Baseball requires a ton of training. Hitting a baseball even more so. What other profession could you be considered a Hall of Famer while succeeding at your job only 30% of the time—or, put another way—failing 70% of the time? That’s right—none. You try swatting a 3-inch ball flying at 90 mph with a 2.5-inch wood bat. It’s tough.
But that’s what training bats are for! We’ve put together quite a few handy wood bats for training. From half-bats and shorties to heavy and lightweight bats to the truly unique Zone bats, there’s something here for everyone training for anything baseball or softball.
Let’s get to it!
Half Bat Trainer (Youth, Youth Transition, and Adult Sizes)
If you're serious about improving your swing, you're going to want to check out the Phoenix Half Bat Trainer. Made from the F110 model, this bat is designed to help hitters learn how to keep their barrel on plane with the ball.
You can use this bat with baseballs, tennis balls, or whiffle balls, making it a versatile tool in your training arsenal. Available in youth, youth transition, and adult models, this trainer will have you crushing balls in no time!
What sets the Half Bat apart from other training bats is its unique design. As a half bat, you can use the flat side to learn the feel and take reps, then flip it over to the real barrel side to reinforce those mechanics.
The Half Bat is perfect for soft toss, underhand, and tee work, but it’s not recommended for live BP or machine work. Trust us, with the Phoenix Half Bat Trainer in your hands, you'll be well on your way to becoming a hitting machine.
The Half Bat is perfect for all ages, with Youth, Youth Transition, and Adult sizes available to customize to your liking.
Shorty Live BP Trainer
The trend of using short bats in pre-game batting practice has become increasingly popular among elite pro players. This approach was popularized by former Yankee Alex Rodriguez and his hitting coach Kevin Long, who introduced a series of short bat drills using a low tee to help hitters become more comfortable being closer to contact.
As a result, most coaches have adopted some version of short bat drill training to help improve their players' inside bat path, point of contact, staying on plane and bat speed development.
The 24" or 26" Baseball Shorty BP wood training bat is unique compared to many other training devices because it is designed to be used during live batting practice. Despite its heavier weight, the bat is balanced and ensures no sacrifice in swing quality.
This makes it an effective tool for players to work on important aspects of plate success such as timing, bunting, explosiveness, seeing the ball deep, and hand-eye coordination, among others. The bat was developed with the help of pro hitting coach Aaron Hall, who drew on his 24 years of experience and worked with thousands of players to create a versatile wood training bat that develops a mechanically sound, consistent, and explosive swing.
Typical user:
- Hitter wanting short length, broad use trainer for live BP
- Ages 11+ to master level swing with improved bat path
- Player seeking faster bat speed without giving up bat control
Youth Shorty Live BP Trainer
So, what sets the 23" youth shorty BP wood training bat apart from other training devices? The answer is the ability to use it during live BP without sacrificing swing quality. The hitter can work on several critical aspects of plate success such as timing, bunting, being short to the ball, explosiveness, seeing the ball deep, two-strike hitting, engaging the lower body, hand-eye coordination, keeping the front shoulder in, and avoiding dropping the back shoulder (aka dipping).
Phoenix Bats collaborated with pro hitting coach Aaron Hall of iCoachHitting.com, who has 24 years of experience in the design, development, and testing of this versatile wood training bat for live batting practice. Aaron has worked with thousands of players of every skill age and has encountered virtually every mechanical, mental, and visual problem, as well as purchased/used or created every gadget imaginable.
While most training devices only work on one skill at a time and are great for muscle-memory, they cannot be used in a cage, and they do not replicate the feel of using a real game bat. However, the Youth Shorty BP wood training bat does! It's a premium wood bat that incorporates positive swing attributes into a player's live BP round, developing a mechanically sound, consistent, and explosive swing.
Typical user:
- 9–13 year-old seeking patience, explosiveness, bat speed with an inside approach
- Hitter looking for a short bat to use during live batting practice and front toss
- Player seeking training tool to develop bat speed without sacrificing bat control
Fastpitch Shorty Live BP Trainer
Just like the baseball and youth versions, this Fastpitch Shorty Live BP Trainer is the a multi-faceted practice bat—tailored for our friends on the fastpitch softball diamond.
Typical user:
- Fastpitch hitter wanting a short length, broad use trainer for live BP
- Ages 11+ to master plate discipline/patience under game speed conditions
- Player seeks more explosive bat speed without giving up bat control
Heavyweight Training Bat
Challenge yourself with this powerhouse of a training bat! Featuring our O267 profile, this bat is thick and heavy to help you build the muscles necessary for a powerful swing. Strengthen your core for the ability to turn on inside fastballs with more force and give your forearms a workout so you can knock it out of the park when you get full extension on that outside pitch!
Here are some training tips to get the most out of this bat: Use it as a warm-up bat, but be cautious not to over-swing as it is heavy. Count the number of swings you take with it to avoid fatigue.
This bat is ideal for tee work, soft toss, and short cage drills to get your muscles working and improve your bat speed. We recommend taking your first round of batting practice with the heavy bat, as it's easier to transition from heavy to light. Please note that we suggest using the heavy bat for no more than two rounds or 100 swings at a time.
Typical user:
- Use this bat as a warm up bat
- Perfect for tee work, soft toss & short cage work
The Skinny Bat
With The Skinny Bat you’ll be able to practice the speed of your swing so when you step up to the plate, you'll swing quicker than ever!
The Skinny Bat is a great baseball and softball training aid for hand-eye coordination and improved muscle memory for your swing. All hard wood construction gives it the feel in your hands of a regular wood bat. From its standard diameter wood bat handle, it maintains about the same diameter throughout the whole bat. This is where the bat does well with practicing your ability to instill 100% focus and concentration on the mechanics of your hit.
