By BK, Athletic Hitting Development
Complete Hitters Are Built… It’s Earned!
Key takeaways
- In 23 NCAA Division III hitters, rotational med-ball throw speed lined up with bat speed (r=0.65) and exit velocity (r=0.53).
- The broad jump and lateral hop did not line up with bat speed.
- Jumps still measure athleticism and lower-body power. The rotational throw is the test closest to bat speed.
- You can run the throw at home or at team practice with a med ball and a wall or open field.
If you want one gym test that looks like a swing, throw a med ball sideways.
In a study of 23 Division III college hitters, rotational med-ball throw speed lined up with bat speed and exit velocity, while the broad jump and lateral hop did not. It’s a correlation, not proof, but the rotational throw is the gym test closest to a swing.
Train it: Athletic Development Masterclass →College data says it tracks bat speed better than jumping.
1. What the study found
Researchers tested 35 NCAA Division III baseball players, 23 of them hitters. They measured rotational med-ball throw velocity, broad jump, lateral hop, bat speed and exit velocity.
The rotational throw was the standout. Its velocity correlated with bat speed at r=0.65, which accounts for about 39% of the difference in bat speed between hitters. It also correlated with exit velocity at r=0.53.
The broad jump and lateral hop did not correlate with bat speed.
Two honest notes. This is a correlation: hitters who threw harder also swung faster, but the study didn’t prove that training the throw raises bat speed. And these were college players, so applying it to a 14-year-old is my coaching judgment, not proven fact.
2. Why the rotational throw looks like a swing
Bat speed isn’t in the arms. It’s built from the ground up: ground, hips, core, then hands. A rotational throw from a hitting stance uses that same chain. You push into the ground, the hips turn, the core transfers it and the hands release it.
A broad jump is a straight-ahead move. It tells you about lower-body power and athleticism, and that matters. But it doesn’t ask the body to rotate and deliver force through the hands the way a swing does.
Jump tests measure the athlete. The rotational throw measures the hitter’s engine.
That’s why our AHD Test Day athlete profile keeps both. Broad jump, 10-yard sprint, rotational med-ball throw from hitting stance, push-ups in 60 seconds, hang or chin-ups and single-leg balance, compared to age benchmarks. Six numbers. The rotational throw is the one closest to bat speed.
TEST DAY • COLLEGE DATA
THROWIT SIDEWAYS.
- Rotational throw: tracked bat speed.
- Rotational throw: tracked exit velo.
- Broad jump: no link to bat speed.
- Lateral hop: no link to bat speed.
THE SWING TURNS. SO SHOULD THE TEST.
3. How to run the throw at home or at practice
The study measured throw velocity. Most families don’t have a radar for that, so here’s the practical version. Same setup every time, so the number means something.
- Same ballUse the same med ball every test. Light enough to throw fast, not so heavy it turns into a grind.
- Hitting stanceSet up sideways like you’re in the box, in an athletic position. Hip hinge, spine tilt, weight centered.
- Load and throwLoad into the back hip, then turn and throw the ball out with both hands like a swing. Ground, hips, core, hands.
- Measure itWith a radar, record velocity. Without one, throw for distance in an open field and measure where it lands. Distance is a stand-in, not what the study measured.
- Best of threeTake three throws, record the best, from the hitting side. Retest every 6–8 weeks.
Watch the throw, too. If the arms do all the work and the hips stay quiet, you just found the earliest breakdown.
4. For parents and coaches
- Keep the jumps. They still tell you about athleticism and lower-body power. Just don’t read them as a bat speed number.
- Make the throw a team test. At practice, a med ball and a tape measure gives you a rotational power baseline for the whole roster.
- Train it, then retest. Rotational throws belong in the training plan, not just the testing day. See How to Increase Bat Speed With Rotational Power.
- Keep perspective at 12U. Chasing exit velo isn’t the priority at that age. Movement, athletic position and a sound swing come first.
Not sure if power is your hitter’s weakest pillar? Run the free SwingChecker™. It takes about 3 minutes.
Where MAA fits. Power only counts if it reaches the barrel. The rotational throw trains the ground-hips-core-hands sequence, and the Mechanically Advantaged Angles (MAA) (hip hinge, back-elbow load, bat lag and an athletic front side) are how that force gets delivered to the ball.
Quick answers
Does the rotational med ball throw predict bat speed?
In 23 Division III college hitters, rotational med-ball throw velocity correlated with bat speed (r=0.65). It’s a strong link, but a correlation, not proof of cause.
Does the broad jump relate to bat speed?
Not in this study. The broad jump and lateral hop did not correlate with bat speed, though they still measure athleticism and lower-body power.
How do I test rotational power at home?
Use the same med ball from a hitting stance, throw it rotationally with both hands, and record the best of three by velocity or distance. Retest every 6–8 weeks.
Does this apply to youth hitters?
The study used college players. Using the throw as a test with younger hitters is coaching judgment, and at 12U exit velo isn’t the priority.
Why does a rotational med ball throw relate to the swing?
Bat speed is built from the ground up: ground, hips, core, then hands. A rotational throw from a hitting stance uses that same chain, while a broad jump is a straight-ahead move.
Research: Taniyama D et al., “Rotational Medicine Ball Throw Velocity Relates to NCAA Division III College Baseball Player Bat Swing, Batted Baseball, and Pitching Velocity,” Journal of Strength and Conditioning Research (2021). Findings are from the published abstract; 23 Division III hitters, a correlation rather than a training study, so using it with younger hitters and fastpitch softball is coaching judgment.
Don’t collect drills. Build a complete hitter.
Complete Hitters Are Built… It’s Earned!
This article is part of the AHD guide Bat Speed & Power Training. Start there for the full picture and every related article.
