Drop 10 Bat??

dawg, I don't really have an answer to your question, per se, but something struck me when I saw the -10 figure. I know these are very common in youth ball, so please don't take this as a slam in any way....just to open up some questions.

When we were little kids ('60s) we swung whatever was available. If a kid cracked wood in a high school game, the coach would toss the cracker to us little kids. We'd tape it or even pound a nail or two into it (as far as the nail would go, anyway), and then play with it forever. Those bats were 32's, 33's, and 34's, -3 at most. And here's the crazy thing - when we grew up, we could all rake. The four or five of us that played with these bats as little kids were always the best hitters in town when we grew up into high schoolers.

I bent a little bit (by necessity basically) when my kids were little. I think -5 is the most I bent for game bats. But otherwise, I used to buy packs of blem wood bats and have them shipped over, and I had them swing those in practices, year after year. Though both pitchers, both were the best hitters on their HS teams.

5' at age 9 is doing pretty good - sounds like you're going to have a big boy on your hands. Just wondering if he could handle a bat like a -5. I just feel it's more true to the game - especially the game he'll be heading into in a few years.

I'd be curious what other posters' experiences/opinions are with the various 'drops' available nowadays?

My experience would say that the weight of the bat is much more important than the brand, color, price, etc.

Normally, I would tell a younger player to get the lightest bat available. If he can handle the 21oz, then sure, go with the 31" bat.

Krak suggested a -5. There are also -8s or -9s that might give a strong young man a little more heft.

Krak-
Again, I'm know baseball guy and by no means did I take your post as a slam. The guy that's been working with him on hitting wants him to start swinging wood. Are you guys suggesting a -8, -5, or -3 would be better for him now. I understand it will help in the future but what about now? Also, if anyone has any input on the bats I mentioned or any other bat I would greatly appreciate it.

For entry into wood, for a young guy, I'd recommend the Louisville Slugger Pro-Lites.

http://www.amazon.com/Louisvil...LEMI/ref=pd_sbs_sg_5

It just seems to me, and it's been awhile since my guys were nine, but -10 for a guy his size may not be 'productive' from a standpoint of growing into the heavier bats that are coming. -8 or -5, imo, would be better. Can you take him to a store and let him get a feel for these other weight options? He may find he really likes the balance, etc, of a certain length/weight combo.

But yeah, for wood the pro-Lites would be a good first choice.

I'm not so sure on the youth model wood bats but I know the adult sizes usually run -3 or so.

I think it's a great idea to hit with wood in practice then take the giant sweet spot metal to the plate in games.

quote:

I think it's a great idea to hit with wood in practice then take the giant sweet spot metal to the plate in games.

cocdawg,
The Fall going into the 10's, my youngest was also right under 90 lbs at 5'0 tall. His bat of choice along with most of his travel teammates were 29-20's & 29-20.5's, ie, Dynasty's, Exo's, occasionally the old Response. Quite a few liked the feel of the new Exo's & stayed with their 29-20.5oz Exo's through their 11U season, then moved up to 30" Exo's at 12. The boys playing nearly every weekend, very very rarely did we run across any boys swinging -10 bats by this age.

While a few -5 bats showed up on the fields as the boys turned 13, nearly all of our young men made the jump from -8.5's (Exo's) & -7's (Demarini CF4's) to -3 bats right before school ball began (13's & 14's). Transitioning to heavier bats along with making the move from 50-70 to 54-80 to 60-90 ft fields, has honestly made it easy.

My son is the midst of 12U season. He just moved up to a 31 -10 this Fall. He’d been swinging a 30 -10 for the prior 18 months. I would agree with recommendation to let the player swing a bunch of bats and pick what they are comfortable with. But I also believe kids in this age group tend to overestimate their ability to swing a heavy bat.

It was also my experience that there was usually one team bat. Whether it was the brand, the color, the size or the legend of where it came from, on the 9U to 11U teams, all players used the same bat. Which meant, the Dad who spent the most money, got to see their son’s bat get the most use (Or the son got an early – and usually awkward - lesson in how set boundaries amongst peers) In fact, it wasn’t until this Fall, the beginning of 12U, that I saw players getting possessive of their equipment.

I don’t how universal these experiences are, but that’s what I’ve seen so far.

I coach your son's age exclusively in our organization and I have seen a wide variety of bats used. The key is comfort to the batter, which I believe will lead to confidence at the plate.

I can tell you the team I manage this year the boys all use wood for winter training (Mizuno youth maple) 90% of the time. When we do get the game bats out to take a round of BP most of the boys are swinging -8 bats. The CF4, Triton, EVO and Speed are the bats of choice of majority of the boys on my team.

I would say make sure your son is comfortable with the size of the bat, but if it were me I would push for a 29x21 or 30x22. Just my opinion though.

I love youth bat threads! So many opinions, so many factors to consider. FWIW, here's proviso: not all -10 bats weigh the same on the swing. Some are heavier further out toward to the barrel cap whereas others are more "balanced." The former will feel heavier on the swing and are better in the hands of bigger, stronger kids. There's a thread on the pre-teen forum that covers some of this stuff in detail.

If you have a bigger, stronger 10y/o, then Krakatoa's advise is pretty good (although if you're in little league you have to mind their somewhat restrictive rules on bat choice). My son found a bat choice at -10 that he's preferred for three bats now 28/18, 29/19, and 30/20.

Great for his age-level progression, but this year we realized he's going to be in HS the year after next, meaning he'll have to go from -10 to -3 in a two season period.

Now he might grow and get a bunch stronger in that period of time and it won't be a difficult transition. But if he had to swing a -3 now, he'd be low and behind on every swing. Fortunately, he likes using a -6 wood bat for his cage work which should help him anticipate the adjustment over time.

At that age; assuming that the cost is +/- $20, get the bat that makes your son feel good, helps with his confidence, makes him want to practice and gives him a sense of pride amoungst his peers.

In a few years; everything will cost a fortune and will wear out in no time at all. Enjoy the age!