Bat Bros Will, Cam, and JT hop on the Hittrax and Blast Motion sensor to test out if choking up is helping or hurting your bat speed & exit velo! Check out all of our top BBCOR, USSSA, and Wood bat ratings at baseballbatbros.com/
Choking up can be a valuable tool for barrel control, but don't use it for exit velocity or power. Definitely useful for catching up to fasting pitching or when hitting with 2 strikes. Often you'll hear "well the all time leader of home runs (Barry Bonds) always choked up on his bat" Barry is a good example of somebody who is so dang strong, that he can afford to literally sacrifice power from his swing and focus more on barrel control by choking up.
I love your channel and I choose my bat for school on your recommendations. I have a question I go through a lot of gloves and heard a lot about Bruce Bolt gloves. How do you like them?
I have to disagree with this. Because you can literally let go of the bat right before you hit the ball and it will go just as far. So all that matters getting the barrel there accurately. So aka using a 34 choked up a inch vs. a 33 on the chuck Knoblock ( if the bats are similar weight of course) you should be able gt to control the bat better and drop blakatahs. In theory. I chocked up until I was about 15 then I started yanking for light towers. I might been a ax handle guy if they had them back then But Bregman.. I know this is a bad example of bat control but #13 on the yankees. Nukes.. and he chokes up.. and Anthony Rizzo if someone throwing gas.. idk bro. My logic is sound 🖖
Haven’t finished the video but the bat speed is the end of the bat. Just like a golf club, the longer the club the faster the club head is moving. Shortening the club lessens the club head speed. That’s why long drivers are so long. Choking up allows you to have more control and get the barrel to the ball faster but it won’t be velo wise because it’s just a shorter distance from hands to barrel.
The thing with a long driver is that a golfer has to be tall enough to actually take advantage of the length of the driver or be able to get around a lack of height through standing further back from the ball. That usually involves coiling the muscles in the back more horizontally than vertically, which brings it's own set of consequences, to make sure the ball goes on the intended air path. I realize accuracy is not in the purview of the video above but it does need to be said, I think. Taller golfers just have physical advantages over shorter golfers. I've used max length drivers (48 inches) and found no advantage for me (I am 6 foot 270ish pounds, kinda jacked but not really fit) personally because I can't stand in the right place in the golfer's box (ha!) to take advantage of such a club while hitting it accurately. I have begun to choke down so my top hand is an inch from the end on my driver (which is the max length because most of them are sold at it and I've never gotten it fitted) so I have more of a straight line swing to the ball. The clubs I have the most problem with controlling velocity/ball speed/accuracy is my wedges. I usually hit them the right distance but pull them by around 5ish yards most of the time. It's very annoying and the biggest threat to my score when I play.
@@GutsBatman the point still stands that the farther you get from a point the faster it moves when you go in a circle. Only time it gets slower is if it gets significantly heavier. If they’re the same weight the shorter of the two will be swung “slower.” The reason wedges are short is because they aren’t for distance they’re for accuracy. Same with choking up on a bat.
I don't choke up at all when I used to play back in high school (2004 - 2006). Since I'm getting back into shape to play in a recreational adult baseball league this spring, I don't wanna leave any stone unturned for when it comes to improving my swing by trying to choke up on my bats or not. At my age (33) I definitely need to get back to hitting the weights again too.
Same baseball bros! I just started playing again. I’m 32. After a month or so you start to feel acclimated. However I’m still really out of shape. If I run hard for a double I’m gassed and it feels like it takes a whole inning to catch my breath again 😂
Technically speaking, I think choking up on the bat has less to do with the actual speed of the barrel and more to do with the length of the swing itself. Aka diameter of the rotation. Maybe the speed of the barrel is physically slower when choking up, but the full rotation of the swing might actually be the same or quicker time wise. Purely because the total distance that the bat travels is smaller. Try using a 34” or 35” of The Goods and see if they register higher speeds to prove or disprove the theory.
Barrel speed at the point of contact really is all that matters though when it comes to exit velo and that’s all we’re trying to track here. But choking up can totally help with factors outside of exit velo such as barrel control and catching up to fasting pitching like you’re saying here 🙌
The more you choke up you’re allowing the barrel to lose more and more weight. Imagine choking up half a foot , you’re losing so much weight the swinging speed at that point means nothing anymore but every inch does take accountability for losing velocity. Im a welding and it’s same thing with metal. The more metal you cut off of one big sheet, the less it weighs thus making it weaker with less potential of holding up.
