Try Different Brands and Sizes of Bats
When you select a bat, make sure you select one you can handle with confidence. During one of the first practices, many players will grab a bat that initially feels good or that some other player likes and will use that bat the entire year. However, players should hit with a number of different bats during practice to determine what bat gives them the correct feel.
Length, Weight, Bat Drop
Many charts, used to determine proper bat size, use player weight and height to determine the proper bat length. While these two factors are important, other characteristics are missing. The bat length, weight, grip, brand, and whether the player likes to choke up on the bat are all important factors when determining whether a bat has a good feel in the players hand.
Bat drop is the difference between the length and weight of the bat. A 30"/18oz. bat has a bat drop of -12. A 30"/23oz. bat has a bat drop of -7. The higher the bat drop the easier it is to swing and the more you will pay for the bat. When purchasing a bat it can be an important factor in determining the size to purchase. A player may not be able to use a 30"/23oz., but may be fine with a 30"/18oz. If you are going to purchase a lower drop, be aware that the player may need a shorter bat.
Choking up will also have an effect on the bat size you will want to purchase. A player that chokes up an inch will be able to handle a longer bat than a player that doesn't.
The table below will give you a general idea based on height and weight of what size bat would work. In addition you must take into account the other information described above in picking out a bat.
Here are a couple of examples to give you an idea (chart is colored in to show where the range would fall):
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| For the 10 year old, the chart shows that he could probably handle a 30" bat. If he chokes up and has a bat with a big bat drop, -12 for example, he might be more comfortable with a 31" bat. I would error on the side of going with the smaller bat if in doubt. If you were looking at a -7 drop and he didn't choke up you may want to move down to a 29" inch bat. | |
| For the 7 year old, the chart shows that a 29" bat would be the correct size, but most people don't want to spend a lot of money for a bat for a 7 year old. This means the bat drop will most likely be lower and you may want to move to a 28" bat. | |
| Determine Your Bat Length by Weight and Height | |||||||||||
| height | 3'-3'4" | 3'5"-3'9" | 3'10"-4' | 4'1"-4'4" | 4'5"-4'8" | 4'9"-5' | 5'1"-5'4" | 5'5"-5'8" | 5'9"-6' | 6'1"+ | |
| weight | Bat length | ||||||||||
| <> | 26" | 27" | 28" | 29" | 29" | ||||||
| 61-70 | 27" | 27" | 28" | 29" | 30" | 30" | |||||
| 71-80 | | 28" | 28" | 29" | 30" | 30" | 31" | ||||
| 81-90 | | 28" | 29" | 29" | 30" | 30" | 31" | 32" | |||
| 91-100 | | 28" | 29" | 30" | 30" | 31" | 31" | 32" | |||
| 101-110 | | 29" | 29" | 30" | 30" | 31" | 31" | 32" | |||
| 111-120 | | 29" | 29" | 30" | 30" | 31" | 31" | 32" | |||
| 121-130 | | 29" | 29" | 30" | 30" | 31" | 32" | 33" | 33" | ||
| 131-140 | | 29" | 30" | 30" | 31" | 31" | 32" | 33" | 33" | ||
| 141-150 | 30" | 30" | 31" | 31" | 32" | 33" | 33" | ||||
| 151-160 | 30" | 31" | 31" | 32" | 32" | 33" | 33" | 33" | |||
| 161-170 | 31" | 31" | 32" | 32" | 33" | 33" | 34" | ||||
| 171-180 | 32" | 33" | 33" | 34" | 34" | ||||||
| 180+ | 33" | 33" | 34" | 34" | |||||||
Aluminum Or Wood?
If you coach a youth team, this may not be an issue as many youth leagues no longer allow wood bats to be used.
Older players often believe that wood bats can give them an edge; (they watch major league players hit home runs with wood bats). With all bat characteristics being equal (except for type), aluminum bats do provide more power than wood bats. But, even though I wouldn't stock wood bats in the team bag each year, I also wouldn't discourage players from using a wood bat if they like them.
Should Players Wear Batting Gloves When Hitting?
As with the selection of a bat, all players are different. Some will like the feeling of the glove(s) and some will prefer the feel of the bat without the gloves. As a coach, I would encourage rather than discourage the use of batting gloves. The simple reason is one of comfort. Hitters may develop blisters on their hands from constant motion and swinging; wearing batting gloves can protect against the development or continued irritation of blisters.
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