How to Choose a Youth Baseball Bat

How to Choose a Youth Baseball Bat
By Guest Author Jacob Stipsky

Choosing a baseball bat can be quite a difficult task with all the options out there. I've been a baseball coach for many years and in the recent years, I've noticed that the "golfer" syndrome has been present in baseball.

Many golfers don't get to work on their game as much as they like, so they believe by purchasing the best technology in golf clubs, that their game will automatically improve. There are the super fiber shafts, or over sized heads that cost hundreds for each club.

Unfortunately, youth baseball players have caught on to this syndrome. The technology can definitely help, but it's not the answer. Players have become too used to relying on technology and it gives them an excuse to become lazy and they forget the real way - practice, practice and practice! In the early 90s there were several studies that said lighter is better for baseball bats. Following these studies, it's been impossible to find a bat with a differential smaller than -8 when shopping for youth bats.

These studies have completely ignored the kinesiology of the body. They simply just focused on the bat and the ball. I read a great example that discusses how it is not a linear relationship. If a batter uses a 20 oz baseball bat, then switches to a 19 oz bat, does not mean they'll swing 5% faster! The batter is also losing 5% in mass and they won't be able to swing hard enough to make up for the loss.

In all my years of coaching, I rarely notice a difference in the bats used. There's maybe a 5% difference between the old and new bats. The difference between bats that are 1-2 years apart is such a small fraction of a difference.

After analyzing my hitters for many years, I suggest to buy the heaviest bat your child can use, while still swinging with speed. Make sure the size of the bat fits within the little league rules of 2 1/4 inch diameter. A good estimate for a 10 year old is 29 - 32 and -7 to -10 oz from the length selected. A typical 12 year old will probably fit right around 32/25.

Using certain bats can also come back to hurt your children later on, when they're preparing for college ball. Every bat must be BESR rated to determine the speed of the ball after its hit. This helps protect pitchers. So with that said, almost all BESR bats are created equally.

In conclusion, we know there are many bats out there. You're better off spending the money on batting lessons, rather than an advanced bat. If your child knows how to hit the ball, the bat won't matter as much as their form.

This author has been a baseball coach for many years and has sent many of his players to play at high levels. He spends much of his free time writing on baseball and baseball products. He recently wrote a review on the Derek Jeter Hurricane Batting Trainer, a system which has helped many of his players improve their batting.

Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/?expert=Jacob_Stipsky

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Batting Tips - How to Grip the Bat Properly, and Avoid Bat Drag

How to Grip a Baseball Bat Properly, and Avoid Bat Drag
By Rafi Goldmeier

Batting Tips: Gripping the Bat

Choking Up

Your grip on the bat is going to be anywhere between the knob of the bat (the very bottom) and the top end of the tape or rubber grip before the barrel of the bat. Choking up on the bat means you are moving your hands up further away from the knob and closer to the barrel.

There are reasons for "choking up" and for not "choking up", and your decision to choke up or not should really depend on the style of a hitter that you are, and how good of a hitter you are, along with the situation when you get into the batter's box - how many men on base and on which base, how many outs, how many strikes, etc.

The benefit of not choking up is that your swing will generate more power. if you are a homerun hitter, you will often not be choking up. The swing, when not choking up on the bat, is looser and you get more power into it. Also, not choking up means you have a longer bat, giving you the ability to have greater range for hitting outside pitches, or pitches on the outer edge of the plate.

The benefit of choking up is that it stabilizes the bat, as you are holding it closer to the barrel. The bat is not as loose, and the swing is more controlled. As well, it is lightening the bat in your hands, as you are holding it closer to the heavy part of the bat. Being a shorter bat, with your hands higher up, the swing also becomes a quicker swing. When choking up on the bat, you get a more stable swing, you cut out some of the natural wave that happens in the very loose swing of a non-choked up grip, and you are "more likely" to get a base hit.

Even hitters that do not naturally choke up will often choke up when the count runs to two strikes. At that point they are willing to cut some power out of the swing and instead swing to hit the ball and just get on base. Choking up will give them more of that stability and raise their chance of hitting the ball for a base hit.

Some say that instead of choking up, you can accomplish the same benefits by using a shorter bat. The consensus, however, is that the same issues remain even with a shorter bat, and the benefits of choking up are not achieved to the same level by using a shorter bat, unless you choke up on the shorter bat.

Bat Drag and Bat Lag

Bat Drag and Bat Lag are confusing concepts. First of all, Bat Drag is bad and Bat Lag is good.