Designed solely for use with real baseballs for soft toss or with a less hard ball (whiffle ball, tennis ball, small plastic golf ball). It makes a perfect training tool indoors…even in a garage or a basement. It is encouraged to do the same drills with this bat as you would with your game bat!
Typical User:
- Player of any age who wants to master their hitting mechanics and confidence in bat control
- Wants a hand-eye coordination tool that feels like a real wood bat in the hands
- Hitter seeks a year-round trainer for use in the home, at practice and lessons, as well as outside
Swing Speed Trainer Bat
According to a study by DeRenne, Buxton, Hetzler, and Ho from the University of Hawaii, published in the Journal of Strength and Conditioning Research, having a good bat swing speed is a crucial mechanical characteristic of a skilled hitter. The study found that resistance training can improve bat swing speed, which in turn increases batted-ball velocity or how far the ball travels.
The research involved sixty Division 1-A collegiate varsity-level players. Those who saw the most improvement in swing speed alternated heavy, light, and standard weighted bats. They performed ten swings per set for five sets, with no more than a 15-second rest between each set. The participants completed three total sets, with 30 seconds rest between each full set, leading to a nearly 10% increase in bat speed.
We're excited to offer this 3-bat set recommended by an Ohio High School Hall of Fame Coach to help improve your bat swing speed and enhance your performance at the plate.
1-Handed Drills PB Bat
Practicing with a short bat is an excellent way to refine your swing mechanics and ensure proper form. It requires you to pay close attention to different elements of swing mechanics, making it an essential part of any hitter's training routine.
One effective drill is hitting balls off a tee, starting with 15-20 one-handed swings. Begin with your top-hand on the bat in its normal game bat position, then switch to hitting with your bottom hand in its normal position. This drill helps to establish proper form, including keeping your shoulder tucked in, elbow close to your body, and staying through the ball when following through. The absence of pitch location and speed allows you to focus solely on perfecting your swing.
For this type of training, the PB one-hand drill training bat is an ideal choice. Its smaller diameter barrel keeps the weight manageable and promotes extra hand-eye coordination development. It's recommended to choose a PB wood bat trainer that's 5" shorter than your game bat for optimal results. The well-distributed weight allows for easy maneuvering through the hitting zone. If you're a big guy in late high-school or post-high school and prefer a power hitter's bat, consider the PB43 with a larger barrel.
Typical user:
- Bigger player wanting to hone swing mechanics
- Hitter who incorporates drills in to his training
- Uses a shorter bat off the tee for one hand drills
1, 2–Hand Drill PB34 Bat
The PB43 differs from our standard diameter PB one-hand drill training bat in that it has a bigger barrel for more overall weight and end weight. This makes the PB43 more suitable for adding in 2-handed drills, allowing you to square up the ball more often. Because of its specifications, the PB43 is recommended for physically larger players, typically post-high-school age. The weight of a training bat is offset by being shorter than a game bat, and we recommend going with a PB43 that's 5" shorter than your game bat.
The PB43, designed after the one used by Kevin Long of the Mets, one of the great hitting instructors in professional baseball, is a shortened 243 model. Needless to say, we're impressed with the results it can deliver.
Typical user:
- Physically stronger player working on each element of his swing, individually
- Bigger hitter looking to incorporate tee work in to his training regimen
- Player wants more of the feel of squaring up the ball in the cage when doing 2-hand drills
Zone Softball Trainer
The Zone SB Trainer is a softball-specific bat that helps players learn the optimal spot to hit the ball on any bat for maximum power. By mastering this technique, players can watch their batting average rise. The bat's design was developed with input from a highly respected softball instructor who recognized the similarities between hitting a wood baseball bat and a wood softball bat.
The Zone SB Trainer features a long handle that quickly flares up to a barrel, which is only about the length of the sweet spot. This design enhances hand-eye coordination and improves muscle memory. Whether you prefer a metal or wood softball bat, the key to driving the ball farther is hitting it in the area approximately 2" to 6" in from the end of the barrel. Once you master this technique using the Zone SB Trainer, we guarantee that your performance with both metal and wood bats will improve.
Typical user:
- Softball hitter practices with wood for hand/eye & strengthening
- Practices using soft toss and tee work drills
- Wants same length trainer as metal bat to master sweet spot hitting
The Zone Wood Bat
The Zone is an exceptional training tool for baseball and softball players that enhances hand-eye coordination and muscle memory. Constructed entirely of hardwood, it feels like a regular wood bat in your hands, with a standard diameter wood bat handle that remains consistent until it reaches the barrel.
The sweet spot, where you want to hit the ball, is enlarged to a standard wood bat barrel diameter and scaled to the appropriate size for the chosen length, allowing you to know precisely where to hit the ball for optimal performance.
The Zone is intended for use with actual baseballs for soft toss or with softer balls such as whiffle balls, tennis balls, or small plastic golf balls. It is an excellent indoor training tool that can be utilized in garages or basements.
Typical user:
- Player of any age who wants master the sweet spot to drive the ball the furthest
- Wants a hand-eye coordination tool that feels like a real wood bat in the hands
- Hitter seeks a year-round trainer for use in the home, at practice and lessons, as well as outside
Phoenix Bats Has the Perfect Wood Bat for You
There you have it: 11 different training bats (collect ‘em all!). Whether you’re working on contact, swing power, or swing speed, we’ve got what you need right here.
Not sure what you need? Our bat experts are here to help! Call us at 614-873-7776 or send us a message here.