Choking up isn’t about bat speed. It’s about barrel control and time in the zone. Choking up shortens the effective length of the bat. This reduces the “swept area” of the swing. Meaning you get to the zone a little faster. The downside is you lose power because your bat speed goes down.
@@CoconutMigrating absolutely. There are just some misconceptions out there that choking up increases your 'power' - which is what prompted us to do this test. It can help you get barrel to the ball, but it's not gonna increase your bat speed
@@thefather3363 bonds didn't really choke up, he used a huge ass weighted knob to offset the log he was swinging which made it look like he was choking up and allowed him to shorten his swing massively compared to say Mark McGuire's swing at that time. but at the end of the day every batter has their own preference on how they hold their bat.
I was always amazed at the power Barry Bonds had because he choked up on the handle around 3 inches or so. Pete Rose used to choke up a lot and he only averaged a homerun every 80-100 plate appearances. In little league the coach would tell the players having trouble with contact to choke up on the bat for barrel control and it usually helped. The bigger guys using normal hand grip were the ones hitting the ball the farthest.
I used to choke up on my Stinger Nuke for more control, which worked. But since I'm strong enough now I just hold it at the knob and I can can get more power and velos. Great video breakdown!
I truly don’t think choking up was ever intended to increase bat speed, probably just for better bat control, which is why you “choke up” in 2 strike counts//big spots
@@joshcline9539 all power is is bat speed. The weight of the bat matters only very slightly. Much less than like a 5mph wind. You could acutally let go of the bar right before contact and it would go just as far.. Its only for control. Big Mark McGuire famously had like 100+ mph bat speed..Bonds had the shortest to the ball stroke of all time. Even before be got old and muscles. But it annoys me because everyone gets old and slow and puts on weight.. Why did everyone got mad at bonds for it? Because he kept raking
Love those BruceBolts Will! They are worth the premium price because they are awesome and last, I recommend the longcuff models for that wrist stability guys!
Will i have so much to unpack here with you about this study. I'm gonna hit you up on IG, but 3 things i will say 1. I had already made a calculator that estimated your bat speed at roughly 75-77 mph for a wood bat (goods comes pretty close to this) 2. 2 piece hybrids get more endloaded per length because the metal barrel is the same size for all lengths, the only difference is the composite handle length, so choking up on a 34" the goods is almost exactly the same as a 33" with +1oz of difference behind the hands (1oz in the hands is nothing really). This study does not transfer to 1 piece bats because those bats use different designs for different lengths. 3. Some wood bat knobs like Bells are designed to be held higher up the handle, which is what affects the weighting more than the mass IN the knob. As you know, I'm a huge bat science nerd so I have done a TON of research into this subject
Great video idea! I’d love to see this done with a tapered knob vs standard. I always buy my son the Lizard Skin bat taper because he likes the feel; but I wonder if it affects bat speed!
I wonder if these speed changes would still stand if you use one of those rubber/silicone spacers that give you kind of a knob when choking up? Can you run it again with those?
Just a thought on the physics aspect: If you choke up, your hands are getting further away from the sensor. This moves the most critical pivot point further away from the device that is calculating your bat speed. I think there should be a disclaimer on any device like this that is meant to measure the physics of your swing that if you move your hands away from the sensor, the measurements are guaranteed to be less accurate, or at the very least, incompatible to be measured against data registered from a different hand position. Just think about how this sensor is trying to interpret your swing. It's mounted on the end of the bat and is assuming a consistent point of rotation a certain distance from where it's mounted. Moving your hands further away will trick it into thinking you're swinging slower due to the larger circumference (path) around which it must travel with a pivot point that is further away.
This comment should be pinned. The bat speed velocity numbers are 100% incorrect (too low) for the bats that were choked up because of the placement of the sensor. It was closer to the body, inside the hands. A sensor would need to be at the end of the bat to be accurate when measuring choked up versus standard.
When I was growing up I was always told choking up gave more control to where you can get the ball to. Like if I just wanted to go for the gap and hit that smart play instead of going for the fence on each swing choking up can help with that. But that’s just how I was taught to play.
I remember when I was a kid my coach kept telling me to choke up on the bat I never understood what he wanted it felt like choking up was his cure all for everything and I hated it because the knob would dig into me and I'd immediately go back down to the end. During practice he'd yell choke up and at games he'd yell choke up and it really pissed me off I didn't understand why or see any benefit. Then when I went to a different team that coach helped me choose a bat from a big variety he had and I started doing really good right away that was the first time i ever went to batting cages and stuff. This was many years ago when I was in little league. I was a really good pitcher one of the best in our area then I could hit pretty well too I was one of the better hitters on the team when I had a good coach.
