Proper bat size....???

Seems to be a large bat for girls at this age

 

The younger the player, the lighter the bat should be. If you compare the weight of the player to the weight of the bat you will find that the massive lumber used by major leaguers is actually much lighter per pound of body weight than the world's lightest bats in the hands of ten year olds. This weight factor is a major cause of poor mechanics in young players.

By high school, most average size players swing 33's. The smaller players swing 32's. 31" bats begin to compromise plate coverage. Weight is a matter of personal choice, but no high school player should swing anything lighter than a -10. Above average high school players are usually strong enough and will generally hit better with -9's since more bat weight results in more energy transfer to the ball.

A key thing to look for in the development of a young hitter is when does the force of the ball no longer momentarily stop the bat at contact when facing a strong pitcher. When this no longer happens its time to ditch the ultra light bat. This change often happens around the 8th grade.

 

....hey brother, I enjoy your posts, keep 'em comin' to TBR. Now, I'm not gonna get into weights this or that, but I am gonna say that I have to agree with Phreak, one of the most hard headed, determined and successful,...without pay BTW, hitting coaches, that it only makes sense to swing a bat that fits a kid at any age but especially at the youth level, that would promote proper mechanics.
So what if a kid can loop a swing with a big bat and hit the ball over kids heads when they're 10. What good is that in raising the bar for development?

Control of a bat and learning how to do it is what makes a batter turn into a hitter. Timing is everything and just walking up to the plate with a big bat or heavy bat, whatever, means ZERO to the pitcher fixin to sit you down.
What good is a heavier bat when you carry that bad boy back to the dugout after the pitcher made you look awkward?
Don't carry a knife to a gun fight for sure, but make sure as a batter that your arsenal is complete, and without holes that a pitcher will take advantange of when you go to the plate. And last, I'll repeat Phreak is right, learn proper mechanics early with proper bat size.
Marlin

 

This is one reason I was thinking of having team bats next year. I have several girls swinging low quality bats that don't fit. One of my biggest strongest players (14 year old) was swinging a 30 inch bat in middle school. She "loves" her bat and has always used it. If I require the use of team bats it would be much easier to see that the girls are swinging quality bats that are the proper size. They can use what they want for rec or travel. My thougthts are this would make them see the reason to swing a good proper length and weighted bat for them. Most teenage girls are not going to believe anything until they experience it for themselves. That is why I video practice at least once a week. When they realize or admit the problem then they will get better. Oh yeah, it is easier for me to analyze their play when it is 1/32 speed as well.LOL

 

I agree with you guys!! I have found the girls that struggle with the larger bat and have them use their smaller bats.Most of the girls that struggle with the larger bats struggle with the smaller also.Most of our problems come when the player starts her swing and doesn't maintain eye contact with the ball at bat contact this doesn't mean the head is coming out the eyes just go out into the field once the swing starts.The girls think once they start the swing they will hit the ball that isnt the case the bat goes where the eyes go.Keeping the eyes on the ball is our biggest problem other than that the mechanics are good they just want to see where the ball goes and get impatient.The girls that can swing the larger bats that do it well and have good mechanics why should I take the bat they swing with confidence out of there hands even if it is above the national adverage?I have always been told that the game is 80%mental!!So wouldn't me taking a bat no matter what size out of a players hands that has good mechanics and confidence in the bat be playing with her head?I also think soft toss is one of the biggest mistakes to do before warming up young players they should do the tee because the ball is in the same place everytime where soft toss isn't this causes bad habbits like dropping the shoulder.We try and teach muscle memory with the tee that is key to good mechanics.

 

You can't look at a chart and decide what length/weight bat a player should use. The chart is just a suggested guideline.

Tee work, like any drill, is very important if it is done correctly. Done incorrectly, including excessively, is very bad.

Hitting being 80% mental is not good if that only leaves 20% for the skill level.

 

...hey blaze, you've got me thinking about your "soft toss" statement, and it makes sense to me but I'd like to hear more about the "theory".
Nice post.

FishPal

 

I agree with Blaze. I do at least 2 to 1 tee work to soft toss. My girls are middle school age but the are fundamentally lacking. They were a little anti-tee to begin with but are coming around as they see themselves getting better. On another note we used our new bat today and one of the girls that I wanted to get a chance to swing a higher quality bat is now in love. To see her smile and here that laugh as the ball was coming off the bat was well worth every penny. You want see her swing with anything else now and not becuase coach says so but because she saw the results. Man I love coaching this sport.