3-Day Hitting Routines | Power Hitting Development

3 Days / Week

200-280 Swings / Week

35-50 Min / Session

Power Primary Goal

Program Context

13-year-old catcher preparing for 14U PGF travel ball (May 2026). Currently in ulnar nerve recovery with modified grip. Expanding from 1x/week hitting to a full 3-day power hitting development system.

This program integrates with the Nerve Recovery Program — hitting days are placed on Tuesday, Thursday, and Friday to complement recovery training.

Weekly Schedule Integration

Day	Recovery Program	Hitting
Monday	Lower Body Strength	—
Tuesday	Core + Rotation	Day 1: Tee + Mechanics (after core work)
Wednesday	Active Recovery	—
Thursday	Power + Plyometrics	Day 2: Front Toss + Machine BP
Friday	—	Day 3: Bat Speed + Game Situations
Saturday	Catcher Mobility	—
Sunday	REST	REST

Why This Schedule Works

Tuesday — Core/rotation primes hip connection for tee work
Thursday — Power/plyo primes explosiveness for machine BP
Friday — Dedicated power hitting day (replaces old Friday hitting + core)

Nerve Recovery Rules — Every Session

Modified grip: One-finger-off (pinky off bat) or extra padding on handle
NO check swings — commit fully or take the pitch
STOP immediately if numbness, tingling, or burning occurs
If symptoms flare during machine BP, switch to tracking-only (watch pitches without swinging)
Quality over quantity — stop if mechanics break down

Phase 1: Modified Grip (During Nerve Recovery)

Weekly total: ~200-220 swings

⚾ Day 1 — Tuesday: Tee + Mechanics (~60 swings, 35-40 min)

Performed after Tuesday core + rotation work. Hips are primed.

Warm-Up (5 min)

Activity	Reps
Arm circles (forward + backward)	10 each
Torso twists	10 each side
Dry swings (easy, feel the path)	10

Mechanics Block (10 min)

Drill	Sets x Reps	Focus
Mirror load drill (no bat)	1x10	Weight shift, hip hinge, hands back
Hip-lead dry swings (no bat)	1x10	Hips fire first, feel separation
Bat dry swings — slow	1x10	Full swing path at 50% speed
Bat dry swings — game speed	1x10	Full intent, quality reps

Tee Work (15-20 min)

Location	Sets x Reps	Focus
Middle-middle	2x8	Standard swing, drive through center
Inside	2x6	Quick hips, pull-side mechanics
Outside	2x6	Stay through ball, opposite field
Low-middle	1x6	Get on plane early, lift through zone

Session Cue

Pick ONE mechanical cue per session and own it. Examples: "hips fire first," "hands to the ball," "stay through it," "back elbow slots."

Session total: ~60 swings (10 dry + 16 middle + 12 inside + 12 outside + 6 low + 4 extra)

⚾ Day 2 — Thursday: Front Toss + Machine BP (~80-90 swings, 40-45 min)

Performed after Thursday power + plyometrics. Explosiveness is activated.

Front Toss (15 min)

Drill	Sets x Reps	Focus
Standard front toss	2x10	Timing, see ball long, quality contact
Inside location	1x8	Quick hands, turn on it
Outside location	1x8	Stay through, opposite field

Machine BP — Structured Progression (25-30 min)

Machine Setup

Pitching machine capable of 70 mph with curves and changeups. Start slow, build up.

Round	Pitch Type	Speed	Swings	Focus
1. Warm-up	Fastball	45-50 mph	8-10	Timing, see ball, easy swings
2. Fastball	Fastball	55-60 mph	10-12	Drive ball with intent, barrel accuracy
3. Changeup	Changeup	40-45 mph	8-10	Stay back, let ball travel, wait on it
4. Curve	Curveball	45-50 mph	8-10	Recognize spin early, adjust plane
5. Mixed	Random	Varies	8-10	Game-like: react, identify, attack

Tracking-Only Fallback

If nerve symptoms flare during machine BP, immediately switch to tracking only:

Stand in batter's box with bat on shoulder
Call out pitch type ("fastball," "change," "curve") as early as possible
Call location ("in," "out," "up," "down")
This builds pitch recognition without stressing the nerve

Session total: ~80-90 swings (36 front toss + 44-52 machine)

⚾ Day 3 — Friday: Bat Speed + Game Situations (~60-70 swings, 40-50 min)

Dedicated power hitting day. Full focus, no prior fatigue from recovery work.

Power Warm-Up (5-8 min)

Activity	Sets x Reps
Med ball rotational throws	2x6 each side
Dynamic stretches (hip circles, torso twists)	1 min

Bat Speed Protocol (15-20 min)

See Bat Speed Protocol for full progression details.

Bat	Sets x Reps	Focus
Overload (heavy bat, +20% weight)	2x3	Strength through zone, controlled
Regular game bat	1x5	Transfer feel
Underload (light bat, -20% weight)	2x5	Max bat speed, let it fly
Regular game bat	1x8	Integrate — feel the speed carry over

Game Situations (15-20 min)

Off tee or front toss. Announce the situation before each rep. Think through approach, then execute.

