Need to Improve Your Power at the Plate? Find out how Weighted Baseballs for Hitting Could Be The Answer You’re Looking For…
The intense debate continues on weighted baseballs for hitting. There are plenty of coaches out there that endorse them, but others will tell their players to beware of the dangers.
The bottom line we’re all looking for is results.
Many players and parents are always asking if it’s even possible to improve hitting from using weighted balls.
The short answer is yes, you can. If you use them properly and if you have a series of drills that have worked for someone you trust.
Hopefully you are already past that step in the process and looking for the best available balls on the market right now.
Using them can really benefit players who have a hard time finishing their swing. You can improve your follow-through, extension and most importantly… bat speed!
Just Wanna Hit Ball? Best Weighted Baseballs For Hitting Quick Summary
- Rukket PUREPOWER® Weighted Balls: High quality and durable with a beautiful hitting experience
- Powernet Weighted Training Balls: Huge selection of colors and sizes to choose from 12-20 ounces with added portability
- Valorem Weighted Balls + J-Bands: Here’s a whole kit with balls, J-bands and carry bag all included
- GoSports Weighted Training Balls: Very popular option among hitters with options for both baseball & softball
- ZELUS Training Balls: 16oz & 12oz ironsand filled balls great for youth players
Top 5 Weighted Training Balls for Hitting: The Reviews
We took the time to research what’s working and what’s not. These balls are the best of the best, from what we’ve seen and experienced from our time in the game.
It wasn’t easy coming up with this list, but we think we nailed it. We’ve taken the opinions of those working in the game, my own experience and averaging out the reviews on trusted shopping sites online.
For some products onsite, we are an Amazon Associate. This means we earn a small commission from qualifying purchases. But, note that this does not affect the price you pay. These small commissions come at no extra cost to you and help us grow the blog.
Rukket PUREPOWER ® Weighted Training Baseballs: Top quality weighted balls, superb training tool to improve batting speed
- 3 quality weighted balls
- 16oz balls at 3 inches in diameter
- Comes in durable box that’s both easy & professional to carry
- Rubber coating to give instant feedback
- Voted Best Weighted Training Balls by MFB Readers
The Rukket brand has been around for a good amount of time now in the baseball world.
What makes these balls great? Their durability, quality and the feel on impact.
Many ball players and coaches that bought these reported that there was an increase in bat speed over the course of a few weeks.
There have also been reviews that using these balls consistently will help you follow through and increase hand strength and they were the first balls that were recommended to me as coach.
Image from RukketSports.com: At 3 inches in diameter the Rukket weighted baseballs are the perfect size for youth development
Specially designed to give maximum feedback on impact – even if the ball hasn’t been hit properly.
Each ball measures 3 inches in diameter which is around 3.5% larger than your typical official sized baseball – which is perfect for training purposes.
Coming in at 16oz, the weight sits right in the ‘middle ground’ ensuring you cover both younger and older youth players.
They also come in a nicely made box, which makes them pretty much portable, but also a whole lot more professional when turning up for practice.
While this deal is specifically for the 3 ball pack, there is another 9 pack offer as well if you’re looking for a few more balls.
Bottom line is, you’ll see results with these weighted balls for hitting purposes over the long term.
Rukkut is gaining huge popularity as a baseball brand in the United States.
Their products are grade A and are trusted by some of the biggest college baseball programs across the country.
Check Out The Rukket PUREPOWER® Weighted Training Baseballs Here >>
PowerNet Weighted Training Balls: Excellent quality weighted training balls endorsed by German Marquez
- Selection of 12oz, 14oz, 16oz, 18oz & 20oz available
- Complete with carry bag for easy portability
- 2.8 inches in diameter – slight below official ball size
- Best for higher skilled youth players
- Endorsed By German Marquez, Andrelton Simmons & Carli Lloyd
Built with an outstanding outer shell, the PowerNet 2.8″ series weighted training balls are a great addition to a hitters arsenal.
Reviews from players report an increase in bat speed, an increase in power, and a consistent way to practice their swing mechanics while focusing on strength.
