What Size Bat Should I Get For My Son

How to Buy the Right Baseball Bat

Find out how to choose a baseball bat for your upcoming season with this Pro Tips guide.

A bat is a must-have piece of equipment for baseball players. But with varying lengths, weights and materials, finding the right ane for your skill level and unique swing can be a difficult task.

Understanding what to look for when choosing a baseball bat has a few requirements. Your league data, some measurements and your personal gustatory modality tin can aid yous find a perfect stick for your swing.

BAT ANATOMY

Before digging into which baseball game bat to cull, you should first get familiar with the various parts of your lumber. Every bat tin be cleaved down into five essential regions: the knob, grip, handle, barrel and endcap. Outset from the bottom, the knob helps go along your hands in place as they hold onto the grip of the bat. Adjacent, your bat'south diameter tapers from the skinny handle to the wider barrel. The barrel is where you should expect to make contact with the brawl. Lastly, an endcap can help improve your bat'due south command while limiting the added weight.

AGE AND LEAGUE

When choosing a baseball bat for your upcoming flavour, one of the first things you should await at is your league rules. The 3 most common governing bodies for bats are USABat, USSSA and BBCOR. The USABat standard creates a more than wood-similar bat functioning in youth bats while still allowing players to swing lightweight models. BBCOR (Batted Ball Coefficient of Restitution) creates the same wood-like performance in adult baseball bats, fifty-fifty subsequently they're broken in. USSSA (Us Specialty Sports Association) provides energy transfer bat regulations for leagues governed by USSSA.

Every league, regardless of historic period, volition follow a specific bat standard for their equipment regulations. To give a full general starting point:

Players between the ages of 4 and 6 will likely need a tee ball bat.
Players between the ages of 7 and 13 will likely need a The states bat or USSSA bat.
Players between the ages of 14 and 18 will probable demand a bat meeting BBCOR bat standards.

These leagues oft take the standard logo stamped somewhere on the barrel or face of the bat. This can aid give you a more than visual cue when searching.

Again, be sure to cheque with a coach or league official prior to purchase to ensure your bat meets league requirements.

LENGTH

With your bat standard narrowed downwards, your next determining factor should be your measurements. Bat length can affect your swing mechanics and plate coverage. Too long, and you can risk compromising bat speed or swing mechanics. Likewise brusque, and y'all tin limit your plate coverage, giving up a portion of your strike zone. Having the right bat length can assist y'all find middle basis between these two scenarios.

There are 3 means you can measure whether a bat is the right length:

Place the lesser of the bat in the center of your chest, pointing it to the side, parallel to your outstretched arm. If you can comfortably reach the superlative of the bat with your fingertips, the bat is the right length.
Position the bottom of the bat in the center of your chest, facing outward. If your arm tin can reach out and grab the barrel of the bat, then it is the correct length.
Stand up the bat upwardly against the side of your leg. If the end of the bat reaches the center of your palm when you lot reach down, it's the advisable length.

If you're unable to hold a bat and measure using these methods, use this size chart equally a guide. While this chart can help get you started, apply the measuring techniques described to detect your ultimate fit.

WEIGHT

The best weight is very much based on feel. If you lot have multiple swings and the bat feels heavy or begins to drop, then it'south probably too heavy for your needs. Endeavour holding the bat handle and extending your arm to your side. If you lot can't concur the bat extended for thirty to 45 seconds, the bat might exist too heavy for you lot.

Be sure to expect at the "drib weight" every bit well. A bat'southward drop is the measurement determined by subtracting the weight of the bat from its length. For example, a bat that weighs xx ounces and is 30 inches long will have a drop of -x. The greater the drib weight, the lighter the bat.

Larger, stronger players tend to favor less of a drop weight, which tin can result in increased power. Smaller players can do good from greater driblet weight, which can assistance with bat speed.

MATERIALS

There are two main materials you lot will run into when choosing a bat: wood and metal. Wood bats can be made from different trees, such as ash, maple or birch. Varying wood types can yield dissimilar qualities. To standardize purchasing, about wood bats feature a -3 drop. Nonetheless have questions nearly wood bats? Check out our guide on how to buy a wood baseball bat.

Blend bats, or aluminum baseball bats, are ready for use correct out of the wrapper. This means there'south no break-in fourth dimension required. They have a smaller sugariness spot but are dandy in whatever temperature and fifty-fifty tend to concluding longer due to their durability. Alloy bats tin exist more affordable than their blended counterparts.

Composite bats tend to accept a larger sweetness spot and put out less vibration to the hands. This tin can help reduce the stinging felt after making poor contact. They are more expensive and require a break-in period of well-nigh 150 to 200 hits.

Hybrid options are too available. These bats are typically made with composite handles, which minimize vibration, and alloy barrels, which require no intermission-in time.

One-piece VS. TWO-Piece BATS

A concluding note to consider when choosing the right bat for you would exist selecting a one-piece or two-piece design. The main difference between these two options is how much flex and free energy transfer your stick will have.

As the name suggests, one-piece bats are a continuous piece of metal. Upon contact, in that location is little flex or requite in the bat, resulting in little or no energy loss. This can be great for a balanced, powerful swing, just mishits can cause stinging in the hands.

2-piece bats are constructed past fusing a barrel and handle together. This carve up blueprint can create more flex and "whip" in the swing, resulting in faster bat speeds. Two-piece bats can also withstand vibrations, making them a proficient option for players looking to adjourn that stinging feeling.

The way a bat feels in a ballplayer'southward hands is always going to be more important than any material operation review. Find a rubber identify for some do swings, such as the HitTrax Batting Cages at DICK'S Sporting Goods. Take some cuts with bats that are the right length and weight. Whichever textile feels more natural to you should exist the one you choose.

Finding the right baseball bat for your needs tin be a fun way to personalize your equipment listing. Use these baseball Pro Tips to aid find your sweetness spot with the perfect bat and go the most out of your swing this flavor.