Your Kid Can’t Hit ...because their bat is too long!
Here’s the pitch; a swing and a miss. OK, buddy you’ll get the next one …pop-up foul; alright, good, we made contact on that one. Pitch number three: weak ground ball to the first baseman …out again.
What is responsible for looping swings, pop-ups and weak ground balls to the opposite side of the infield? There are mechanical reasons, but a major factor for many youth baseball and softball playes, is they use a bat that is too long.
Why Length Is an Important Consideration
When the discussion of bat size comes up, the common question is weight; length is not given much thought. Regardless of weight, the longer the lever (bat), the more difficult it is to control. A longer lever puts more stress (the feeling of weight) on the muscles in the wrists and arms. A longer bat feels heavier.
Why do kids want to swing a longer bat? Two reasons I hear from parents and players:
Older kids use a longer bat. Its natural for younger kids to want to be like the big kids (or older brother/sister). It doesn’t occur to them their differences in strength.
A longer bat is needed reach the outside part of the plate. (The sweet spot on the bat is about 6” from the barrel*). If this perspective were accurate, a player would need a bat that extends 6” beyond the outside edge of the plate.
Bigger (longer) is better. If the bat is bigger and longer it must provide better results, right? Perhaps, if the batter could make consistent contact, and consistently make contact on the sweet spot, and consistently be in a strong body position at contact, a longer bat might provide better results.
The first step to improving kids’ success at the plate is to get a shorter bat in their hands. In my experience working exclusively with the 12u age group over the past dozen years, I estimate that a majority of kids swing a bat that is two inches longer that what would work best for them; some are swinging bats that are three inches too long.
*Sweet Spot
To help in further understanding point #2 above: ‘kids thinking they need a longer bat to cover the entire plate’. The thought process is more than likely, ‘Can the end of my bat reach the outside edge of the plate?’ We must understand that covering the plate with the end of the bat is not nearly enough. This is because the sweet spot of the bat is about 6” from the end of the bat.
This is a picture of Brandon Lowe making contact with a ball he hit for a Home Run in the 1st inning against the Dodgers in Game 2 of the 2020 World Series. He is contacting the ball about 6” from the end of the bat. A logical thought, based on this picture, is a bat needs to be long enough to reach 6” beyond the outer edge of the plate, but that is not the case.
A deeper discussion would address where the ball is contacted in relationship to a batter’s stance. This varies depending on location of a pitch; inner part of the plate, outer part, or middle, and how low or high in the strike zone. This is not a rabbit hole we want to go down in this article..
The important issue, the point of this article, is that a shorter bat is easier to handle, and especially for a youth baseball or softball player. Swinging a bat that is a bit shorter can significantly improve their ability to make better swings, improve their contact rate and the quality of their contact.
What Bat Length Is Best for Your Child?
Ignore those bat size charts you see in the sporting goods store. I would not be surprised if those were put together by a college summer intern who last played baseball when they were ten years old. Based on my observations of thousands of kids swinging the bat, this is a solid bat size chart:
Bat LengthAge
28”-29” 11-12^
27” 9-10
26” 8-9
24”-25” 5-7
^ a kid that is 5’10” or taller;maybea 30” bat
These numbers are a general guide. Of course, kids vary a great deal in size and strength at all ages.
Proper Use of the Legs Eliminates Bat Weight as a Factor
Regarding the issue of weight, most (if not all) bats on the market are too light. If a youth batter is using their legs properly, you will be hard pressed to find a new bat that is too heavy. Bats on the market today are produced to serve the lowest common denominator: kids who do not utilize the strength of their legs. Most kids are not aware that the legs play an important role in the batting swing. Not to fault bat manufacturers for producing such light bats. When competing for their share of sales, they need to supply a product that best serves the broadest aspect of the market.
Which Bat is Best?
The most important factor in determining which bat is best for your child is to find one the feels good to them. This means taking them to the store and having them hold and swing as many bats as possible until they find one that feels right. (A store reasonable manager should understand that a player needs to try out a few bats before making a purchase.)
The length of the barrel, width of the handle and distribution of weight along the length of a bat varies from model to model. Each bat model has unique feel. Most kids do not have the experience of a college star or a pro to fully understand the right feel, however they will get to the point of, “I like this one best”.
Where to Find a Heavier Bat
If finding a heavier bat is of interest, the place to shop is a second-hand store or a sporting goods store that specializes in used equipment. The benefit of those bats with a little extra heft, is the batter has a better ‘feel’ for the barrel/sweet spot of the bat.
The kid of a good friend, who I followed throughout his playing career, age 8-18, was about 5’ 6”, 110lbs, at age 12. He swung an old 28”, 22 oz bat that I bought for $5 from Goodwill and gave to him. My guess the thing was 20 years old. Had had a great year; most coaches credited him with having the best swing in the league …using a shorter, heavier bat.
I am not suggesting you head to Goodwill tomorrow looking for a bat. This is an illustration that a player doesn’t need a fancy bat to be successful. Using a bat that was a few ounces heavier gave him a better ‘feel’ for the barrel. Using a shorter bat increased his bat control. The combination of those two factors, I believe, contributed a great deal to his success.
Note: those old bats were manufactured long before the bat rating system was enacted. In many cases, especially at the 11-12 year old level and All-Stars play, they probably would not be allowed for use, though they more than likely provide lesser ‘performance’ than today’s bats.
Consider the Bat Length Used by the All-Time Greats
So here I am suggesting you ditch your kid’s bat and get them a shorter one. First, let’s consider that the most common bat length used in the Major Leagues in 34” (32oz). Most players swing a bat that is between 34” and 34 ½”.
Consider the size, weight and strength of these elite athletes who are grown men (the average size of a MLB player is bit over 6’1” and just over 200lbs). Consider the size of your child relative to these players, then the length of their bat relative to these players.
I have seen a lot of 30” and 31” bats in the hands of older youth players; 28” and 29” bats in the hands of a lot of 8 and 9-year-olds.
Let’s extend the conversation to a three of the most accomplished hitters in Major League History…
Tony Gwynn, one of the greatest batters in MLB history and a grown man who weighed well over 200lbs, used a 32 ½ inch bat the majority of his career. (“…first 12 years of his career, he used a 32½-inch bat…”)
Barry Bonds used a 34” bat most of his career. There are reports that early in his career, he used a 33 ½” bat. More significantly he always choked up an inch to an inch and a half, putting the length of his bat, based on his grip position, around 33”. See the video of him talking about choking up.
Babe Ruth Preferred a Shorter Bat “…I should have known all along, that I could do better with a shorter bat. ...going to the shorter bat was one of my best moves, and I have wondered many times since why any player would bother with swinging a stick an inch or two longer than was absolutely necessary ,,,If you can swing a bat weighing, say, 38 ounces as fast as one weighing 35 ounces, you're bound to get a longer hit.” (third, fourth,fifth paragraphs that are in bold, near the top of the article)
How Much to Spend on a Bat?
Unless you are sure you have a child that is going to be a core member of the 11 or 12-year-old All-Star team, I see no reason to spend more than $70 on a bat. There are many quality, name brand bats on the market for $50. There are plenty of bats available that are well into the three-digit range. While these may have the technology for better performance, a batter must square up the ball to take advantage of any high-tech attributes. Possibly a bat that is an inch or two shorter will improve the Return on Investment?
However, when you get right down to it, the player swinging the bat contributes the lion’s share to success in batting. Perhaps a shorter bat could help increase a batter’s chances of squaring up the ball more often?
COACHES and PARENTS, please comment sharing your perspective on the length of bats kids are using, and your thoughts regarding the length of the bat impacting the quality of a youth player’s swing.