Quick Take
The ProGlider Training Bat revolutionizes hitting practice by providing instant feedback on swing mechanics using principles of motion and inertia. This tool helps hitters self-correct and achieve proper bat path alignment, boosting consistency and performance. Ideal for players of all levels, the ProGlider enhances training sessions with real-time insights that other tools can’t match.
As a player, I was always looking for ways to lock in my swing. But over the course of an eight-month season (or longer when I played Winter Ball), my consistency had peaks and valleys. It drove me nuts trying to find the proper swing once again.
As I began coaching my sons and training elite hitters in SoCal, the same issues plagued my hitters—one game, their bat path and timing were perfect, but the next game, they looked disconnected and lost at the plate.
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One of the drills my dad used to have me do when I was in a funk was to gather a bunch of bats and head to home plate. He would tell me to swing and let go of the bat in a certain direction. He’d yell, “Up the middle,” and I would swing and let go of the bat, sending it flying. Often, I’d fling the bat into the third base dugout, telling me I was pulling my front shoulder out. Or, while trying to throw it up the middle, it would go to the first baseman, signaling that my hands were “casting out” and/or I didn’t rotate my back foot.
This drill helped identify the culprit of my disjointed swing. I used this for my young players until I discovered what I believe is the greatest training tool ever created for hitters—the ProGlider Training Bat.
My day job is in marketing and advertising. About three years ago, my supervisor asked me to look into a baseball training tool he saw online. I checked their website and found the ProGlider Training Bat. I called their 800 number, and after explaining who we were and what we did, the owner agreed to meet with us. He brought a ProGlider with him to the first meeting.
Before we started talking business, we tested the ProGlider inside our building. My first few attempts weren’t pretty—I shot the ball to the right repeatedly. The inventor, Alan Tande, said, “You’re not rotating your backside, so your hands are casting out early.” I was amazed at how quickly I felt the off-timing. The next swing I shot it way left and Alan calmly said, “You over adjusted and pulled your front shoulder.” Again, he perfectly diagnosed the issue with one swing. Finally, I took a deep breath and shot a perfect line drive up the middle. I could totally feel how that swing was timed perfectly.
The Making of the Pro Glider Bat
As we talked, Alan explained that he was a former travel softball coach whose teams were always nationally ranked, even winning an ASA National Championship. He used the “throwing bats” drill to help his hitters too. That’s when he came up with the ProGlider.
How the Pro Glider Works
The ProGlider uses principles of “Motion of Inertia” (MOI). Imagine placing a cup of coffee on your dashboard while driving straight at a steady speed. The coffee stays put. But if you take a hard left, the coffee shoots to the right. That’s what happens in a swing when you cast your hands out early—the ProGlider reacts by sliding early and flinging the ball to the right (if you’re right-handed). This feedback is immediate and teaches you to keep your bat path correct.
I could instantly feel good or bad swings with or without the ball. The ProGlider’s click is set up so every bat size and weight can be clicked at the proper time based on the MOI created by the batter. I wished this had been invented when I was playing.
Even my youngest players can feel the difference. A 5-year-old can swing a 28” -12 ProGlider just like their game bat. High school players can use a BBCOR -3. The ProGlider is super durable. I’ve seen one with an estimated million swings, and it works fine.
To enhance the ProGlider experience, I designed a portable home plate with target pitches for my players. I have them focus on one of the targets and swing the ProGlider toward that location. I can then see where the ProGlider’s ball releases about the target.
This drill is excellent for players who lock out their lead arm, drift forward with their head, fail to rotate their back foot/knee, pull their front shoulder, or roll over their hands.
Becoming a Great Hitter
The best hitters in history kept their bats in the ball’s path for a long time, creating a larger margin for error. The ProGlider instills this principle. Some copycat inventions exist, but the patented ProGlider’s unique MOI qualities set it apart.
Any player serious about improving their consistency and finding the proper bat path should get a ProGlider. It gives immediate feedback you can feel. A batting tee or soft toss can’t provide this level of feedback. No other training tool I’ve seen instills the most important thing a hitter needs—getting into the proper bat path and staying there.
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