“DIAMONDS IN THE ROUGH” BASEBALL BASICS
CHOOSING A YOUTH BASEBALL BAT
Should you buy wood, aluminum, hybrid or composite? Do you need a degree in
metallurgy to choose a Little League Baseball bat?" NO! Not if you read this first.
When choosing a baseball bat, there are a number of factors that must be taken into
consideration—level of play, size of the batter, league
rules, type of materials, preference needs, cost, and
comfort.
Because there are so many variables in
choosing the right bat it’s important to understand what
each one of them means and why they are important.
LIGHTER IS BETTER!
First off, lighter is better. Why you ask? Well, a light bat is easier to control, and,
contrary to old-school thinking, you can hit a ball harder and farther with a light bat than
with a heavy bat. This is because you can swing a light bat much faster generating
more bat speed. As acceptance of this fact has grown in recent years, the
overwhelming trend in both baseball and softball has been towards lighter bats.
In case you need convincing, consider that NCAA and high school sports bodies have
adopted rules prohibiting baseball bats from being more than 3 ounces lighter (-3) in
weight than the length of the bat in inches. This was done for safety reasons—it was
thought that big, strong players swinging ultra-light bats would hit the ball so hard that
infielders would be at risk.
In Little League however, light bats are not considered to be unsafe for defenders
because the players aren’t nearly as big and strong as their older counterparts. Even
using an ultralight 19 ounce Little League bat, a typical 90 pound kid won’t be able to
make up for the disparity in size and strength between himself and a college player. In
fact, to have a reasonable chance of swinging a bat with proper technique most Little
League players actually need an ultra-light bat.
It is never a good plan to get a bat that’s too heavy for your Little Leaguer with the idea
that he or she will ―grow into it.‖ Instead, your kid will learn bad habits by trying to swing
a bat that is too heavy. When in doubt about two bats, always go with the lighter one.
THE RULES — WHAT’S ALLOWED AND WHAT’S NOT
Each league has specific rules for what type of bat can be used. For Little League, bats
must be between 27 and 33 inches with barrels (hitting portion of the bat) no more than
2¼ in diameter. For Senior Little League (or ―big barrel‖ bats) can be up to 34 inches in
length with a barrel no more than 2 5/8 inches in diameter. All Little League bats must
be made of an approved material with ―Little League approved‖ printed on the bat.
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“DIAMONDS IN THE ROUGH” BASEBALL BASICS
An effort by some of governing bodies in Baseball and Softball (NCAA, NHSF, USSSA,
NSA) to regulate the performance of a bat has lead to the establishment of a method of
measuring how a ball jumps off of a bat compared to how a ball rebounds off of a wall at
a controlled speed.
Bat Performance Factor, or BPF, is simply the measure of increase in the liveliness of a
ball hitting a bat compared to throwing a ball against a solid wall (i.e., 20% faster
rebound = a BPF of 1.20). Beginning with the 2009 season, non-wood bats in Little
League must have a BPF rating of 1.15 or less, and it must be printed on the bat.
LENGTH AND WEIGHT — WHAT’S RIGHT FOR YOU?
Manufacturers typically print the bat’s length in inches on the barrel and/or the bottom of
the handle. They also print the weight, either in ounces, or as ―minus X‖ (i.e. -10).‖ The
―-― (which means minus), stands for weight in ounces less than the length of the bat in
inches. In other words, a 30 inch bat designated as ―-10‖ weighs 20 ounces (30‖ – 10 =
20 oz). Most Little League bats will range from a ―-10‖ to ―-13.5‖.
The comfort of the baseball bat to the hitter is the most important factor in choosing a
bat. As with any piece of sports equipment, be it your baseball glove or cleats—the
more comfortable you are the better. Take a few swings with the bat and try to picture
yourself in a game. Better yet, borrow a bat from one of your teammates and see how it
feels—a swing in the store doesn't always feel like a swing at the plate! When choosing
a bat for younger players, make sure they can swing the bat without struggling. We've
all seen young players struggling to swing bats that are far too big for them. If in doubt,
go with the lighter/smaller bat.