I think you should try that Aaron Judge 35" bat against another Chandler 33" bat and see what the results are. I wonder if the 35" will produce further hits and more batted ball speed despite a slower swing speed.
Ok I rarely if ever comment on things but I feel I have to jump in here. Experience 18 years as a baseball coach, hitting instructor, along with playing since I was 5 thru college, and now in an old-guy league. I have trained over 1000 kids to hit, and never ever, ever have had them choke up. You are breaking not only your mechanics, but your defeating the design of the bat. If you get into two strike counts and feel that choking up is the way out, well that reveals mechanical and timing issues that need to be addressed. Barrel control can be optimized by proper sizing of the bat, taper, weight, length, comfort. Most of the time your being beat by the pitcher, so choking up is just a cop-out for another problem. They used to choke kids up back in the day, even when I was young, because some coach from some MLB team told them that was what they do. Bat technology and customizing the bat to the kid is way better than the choke. Understand the swing, and work on what your hitting weakness is, before leaning on a crutch.
It’s for more bat control, I had a coach that was a scout for the rangers and he said to choke up on 2 strikes. I think it’s more for hitters who are struggling
Have The Goods (Hammer Time) 1/2 & 1/2 and absolutely Love it!! Any opinions on the between sizes? Love seeing the squad all takin hacks together again! JT loving the mullet Bro!!
Just as a part of the “experiment” …it would have been interesting to hit with a 32” but no choking up. So you can, perhaps, compare choking up to holding at the end of the bat across them all. Choking on the 33” basically makes it a 32” bat. So if you compared choking up on a 33” and holding the 32” on the end… does that exit Velo or distance or bat speed match? Interesting to find out how much choking up effects your statistics - which may have real world/in game consequences or effects. (For 34-32” bats…the most commonly used sizes amongst adults.).
came to say this maybe 32 normal and maybe 32 not choked up but pinky over the knob to extend the bats length a little..... it also would test if having more bat speed with an ounce less weight makes any difference
I hung a pinky and choked up with 2 strikes for bat control. Crowded the plate chocked up about an inch and got the foot down. K's went way down when I started doing that.
I had a thought as I was watching this video regarding exit velo. I have heard pitchers talk about throwing home runs based on pitch velocity and location. Mariano Rivera referenced that specifically when talking about the home run he gave up to Sandy Alomar Jr. in the 1997 ALDS. How much does ball velocity effect exit velocity? I see the pitches thrown are around 50ish mph. What would the testing look like if you used a pitching machine to throw faster?
A ton! Faster incoming velocity will always result in faster outgoing velocity- as long as the bat speed and placement on the barrel remains the same. 🙌
I am shocked choking up did that well at all. The value of having a knob allows you to really torque a bat. I believe if you add another knob or have a bat designed to be chocked up on then I believe you could achieve better results with choking up. You could get similar bat control and higher exit velos. Just watched your video on knobs and seeing how each knob performed differently leads me to believe a bat made to chock up on could be better. A puck knob is okay but better can be designed.
Love the video. And every video. Do the same test with a machine. To many variables. Then, in my opinion, not discrediting this video, then you can have a true comparison. You’re videos, that I have show to many a parent, have helped them decide on a bat for their kids.
thank you! We just have a waaay more difficult time getting our timing right on a machine vs real pitching. But we take tons of swings (hundreds per video) in order to make sure we're catching a good amount of barrels with each bat.
Like most people are saying in the comments, choking up is for more barrel control. I think choking up for young hitters is a great idea until they learn to grow into their body and understand there swing. I would say to only choke up with 2 strikes and/or when a hitter is struggling or miss hitting balls. Once they learned that skill of barrel control then they could use the full length of the bat to maximize power and speed
Will. i think there may be an issue with the methodology here. I am unfamiliar with how the blast cap gathers bat speed but it seems like its taking the speed of the knob moving through the zone right? Wouldn't you be more concerned about the barrel end of the bat moving through the zone? Perhaps im wrong here but I believe you may get inverse results when taking readings from the barrel end.
That’s a great question man not sure. But the exit velo seems to suggest that barrel speed was still highest on the 33” standard grip - which at the end of the day is the only metric we’re really looking at here
Hey Christopher - when Blast measures bat speed, it's measuring the observed speed of the sweet spot of the bat at impact. The sweet spot of the bat is measured six inches from the tip of the bat.
I have the sensor and know that I enter the bat size and weight specs. Do you know if the sensor is at all thrown off when you choke up? Does it change the way it measures bat speed and is it still accurate? Seemingly, the point of choking up creates a more balanced bat. Also, the knob being against your hand changes the way the bat whips and allows for a quicker initial response. Not having the knob against your hand would cause a lag.
