How To Choose A Baseball Bat

Printer-friendly version

Lots of different factors can go into choosing the right size bat for your player. The most obvious ones being height and strength. Bat manufacturers today do a great job of combining both bat length and appropriate weight for each age level.

The best way to determine if a bat is right for your player is to watch him swing it. Can he handle the weight and length? If you are going to err on the weight side, I would recommend going a little bit lighter rather than a little bit heavier. A heavier bat can cause poor mechanics and rob your player of much needed bat speed.

Also, check with your league rules governing bat composition and barrel size. The rules are changing and not every bat may be acceptable in your league play. Your bat may need a printed rating for BESR (Ball Exit Speed Ratio) or BPF (Bat Performance Factor) - usually 1.15. High School and College players are now commonly required to use a BBCOR (Bat-Ball Coefficient of Restitution) bat.

If you are not sure what bat to buy, I would let your player swing several bats to see which one he can handle best. This might mean having your player show up at his first practice without a bat, so he can swing some of the other players’ bats. Pick some teammates similar in size/strength and see what they are swinging. This might help the aggravation of returning a bat that may be inappropriate.

Should I Get My Son a Big Barrel Bat
Not that hitters need another advantage, but big barrel bats can provide added punch for your hitter. For the younger player, consistent contact is a huge confidence builder. Big barrel bats provide a larger surface area to hit on and therefore allow for more consistent contact, especially at the lower levels. Big Barrel Bats are commonly referred to as Senior League bats. "Youth Bats" have a 2 1/4 barrel. Note: Check with your local organization to see if they are approved.

Common Bat Lengths By Age and Player Size

AGES	SMALLER	AVERAGE	BIGGER
5 to 7	24”	25”	26”
8 to 9	27”	28”	29”
10 to 11	28”	29”	30”
12 to 13	29”	30”	31”
14	30”	31”	32”

Baseball Zone’s Memberships give parents and coaches access to more information on the fundamentals of hitting, pitching and defense as well as a lot of material on practicing, training and equipment.

Baseball Zone’s Practice Planner makes creating practice plans quick and easy. With over a 150 different drills to choose from, creating a well thought out plan is only a few clicks away.

Learn More
How to Choose a Baseball Glove
How to Break In a Baseball Glove
Playing Catch and Proper Throwing