Length: The first factor in choosing the right sized baseball bat is the height of the
batter. In general, tall batters should use longer bats. Below is a table with ―general
guidelines‖ for choosing an appropriate baseball bat length.
Bat Length Guidelines
Bat Length
(inches)
24 – 26
27 – 29
28 – 30
29 – 31
30 – 33
31 – 33
31 – 34
Age
5–7
8–9
10 – 11
11 – 12
13 – 14
15 – 16
17+
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“DIAMONDS IN THE ROUGH” BASEBALL BASICS
Weight: In general, for youth baseball players, buy a bat that is ―-10‖ or lighter.
Worth Sports conducted a study with the University of Arizona in which they determined
the best bat weights for hitters based on their height. The table below summarizes their
findings.
Bat Weight Guidelines
Little League (8 – 10 yrs)
Player’s
Best Bat
Height
Weight
(inches)
(ounces)
48
16
50
16.5
52
17
54
17.5
56
18
58
18.5
60
19
62
19.5
64
20
Little League (11 – 12 yrs)
Player’s
Best Bat
Weight
Weight
(pounds)
(ounces)
70
18
80
19
90
19.5
100
20
110
20.5
120
21
130
21.5
140
22
150
23
Formula = Height / 4 + 4
Formula = Weight / 18 + 14
BAT MATERIALS — WHY DO THEY MATTER
Aluminum and composite baseball bats are generally preferred to wooden bats due to
their light weight and high strength. Lighter bats are generally preferable to heavier bats
as they allow the hitter to generate enough speed to put some "oomph" into it.
Additionally, aluminum bats can provide more "pop" of the baseball off the bat, and are
much more durable compared to wooden bats. Hybrid and composite bats are more
durable than wood and also offer extra ―oomph,‖ but they can be fragile when compared
to aluminum bats—especially in colder weather. Bats today are becoming increasingly
high tech and expensive with youth bats reaching $250 or more.
Aluminum Bats: Aircraft aluminum is the standard material used for aluminum bats. In
recent years the aluminum has been combined with zinc, copper, and magnesium in
order to make them stronger even stronger. These combinations are called aluminum
alloys which allow the bats to be made thinner (meaning lighter) and more durable than
aluminum alone.
The following is a list of the different types of alloy and their respective benefits…

7046: This is the standard aluminum alloy used in most bats.
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“DIAMONDS IN THE ROUGH” BASEBALL BASICS



CU31 (also called 7050): More durable than 7046 due to increased levels of
zirconium, magnesium, and copper.
C405, C405 Plus, C405 Ultra (also called 7055): Increases Zirconium content
over 7050, giving it higher strength.
C500, C555 and SC777 have scandium in them, making them the strongest of
the alloys mentioned above.
There are also graphite/titanium lined bats. These materials are added to bats with
thinner aluminum walls so that they make lighter bats even stronger. Lighter weight
bats also increase the "sweet spot," (the hitting zone on the bat's barrel that gives the
maximum place to put metal to ball).
Aluminum bats, and those enhanced with other alloys, also come in single-layer or
double-layer construction. Double-layer bats offer more durability and power, since the
ball rebounds off the bat with more authority.
Cryogenically treated aluminum is a process where the alloy is frozen and reheated to
provide even greater durability, less vibration and 2-4% greater distance.
To put the strength factors in terms that are useful…
 CU31 is best for bats of -10 or heavier.
 C405 is best for -11 or heavier
 C500, C555 or SC777 is best for -12 to -13 bats.
 For bats heavier than -9 the alloy strength is less important because the wall of
the bat is thicker and less prone to denting.
Composite Bats: Composite baseball bats, such as the Easton Stealth Composite and
DeMarini C4 Black, are fairly new to baseball but becoming more and more popular.
Despite their increasing popularity there seems to be some mixed reviews. This is
largely because the baseball world isn’t fully educated on what makes a composite bat
work.
To start with, composite bats must be ―broken in‖ in order to realize their full potential.