@@baseballbatbros Ofc, we can’t argue with the exit velo testing, but I wonder if instead of choking up, it would be better to switch to a more balanced bat when in a 2 strike count.
Hi there - When Blast measures bat speed, it's measuring the observed speed of the sweet spot of the bat at impact. The sweet spot of the bat is measured six inches from the tip of the bat. As for choking up, it essentially changes the length of the bat which affects the metrics.
@@BlastMotion How does changing bat length via choking up, affect bat speed measurement? Seems like, as an example, if you were to use a 34" bat, choked up an inch, shouldn't the length be changed to 33" in Blast to get an accurate reading? I wonder how the metrics measurement would change. If it were radar based, I can see not having to change the length because it would be measuring the object's actual speed rather than figuring it out via a computation and the use of, what I am guessing, is an accelerometer. Possibly as importantly, I am guessing that the knob may play a major role in acceleration and whip.
Think about it tough. Hitting a 90 mph fastball no choke vs. 95 mph fastball choked. I would think bat speed would be equalized. We may need an equation. lol. Great video.
My understanding growing up in the midwest.. choking up helps bat control not power... therefore less bat speed. 2 strikes choke up and try to make contact. 2 - 0 , 3 - 1 count... hang a pinking off. and let it rip...
Hey bat bros!! Thank you for making my day such a blessing with your videos! I just had a quick request: Could you do a video where you put the BBI13HD against the JTBB9? Thank you!
Considering Barry Bonds homered with a choked up bat, it goes to show that he was a freak of nature. Then again other factors like bat mass and the hardest-throwing pitchers in all of baseball may have had something to do with it as well… I know someone will respond with other reasons that he excelled… a different topic for another channel.
Im not sure if this has been addressed, but the sensor is calibrated to the length of the bat so choking up would affect that calibration. Im not sure how or if Blast can account for choking up. Anyone?
I'll reach out and see what their feedback is. But regardless, exit velo is the end goal for what we're looking at here. Higher exit velo indicates faster barrel speed
Hi Ronald - When Blast measures bat speed, it's measuring the observed speed of the sweet spot of the bat at impact. The sweet spot of the bat is measured six inches from the tip of the bat. As for choking up, it essentially changes the length of the bat which affects the metrics. The app requires the bat size be entered.
I think it is mostly mental, batter is behind in the count. Coach says hey kid “choke up”and kid gets a hit. That’s what choking up is about, getting a hit. I know a lot of kids are told coming up if they choke up, they have a better chance. To me it is mostly mental, if you think you have an advantage, you will have more confidence and focus.
Very interesting but expected. Choking down never was about swinging faster in my opinion. It was more about controlling the barrel which this experiment seems to prove right. His contact was better when he choked down. Maybe not the same exit velo or swing speed but the barrels were more consistent.
Are your numbers correct? Bats not out of order? The gap b/w std and choke on one bat is close while on on other length 5mph apart. Seems like a 2mph gap that’s consistent would make more sense.
yep they're correct. choking up on the size you already use seemed to be the most noticeable disadvantage by far. this is basically a comparison of: -using a correctly-sized bat (standard 33) vs. -making your correctly-sized bat undersized (choking up on a 33) -using an oversized bat (standard 34) -making an oversized bat smaller (choking up on a 34) being able to utilize the leverage of the handle taper/knob is a huge factor, and having a little bit extra barrel weight to throw at the ball is also a huge factor
Thanks. Guess for younger kids may make sense to buy an inch up (if close to outgrowing) and having them choke up early on until they get comfortable. Not a significant performance loss.
Seems to me choking up is more about having a shorter distance to swing the bat than it is about bat speed. Even though the bat is moving slower you get through the swing faster because the bat travels a shorter distance and less mass in front of your hands. kinda like the difference of driving a race car on the inside of a turn vs. the outside even at the same speed the car on the inside will move ahead because its traveling a shorter distance. This is my guess, but who knows I could be an idiot and just missed the whole point of the video.
Barrel speed at the point of contact really is all that matters though when it comes to exit velo and that’s all we’re trying to track here. But choking up can totally help with factors outside of exit velo such as barrel control and catching up to fasting pitching like you’re saying here 🙌
Check hand speed instead of barrel speed. You lose momentum choking up because barrel speed is the fastest the bat moves but doesn’t take into account acceleration and swing efficiency. I would expect you hands to move faster due to the “lighter bat”.
