Parents are seeing “sledgehammer swings” and ultra-light bat hacks all over social—and wondering if they help or hurt. In this episode, Joey breaks down exactly how to use weighted and underload bats safely for youth hitters so practice power actually shows up under the lights. You’ll get the 10–15% rule, the Heavy-Light-Game progression, quick readiness checks (head still, spine neutral, barrel awareness), and the “feel before force” principle that turns chaos into clear, repeatable gains.

Bat speed vs. collision quality: Why chasing a bat-speed screenshot can sabotage exit velocity—and what to train instead.

The 10–15% window: How far to go heavier/lighter than the game bat to drive adaptation without wrecking mechanics.

Heavy-Light-Game (HLG) mini-block: A 5–10 minute session that improves in-game exit velocity, not just cage numbers.

Feel before force: How to coach coil-to-uncoil sequencing, posture, and head control so the body transfers energy cleanly to the ball.

Sweet-spot widening: Use lead-arm leverage and posture to keep the barrel in-zone longer for louder, repeatable barrels.

Parent-proof tracking: Three simple metrics that beat batting average for predicting progress:

Quality-Contact % (loud line drives/well-struck balls per 10 swings)

Pitch-Selection Success (“green swings, yellow manage, red take”)

Competitive At-Bats (C-ABs) (extend counts, battle with two, punish mistakes)

Pick weights wisely: Stay within ±10–15% of the game bat. Example: 30-oz game bat → ~33–34-oz overload, ~26–27-oz underload.

Run HLG for 2–3 rounds:

Heavy x5 — maintain posture, coil-to-uncoil, chin steady.

Light x5 — quick hands, same body angles.

Game x5 — log Quality-Contact % and note feel cues.

Readiness checks each session: Head still, spine neutral (no low-back arch), eyes level, barrel awareness on point. If mechanics leak, stop and reset.

Social feeds are loaded with extreme bat-weight tricks and one-rep-max bravado. This episode cuts through the noise with youth-safe, mechanics-first guidelines that build real, game-transferable power—not just viral clips. Parents get clarity; hitters get louder barrels without risking injury.

Swing Shift — 5–7 minute “done-for-you” practice blocks that stack posture, lead-arm leverage, and decision reps.

RocketHitting Formula — A step-by-step plan with overload/underload guidelines, HLG sessions, and simple tracking in short, repeatable routines.

If this helped you make sense of weighted bats and “feel before force,” follow/subscribe and share the episode with a coach or parent who needs a calmer, smarter plan. Then visit HittingPerformanceLab.com for programs, tools, and free resources that turn short practices into game-day power—and start logging Quality-Contact %, Pitch-Selection Success, and C-ABs tonight.