Best Baseball Training Bats

Updated September 2020
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BestReviews spends thousands of hours researching, analyzing, and testing products to recommend the best picks for most consumers. We only make money if you purchase a product through our links, and we never accept free products from manufacturers. Read more  
BestReviews spends thousands of hours researching, analyzing, and testing products to recommend the best picks for most consumers. We buy all products with our own funds, and we never accept free products from manufacturers.Read more 
Bottom Line
Pros
Cons
Best of the Best
Louisville Slugger K100 Ash Wood Fungo Bat
Louisville Slugger
K100 Ash Wood Fungo Bat
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Bottom Line

Long bat that will stand up to fungo and defensive practice sessions nicely, all at a good price point.

Pros

Delivers extra weight in the end of the bat so you can easily help your team with defensive training drills. At 36" in length, it'll deliver the power and distance you're seeking. Won't wear you down because of its lightweight design. Stands up well to repeated use during practice.

Cons

Not made for batting practice for players. A bit heavier than some other fungo bats.

Best Bang for the Buck
Franklin Sports Pro-Elite Thin Bat Swing Trainer
Franklin Sports
Pro-Elite Thin Bat Swing Trainer
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Bottom Line

When paired with included mini balls, thin diameter bat barrel can help players hone their hand/eye coordination.

Pros

Lightweight training bat and has 30" in length, so players can use it repeatedly without becoming tired. Only 1-1/8" in diameter, so it forces players to be precise with their swing plane to make solid contact. Ships with three mini balls to help with practice time.

Cons

Not made to hit actual baseballs. Included plastic balls won't stand up to repeated use.

Easton MLF5 Maple Fungo Bat
Easton
MLF5 Maple Fungo Bat
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Bottom Line

Fungo bat that costs a bit more, but it'll give you an excellent level of performance for defensive drills.

Pros

Provides versatility, as you can select from 34" or 37" bat, depending on your team's needs. Lightweight design is perfect for coaches to use repeatedly to hit balls for defensive drills without tiring out. Solid design that should last a while. Offered in 10 different colors.

Cons

Above average price versus other wood fungo bats. Not made for batting practice.

Markwort Aluminum One Hand Training Bat
Markwort
Aluminum One Hand Training Bat
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Bottom Line

Small training bat that's ideal for helping players learn proper hand placements while batting.

Pros

At only 18"and 10.5 oz., players won't wear down during repeated drills while using this bat. Works perfectly for performing top and bottom one-handed drills. Aluminum bat is sturdy enough to hit regulation sized baseballs during your practice drill work.

Cons

Only made for certain types of soft toss or tee drills; not for use against live pitching.

SKLZ Quick Stick Training Bat
SKLZ
Quick Stick Training Bat
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Bottom Line

Long bat that's made for small ball hitting drills, and ships with practice balls so you can start immediately.

Pros

Useful for drills to improve the players' hand/eye coordination with a small diameter bat barrel and small practice balls. Lightweight aluminum design at 12 oz., so players can run the drill repeatedly without tiring out. At 30" in length, it's made for improving bat speed more than power

Cons

Not made for use with real baseballs. Probably too long for really young players.

Why trust BestReviews?
BestReviews spends thousands of hours researching, analyzing, and testing products to recommend the best picks for most consumers. We only make money if you purchase a product through our links, and we never accept free products from manufacturers. Read more  
BestReviews spends thousands of hours researching, analyzing, and testing products to recommend the best picks for most consumers. We only make money if you purchase a product through our links, and we never accept free products from manufacturers. Read more  
BestReviews spends thousands of hours researching, analyzing, and testing products to recommend the best picks for most consumers. We buy all products with our own funds, and we never accept free products from manufacturers.Read more 
How we decided

We purchase every product we review with our own funds — we never accept anything from product manufacturers.

21 Models Considered
8 Hours Researched
1 Experts Interviewed
376 Consumers Consulted
Zero products received from manufacturers.

We purchase every product we review with our own funds — we never accept anything from product manufacturers.

If you or your kids play baseball or softball, a training bat is a handy tool. Training bats are aimed at improving swing and hand positioning as well as hand-eye coordination. The bats come in a variety of styles and sizes, are made of wood and/or aluminum, and include one-hand bats, weighted bats, and fungo bats. The latter are longer, skinnier, and lighter than game bats and are used with balls tossed into the air rather than from a pitch. (Note that for safety, no training bats should be used against a pitcher.) Used properly, a training bat can help with team drills, warm ups, and solo practice.

Other Products We Considered
The BestReviews editorial team researches hundreds of products based on consumer reviews, brand quality, and value. We then choose a shorter list for in-depth research and testing before finalizing our top picks. These are the products we considered that ultimately didn't make our top 5.
Rawlings
Big Stick One-Hand Training Bat
SKLZ
Power Stick Baseball and Softball Training Bat
Easton
Youth Thunderstick Training Baseball Bat
BamBooBat
One-Hand Training Baseball Bat
CamWood Bats
Hands & Speed Training Bat
The team that worked on this review
  • Kyle Schurman
    Kyle Schurman
    Writer
  • Melinda Snowden
    Melinda Snowden
    Web Producer
×

Louisville Slugger

K100 Ash Wood Fungo Bat

Louisville Slugger

K100 Ash Wood Fungo Bat

Long bat that will stand up to fungo and defensive practice sessions nicely, all at a good price point.
$29
×

Franklin Sports

Pro-Elite Thin Bat Swing Trainer

Franklin Sports

Pro-Elite Thin Bat Swing Trainer

When paired with included mini balls, thin diameter bat barrel can help players hone their hand/eye coordination.
$19
×

Easton

MLF5 Maple Fungo Bat

Easton

MLF5 Maple Fungo Bat

Fungo bat that costs a bit more, but it'll give you an excellent level of performance for defensive drills.
$49
×

Markwort

Aluminum One Hand Training Bat

Markwort

Aluminum One Hand Training Bat

Small training bat that's ideal for helping players learn proper hand placements while batting.
$29
×

SKLZ

Quick Stick Training Bat

SKLZ

Quick Stick Training Bat

Long bat that's made for small ball hitting drills, and ships with practice balls so you can start immediately.
$34

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