This breaking in period requires between 300 – 400 hits with real baseballs (not pitching
machine balls). Another challenge is with their poor durability. Composite bats can
break or fracture, especially in cooler weather which means they need to be used in
temperatures above 70 degrees. If broken in and used correctly, a composite bat can
realize more ―pop‖ and a larger seat spot than compared to aluminum. However, you
can expect to pay $250 or more to realize this difference.
Hybrid Bats: A hybrid bat is a combination of composite and alloy material where the
handle is composite and the barrel is alloy. This might sound odd, but technology has
allowed the ability to fuse composites with aluminum and realize amazing success. The
lighter composite handle allows the alloy barrel to be made longer than a traditional
100% alloy bat. This increases the "sweet spot" compared to an alloy bat and provides
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“DIAMONDS IN THE ROUGH” BASEBALL BASICS
more leeway to the batter. Hybrid bats are a good compromise between spending top
dollar on a composite bat or a lower priced alloy bat that doesn't incorporate the latest
technology or offer advantages to the batter. It also offers a nice alternative for colder
weather and a smaller budget. However, given that half the bat is composite these bats
are more prone to breaking than all alloy bats.
BUYER BEWARE
It’s a mistake to think that a particular bat will make any player a better hitter. The key
to good batting INCLUDES the right bat choice. Bat choice is extremely important, but
the latest hi-tech, super-expensive bat will not make the player a better hitter.
Technique—good hitting mechanics—is what will make the difference, along with a bat
of the right length and weight. Without proper hitting technique the best and/or most
expensive bat in the world is unlikely to make a difference. For the average player
under the age of 12, a composite or hybrid bat may not be worth the price vs. benefit
realized. Additionally, because youth ballplayers are growing so quickly, they will
probably require a new bat every year or two which can make this a very expensive
proposition. Unless you have younger children to pass the bat down to, keeping up with
the growing spurts may prove to be unaffordable.
SHOPPING FOR A BAT
As bats become more of a status symbol than a piece of baseball equipment.
Manufacturers come out with new designs, or at least new paint jobs, every year.
Sometimes you can find last year’s model for a lot less than the current model, and
sometimes last year’s model will actually be better.
Another good way to save money is to buy a "cosmetic blem." Cosmetic blems usually
have a slight mar in the paint, but are otherwise identical to a regular bat except for in
price, which is typically 25 – 30 percent lower. After the first batting practice, no one
can tell the difference anyway, so why pay more?
One you find a bat you like, look at on-line bat dealers for the best price. You can find
deals that are far better than your local sporting goods store.
BASEBALL BAT TERMINOLOGY – WHAT YOU NEED TO KNOW
Barrel Size: The barrel of a baseball bat is the wider portion of the bat used to hit
baseballs. Barrel size usually refers to the diameter of the barrel. Baseball bats come
in many different barrel sizes, and some leagues have restrictions on what size barrels
can be used.
Big Barrel: This term refers to Bats with a barrel size of around 2 5/8″. Many youth
leagues don’t allow big barrel bats, but quite a few senior league and adult baseball
bats come in the big barrel style.
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“DIAMONDS IN THE ROUGH” BASEBALL BASICS
Taper: This is the diameter of the bat’s handle. Standard bats are tapered 31/32 of an
inch but can be slightly larger or smaller depending on whether you want a lighter or
heavier bat. You may prefer the feel of a bigger bat taper, which can also reduce the
sting when a ball isn’t struck on the sweet spot. Some players like a narrower taper for
the lighter weight and to rotate their wrists faster when hitting.
Grip: The grip is simply the covering bat manufacturers use on the handle of bats.
Rubber grips absorb more of the shock. Leather or synthetic leather gives a tackier feel
for a better grip. Some bats come with a cushioned grip to decrease the shock even
more. Most bat manufacturers sell replacement bat grips in case you want a different
style grip on your bat or your grip gets worn out.
Sweet Spot: When the bat hits a ball, the bat vibrates. The vibrations travel in waves
up and down the bat. At one point on the bat, the waves cancel each other out—that
point is called the sweet spot. This spot doesn't lose much energy to vibrations, so the
energy goes to the ball and sends it farther.
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