bat, in mph. It is a ceiling metric — the harder you hit it, the farther it can go.
- LoadThe load is the small backward gathering of the hands and weight before the swing starts, storing energy to fire into the ball.
- Attack Angle (Batting)Attack angle in batting is the vertical angle of the bat path through the hitting zone. A slightly upward attack angle (+5° to +15°) matches the pitch plane for hard contact.
Related guides & benchmarks
Put this into your swing
SwingVantage can spot this in your own swing — free to start.