(Another great sports tip from guest blogger Jon Doyle of www.baseballtrainingsecrets.com)

If you’ve watched any of the Little League World Series you’ve certainly noticed how hard the pitchers throw: 65, 70 even 73 miles per hour shows up on the gun. One of the big issues a hitter faces as he starts playing on regional and national levels is the ability to hit the high-speed fastball.

Typically you will see players swing a weighted bat on deck in order to “gear up” for the cheese. If this is part of your routine I hate to be the bearer of bad news, but this will not increase your bat speed and, in most cases, will actually decrease it—obviously not what you want.

This is because when you swing a heavy bat 15 percent or greater than your game bat you not only change your mechanics (which leads to inconsistent batting mechanics) you also teach your body to swing slow. Sure the bat will feel lighter in your hands, but you will swing slower. Now it is OK to loosen up the shoulders and wrist by moving a heavy bat around your body, just don’t replicate your swing.

I know by now you’re saying, “Jon, if a heavy bat will hinder me, what should I do?”

It’s quite simple really, swing a lighter bat! Swing a bat 10-15 percent lighter than your normal game bat on deck 5 to 8 times. Try to be as quick as possible when you do it. This will increase your game bat speed because now your body will know what it feels like to swing faster.

This is a very simple tip, yet extremely powerful and effective.

(Jon Doyle is a former NCAA All-American baseball player who now works as a strength and conditioning specialist. For more tips check out www.baseballtrainingsecrets.com)