How to choose the right BASEBALL BAT for your CHILD

Like the old saying goes, if you have the proper tool the work will go much easier. Well the same adage fits perfectly in the sports world as well.
Having the proper equipment, in this case a baseball bat, will make hitting the baseball that much easier. Not to mention your child will enjoy the game much more if they are having success at it.

Do not be overwhelmed by the selection when you go shopping for a bat for your child. It is not the same as when we played the game.
Youth baseball bats are much more complex than the baseball bats of the last 10, 15 or 20 years. Some leagues still allow the basic wood bats, most youth league players today are using aluminum or the newer composite baseball bats. Composite bats offer significantly more power and are much lighter for smaller players. A baseball bat's price can range from as low as $25 for a low end aluminum bat to over $250 for high end youth composite baseball bat.

When choosing a youth bat, make sure that the bat conforms to the rules of your league, as each league has different rules regarding bats.

When choosing a baseball bat several factors are going to come into play. You must consider the following: the level of play your child will be playing in, your child's size, cost you are willing to pay and of course, comfort.

Aluminum bats and the newer composite bats are preferred to wooden bats mainly because of they are lighter in weight and will last longer. The Aluminum and Composite bats will also give the ball a little more pop in addition to being more durable.

In general a lighter bats is preferred to heavier bats. The lighter bat will allow the batter to generate higher bat speed.
Keep in mind there are restrictions about bat weights and DROPS at almost every level of baseball.

The comfort of the baseball bat to the batter is the NUMBER ONE consideration when choosing a baseball bat.
Just like any other tool or piece of equipment, the more comfortable you are the better you will swing the bat and the more successful you will be. The more successful you are the more you will enjoy the sport.

An easy way to see how comfortable your child is with the bat is to take some swings with it. You will be able to see if they are swinging the bat with ease. You can ask them how it feels to them as well.
If you are in season already, borrow a bat from one of your child's teammates and see how they swing that bat. We do this all the time on our team. Just remember, a swing in sporting goods store will never substitute for a good swing at the plate.

A good tip for choosing a bat for young player is to make sure they can swing the bat without struggling. There is nothing more troubling to me then to see a kid struggle at the plate simply because they can not handle the bat they are swinging. This is very common at most little leagues where they have a generic bag of bats available to players....most too big and heavy for the kids that are going to using them. Size of the Bat (Length and Weight)
BAT LENGHTH:
Another important factor is to choose the right size baseball bat to the height of the batter. Generally speaking a tall batters will tend to use longer bats. Here is some basic guideline for choosing bat length:
AGE LENGTH
5-7 24-26 inches
8-9 26-28 inches
10-11 28"-30"
11-12 30"-32"
13-14 31"-32"
15-16 32"-33"
17+ 34"

WEIGHT
Choosing the right weight of the bat is equally important. Here are some basic guideline for this as well:
(8-10 year olds)
Child's Height: Bat weight:
>48 inches >16 ounces
>50 inches >16.5 oz
>52 inches >17 oz
>54 inches >17.5 oz
>56 inches >18 oz
>58 inches >18.5 oz
>60 inches >19 oz

11-12 year olds
>70 inches >18 oz
>80 inches >19 oz
>90 inches >19.5 oz
>100 inches >20 oz
>120 inches >21 oz
>130 inches >21.5 oz
>140 inches >22 oz
>150 inches >23 oz

REMEMBER THESE LENGTHS AND WEIGHTS ARE A GENERAL GUIDLINE. Level of Play and League Rules and Regulations

The level of play should also be considered when choosing a baseball bat. Each level of baseball from little league through major league has it's own individual rules and regulations pertaining to bat sizes as well as what type of bat material is allowed. So before you go out and spend a bundle on a bat make sure it complies with the leagues guideline.

Bat Drop:
A bats Drop is nothing more that it's length minus the weight. Baseball bats are measured using their length to weight ratio, a negative number that represents how many ounces a bat weighs compared to it's length in inches. As an example, a 28 inch bat that weighs 16 ounces is a -12. Certain leagues will put restrictions on the amount of drop allowed.

The large ratio the lighter and easier it will be to swing.

Make sure to check the regulations of your league before buying a baseball bat!