Let's start with Bat Drag. Bat Drag is bad. Bat Drag means that you are dragging, or pulling the bat with your arms, and moving the bat by using the hands and arms, rather than holding the hands at the shoulder, and turning the hands and shoulder as one unit.

If you swing with Bat Drag, it doesn't mean you won't hit the ball. Bat Draggers can be decent hitters, especially against slower pitching, but your hitting will be so much better if you work on eliminating the drag. By dragging the bat, you are not getting your body mass into the swing, and you are no getting optimal bat speed in the swing.

In a hitter with Bat Drag it is common to see the batter's elbow of his top hand lead out in front of the knob of the bat. That causes the batter to drag the bat through the zone.

Bat Drag can be caused either by bad mechanics, and running through hitting drills can train the hitter to adjust his grip and stance, and swing to eliminate the drag, or it can be caused by using a bat that is too heavy. In such a case, if the batter switches to use a lighter bat instead he very well might eliminate the drag just like that!

Bat Lag, on the other hand, is good. Bat Lag is when the hitter begins his forward movement with the knob of the bat, without letting the knob drop or sink down first. The knob remains in front of the back elbow, the elbow of the top hand, and then as the knob of the bat moves forward into the hitting zone, the barrel of the bat lags behind it. Eventually, the barrel of the bat is whipped forward through the strike zone.

To hit well, the batters hands HAVE to lead the swing. The hips and the hands drive the swing, not the arms and not the hips and shoulders.

For some images and video that will help you visualize bat drag and bat lag, see the Ultimate Sports Resource website article on the subject.

Rafi participates and is active in a variety of team and personal sports. He trained for and ran a marathon, and recently even made the switch from shod running to barefoot running.

Rafi's website, The Ultimate Sports Resource is on the way to becoming a premier site for sports information, and for information about quality sporting goods and gear. Images and video relevant to this article can be seen on the site as well.

Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/?expert=Rafi_Goldmeier

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Youth Baseball Bats - How Do I Choose the Right One?

Article Title: Youth Baseball Bats - How Do I Choose the Right One?
By Jeff Heitz


When purchasing a youth baseball bat, there are a number of important things that need to be taken into consideration. The bat's weight, length and barrel width are very important and must be selected based on your league requirements. Some leagues will only allow a 2 ¼" barrel and this will change how you choose the proper bat verses leagues that allow 2 ¾" barrels. Wood bats are still available and make an excellent choice for all of your cage work as it helps to develop a proper swing and gain an understanding of the sweet spots on wood verses aluminum or alloy bats.

The most popular choice for youth baseball bats are aluminum or alloy. The technological advancements in these bats have come a long way and they keep improving from year to year. A basic rule for selecting the right bat is to choose the lightest bat for its length in order to fully maximize your swing power. In a lot of cases, lighter youth baseball bats are just as costly as some of the heavier ones, but with so many quality suppliers, you are sure to find one that will satisfy your budget.

When choosing a longer bat, you are insuring more plate coverage; but it might cause the bat to be too heavy and slow down or alter the mechanics of the proper swing. Not a good idea! Shorter, lighter bats will cause the player to crowd the plate a little more but will definitely create more bat speed. Bat speed is essential and choosing the right bat is very important. It would be best to have a bat that is a little too light than to choose one that is too heavy.

Barrel size has become the talk of the dugout. A larger barrel will produce more power and have a bigger sweet spot allowing the hitter to drive balls that would otherwise be harmless outs. Choosing the proper youth baseball bat is an imperfect science. If you are playing in a league that will allow 2 ¾" barrels, I would always recommend choosing bat speed over any other factor. Players come in all shapes and sizes and all have different strength levels...this complicates the process when choosing. Before purchasing, you might talk to your coach or a youth baseball bat representative and get information based on your players age and size and what the general trend is.

The rules for Little League Baseball differ from most all other youth organizations on their bat requirements. A 2 ¼" barrel and a maximum length of 33 inches is all that is allowed. Little League bats are required to have a taped handle up to 10 inches. Youth bats are measured in inches for the length and ounces for the weight. Negative or minus numbers are used to determine the bats weight. For example if a bat is 29" long and has a -10 rating the bat will weigh 19 ounces. The bat would be referred as a minus ten negative ten or a drop ten bat. The higher the negative number the lighter the bat is for its length.

For more detailed information on choosing the right baseball or softball bat visit http://youthbaseballbats.ws

Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/?expert=Jeff_Heitz

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