Situation	Reps	Approach
Runner on 2nd, no outs	5	Hit to right side, move runner over
0-0 count — your pitch	5	Aggressive, hunt a pitch, drive it
2-strike approach	5	Shorten up, protect zone, put ball in play
Bases loaded	5	Look for something up, drive it hard
Hit-and-run	5	Protect runner, make contact, ground ball to right

Cool-Down (2 min)

Visualization

Close eyes. Visualize 3 perfect at-bats: see the pitch, feel the swing, watch the ball fly. Picture the crowd, the pressure, the confidence. 2 minutes of focused mental rehearsal.

Session total: ~60-70 swings (6 overload + 5 regular + 10 underload + 8 regular + 25 situations)

Phase 2: Full Grip (Post-Clearance)

Advancement Gate — All Must Be Met

Zero numbness/tingling for 2+ consecutive weeks
Normal grip strength during daily activities
Pain-free stress ball squeezes
Cleared by parent/coach (doctor if symptoms persisted past 4 weeks)

If not met: Continue Phase 1 until all criteria are satisfied.

Same 3-day structure, increased volumes. Weekly total: ~255-280 swings

⚾ Day 1 — Tuesday: Tee + Mechanics + Constraints (~75-80 swings)

Changes from Phase 1

Full grip — normal hand placement on bat
Add constraint drills to isolate mechanics
+2 reps per set on tee work
Last tee set is max effort

Warm-Up + Mechanics (same as Phase 1)

Arm circles, torso twists, 10 dry swings. Mirror load drill, hip-lead swings, bat dry swings.

Tee Work (Increased Volume)

Location	Sets x Reps	Focus
Middle-middle	2x10	Standard swing
Inside	2x8	Pull-side power
Outside	2x8	Opposite field
Low-middle	1x8	Get on plane
Middle-middle (MAX EFFORT)	1x6	Full intent, every swing a bomb

Constraint Drills (New in Phase 2)

Drill	Reps	Focus
No-stride swings	8	Pure hip rotation without lunging
One-knee drill	6	Upper body path, stay inside ball

Session total: ~75-80 swings

⚾ Day 2 — Thursday: Front Toss + Machine BP (~100-110 swings)

Changes from Phase 1

Machine speed increased to 60-65 mph for fastball rounds
Add count-based at-bats in mixed round
Volume increase across all rounds

Front Toss (Increased)

Drill	Sets x Reps	Focus
Standard front toss	2x12	Timing + contact quality
Inside location	1x10	Quick hands
Outside location	1x10	Stay through

Machine BP — Increased Intensity

Round	Pitch Type	Speed	Swings	Focus
1. Warm-up	Fastball	50-55 mph	10	Timing, easy contact
2. Fastball	Fastball	60-65 mph	12-15	Drive with intent
3. Changeup	Changeup	45-50 mph	10-12	Stay back, adjust
4. Curve	Curveball	50-55 mph	10-12	Read spin, adjust plane
5. Count ABs	Mixed	Varies	10-12	Simulate real at-bats with counts

Count At-Bats

Start each at-bat with a count (0-0, 1-0, 0-1, 2-1, etc.). Adjust approach accordingly:

Hitter's count (2-0, 3-1): Hunt YOUR pitch, be aggressive
Even count (1-1, 2-2): Balanced approach, ready to react
Pitcher's count (0-2, 1-2): Expand zone slightly, protect, put ball in play

Session total: ~100-110 swings

⚾ Day 3 — Friday: Bat Speed + Game Situations (~80-90 swings)

Changes from Phase 1

Full bat speed protocol (increased volume)
Game situations off machine (not just tee/toss)
Exit velo testing added
Check swings now allowed

Power Warm-Up (same)

Med ball rotational throws 2x6, dynamic stretches.

Full Bat Speed Protocol

Bat	Sets x Reps	Focus
Overload (heavy)	3x5	Strength through zone
Regular game bat	1x8	Transfer
Underload (light)	3x5	Max speed
Regular game bat	1x10	Integrate speed

Exit Velo Testing (New)

Weekly Test

5 max-effort swings off tee (middle-middle). Record best exit velo. Track weekly progression.

Benchmarks for 13-14yo: Average 55-65 mph off tee. Elite: 65+ mph. D1 threshold: 70+ mph.

Game Situations Off Machine

Situation	Reps	Approach
Runner on 2nd, no outs	5	Hit to right side
0-0 count — fastball	5	Aggressive, drive it
2-strike, mixed pitches	5	Shorten up, protect, put in play
Bases loaded	5	Hunt something up, drive it
Hit-and-run	5	Make contact, ground ball right

Visualization Cool-Down (2 min)

Same as Phase 1 — 3 perfect at-bats, full mental rehearsal.

Session total: ~80-90 swings

Weekly Volume Summary

Phase	Day 1 (Tue)	Day 2 (Thu)	Day 3 (Fri)	Weekly Total
Phase 1 (Modified Grip)	~60	~80-90	~60-70	~200-220
Phase 2 (Full Grip)	~75-80	~100-110	~80-90	~255-280

Pre-Session Checklist

Nerve check — any numbness or tingling? If yes, modify or skip
Modified grip setup (Phase 1) or full grip check (Phase 2)
Choose ONE mechanical cue for the session
Equipment ready: game bat, overload bat, underload bat, tee, balls
Hydration — water bottle at station
Film 2-3 swings per session for video review

Post-Session Log

Track after each session:

Total swings taken
Mechanical cue focus
Quality rating (1-10)
Any nerve symptoms? (Y/N, describe)
Best exit velo (if testing)
Notes / what to work on next