And while the Rukket Weighted Baseballs came in at just over the official baseball size (at 3 inches) these little beauties come in just under the official baseball diameter size at 2.8 inches.
For this reason we would recommend these balls either to be used for older more experienced & skilled youth players or as a progression to hitting larger baseballs.
You’ve also got the choice of 4 different weights:
- 12oz
- 14oz
- 16oz
- 18oz
- 20oz
While we’re not recommending you purchase all sizes, it does at least give you an option to progressively load the weight as your hitter improves without sacrificing consistency by changing the brand of baseballs.
Image from powernetinc.net: You also get a handy little carry-bag included in the PowerNet set.
Finally, you’ll also get a nice little carry bag to throw your ball into after you’re finished practice. This also makes them super easy to store or hang up in the garage when you’re not using them.
All-in-all, PowerNet is a great brand that you can’t go wrong with. And the sheer amount of excellent reviews and coach feedback we’ve seen on these backs that statement up.
You Take a Deeper Look At the PowerNet Weighted Baseballs Here >>
Valorem Weighted Baseballs & J-Bands: A whole kit of tools designed to improve your batting
- Set of 3 balls – 8oz, 10oz, 12oz
- Complete with a mesh carry bag
- J-Bands to help develop better strength
- Training drills ebook included
- 100% Lifetime Guarantee
This set from Valorem offers something a little different.
The set comes with 3 balls, all within progressive weight range at 8oz, 10oz & 12oz. And the diameter is roughly the same as the PowerNet balls.
For coaches & players looking to really add a more comprehensive training routine to their practice – the addition of J-Bands might just be what you’re looking for.
Do J-Bands help hitters?
By adding resistance bands to your training, you’re adding a more game-like resistance to your swing which can help you improve your movement and overall hitting game.
And of course, they can also be used to help improve your throws as well.
Bands add an extra dimension to your training also. Hitting 100 balls every day is great, but by adding bands to your bat training you help improve the strength around the key areas of your arms to improve velocity in your swing.
And a further additional benefit is they can be used to help warm your muscle up before training.
While not a necessary addition to your training, if this is something you feel would help your youth players – then the Valorem might be a good addition to your training arsenal.
Notch Your Hitting Up A Few Levels With The Valorem Kit + J-Bands Here >>
GoSports Weighted Training Balls: Very Popular Weighted Training Balls For Both Baseball & Softball Players
- 2 styles available for both baseball & softball
- Pack of 6 balls at 16oz
- Baseball: 2.8 inches in diameter – Softball 3.8 inches
- Heavy duty rubber shell for extreme durability
- Very Popular Weighted Balls Among Parents
Next up we’ve got the insanely popular GoSports Weighted Training Balls.
Here you’ve got 2 options, baseball and softball. The weighted baseballs come in at 2.8 inches in diameter (official regulation size) and 16oz.
These weighted balls are great for all ages and skill levels and are protected by an outer, heavy duty rubber shell to ensure durability over the long term.
Unfortunately, there isn’t a handy carry bag included in this package, but the box they come in is durable enough as long as you don’t let it get caught in the rain.
So make sure you keep the box of wet ground. Other than that, if you’ve a small bag laying around, we’d probably recommend that.
You get a pack of 6 balls (which is more than enough) and they come in at a very reasonable price.
Overall, if you’re looking to add a bit more weighted training to hitting practice but stay on a budget – we’d recommend picking these ones up.
Check Out If The GoSports Weighted Balls Are In-Stock Here >>
ZELUS Weighted Training Balls: Set of 6 or 12 Ironsand 16oz Weighted Baseballs
- 2.8 inch in diameter
- Pack of 6 or 12 balls at 16oz
- Highly durable PVC outer shell
- Bright red for better batter visibility
- 5 Year Warranty On All Products
Last up on the list, if the previous 4 don’t take your fancy, are the ZELUS set of 6 or 12 weighted balls.
Solid balls, durable and come in a bright red color to further help batters with flight visibility of the ball.
