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Reply to "Why use high drop bat when old enough to use BBCOR in school ball?"

real green posted:
safeathome posted:
roothog66 posted:

I find the idea that swinging -3 bat earlier than required by rule helps or that swinging a bigger drop bat right up until high school hurts to be over thought. I've always allowed then to swing whatever the rules allow and have never seen any problem adjusting immediately to -3 BBCOR.

As an example, our summer team/BR All-star team last year at 15u (mostly incoming sophomores and a couple of incoming juniors) played Babe Ruth under 13-15 rules which allowed any drop unless the bat was composite. Most swung -5 and a couple swung -8. Seven of the starting nine were starters on our successful high school varsity. Those guys adjusted right into BBCOR and even set the all time school season record for hits, triples and doubles. I don't think swinging -5's and -8's the summer before hurt them, nor do I think they would have done better swinging -3 BBCOR that summer.

Do you think, beyond the training and preparation aspect of it, that the kids they were playing against were not in greater danger defending against 14 year olds using a -8 bat?  Isn't that the premise behind the decision to switch to BBCOR.  Some of these kids maybe need that crutch because they weigh less than 100 lbs soaking wet, but others I just don't see the need for it.  The extra feet of carry these kids are enjoying also imparts a greatly reduced reaction time for the infielders.

There are middle school teams requiring 12 year olds to swing BBCOR, I just don't see how it hasn't trickled into all organizations by 13-14u. 

The OP question is why use a high drop bat when you are  old (strong) enough to use BBCOR is the question,  I believe it is only to win ballgames.

Of course it is to be as competitive as the rule set allows.  You are handicapping your kid and his team.  VERY few batters walk to the plate with BBCOR in nonrequired BBCOR games.  If your coach isn't requiring BBCOR and the rules dont require BBCOR than your decission to send your kid to the plate is selfish.  I have asked a handful of parents, "Why is Johny using his BBCOR bat?  Did you know this tournament allows SL bats."  It is always the same answer, "We want HIM to get used to his BBCOR."  I never once heard a parent state they were concerned their son could hurt someone using a different bat. 

Success is so hard to find in this game and a lot of it has to do with your performance compared to your peers.  Success breeds confidence.  Playing with confidence is fun.  It's a game that is played for FUN.  So if success leads to fun than why wouldn't you give your son the legal tools needed to succeed?   

Because although not nearly as big as some of the kids he plays against (~130 lbs), my son is strong enough like most 14u players to swing a BBCOR bat.  Why would I need to give him a crutch he doesn't need?  Why do >150 lb kids that have gone partially through puberty, strong, need a -5 or a -8?  Only because they don't make nonBBCOR -3 anymore, to win games.

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