After prolonged use, no reports of leakage or cracks and you can be sound in the knowledge you’re getting high quality balls but a fraction of the cost of bigger brands in space.
While I would generally recommend the Rukket or PowerNet options above, if you’re looking for a larger selection of balls, with the added benefit of visibility then you won’t go far wrong with these balls.
Overall, a durable set of balls that won’t break the bank.
See More On The ZELUS Weighted Baseballs Here >>
A Real Customer Review…
…from yours truly
Weighted balls are becoming a super hot training aid right now, especially for hitters.
As we all know, they have been used in the past for improving arm strength, and it has worked for many players.
However, there’s always a lingering fear. Coaches are afraid to sign off, or let their players use them because most coaches lack awareness.
I can tell you right now, as a college coach for over 10 years – weighted baseballs do work especially if you know what you’re doing. Here are a few of the amazing benefits I’ve experienced in my time as coach:
- Instant Feedback: Weighted balls give instant feedback on whether the the hit was clean or not. This sort of training is invaluable to a players development
- Increase Exit Velocity: By understanding how to ‘square up’ the ball, a hitter improve their exit velocity
- Improves Barrel Control: The weight of impact can help a hitter improve the control they have over the bat barrel
- Strong Impact: Again, this kind of leads on from above, but over time a hitter can ensure they make good contact with the ball more often
- Improves Bat Movement Path: And lastly using a weighted ball and force the batter to improve their bat path before impact
As long as you have the correct safety measures in place and you understand your players strengths and weaknesses – you can slowly start to introduce weight ball hitting into your practice.
However, there will always be some parents who are understandably cautious about this, so make sure if you’re coaching youth players that you always speak with parents first – they will be able to know everything you need to know and may bring up issues for why they don’t want their child using weighted balls.
Once you’ve got that down, here are the 5 best weighted training balls on the market at the moment…
Weighted Baseballs Buyers Guide: How To Choose the Best Weighted Baseballs for Hitting Practice
Important things to look for when deciding what’s best:
#1: This may sound obvious, but look for high quality sand weighted balls.
How do you know what is high quality?
For starters, look for trusted brands. There are a lot of really good brands out there in the baseball world that are manufacturing weighted balls.
Some are better than others, of course. That’s what this Top 5 list is all about.
However, when you’re doing your own research, make sure you put that at the top of the list.
#2: Next, you should read the reviews of previous buyers. Then, make sure when you read those reviews they match your opinion on the subject on what you’re looking to use them for.
#3: Lastly, take our buying guide as a solid resource. We put a lot of time and effort into creating this list for you.
Our research is spot on, taken from the minds of professionals who work in the game, those that play the game and countless hours spent scouring the web to find solid, well-rounded opinions. We do this, so you can get all the information you’re looking for in one place.
FAQ’s – Weighted Baseballs For Hitting: Frequently Asked Questions
Are weighted training balls safe for hitting? Generally speaking more injuries occur when using weighted baseballs for throwing, not necessarily for batting practice. But it’s still a good question to ask. We wouldn’t recommend too much overload practice with weighted baseballs for kids under 9 years old. However, before introducing weighted balls to a child practice, be sure to speak with the parent of that child first (if you’re not the parent) and explain the possible risks associated with using weighted balls before introducing it to any training program.
Do weighted balls damage bats? It depends. Aside from composite bats, weighted balls can generally be used with all other types of bats. But if you’re worried about your favorite bat, then you can always have a backup bat you don’t mind using when practicing with weighted balls.
Do weighted balls really help hitters? Again it depends on the skill level of your hitter first and foremost, and then the type of weighted ball you’re using. But all that considered and in place, over the long term you can expect an improvement in both a hitters movement and strength when hitting the ball. This is due to the instant feedback weighted balls give and of course the additional weight they carry.
Hitting Your Way To Success…
Hopefully this guide helped you get on to the next step in the process of buying weighted balls.
Improving your play at the plate requires hard work and discipline. Consistent hitters use the best baseball equipment guides to find out how to improve their game.
We know you’ll find the best weighted balls to improve your overall hitting game