Youth Baseball Bats: How To Choose The Right One

Posted on: March 28, 2009 by admin No Comments

baseball
Allen Arnold asked:


So your child plays baseball and you want him or her to have the best baseball gear like youth baseball bats. Of course you need to make sure that he or she has the appropriate baseball equipment so they can play at their best. Since the primary equipment that your child should have is a baseball bat, it is important to choose the right one. When choosing youth baseball bats, it is essential to consider the length, weight, width and league requirements. These factors are the key to choosing the perfect baseball bat that will fit your child’s playing ability. Though there are a whole lot of choices in the market, today, finding the right one can be very beneficial.

It is recommended to choose baseball bats that are the lightest for their length but you also need to make sure that this is not an issue with the league your child is playing in. Some leagues require that this should not be more than minus 10. For example, if the bat is 29 inches in length it cannot weigh less than 19 ounces. Choosing the right weight to length will make sure that your child gets maximum swing speed. However, light youth baseball bats cost more than heavier baseball bats that are often made from thicker and cheaper-grade aluminum or wood. While wood baseball bats are available and are also inexpensive, aluminum or cutting-edge alloy youth baseball bats are a better choice because of their lighter weight and they are a lot less likely to crack.

Another factor that should be considered is the length. It is important to understand that the longer the bat, the more plate coverage your child will have. However, longer bats are usually heavier. It is important that when choosing the right length to make sure that your child can reach the outside of the plate. If they crowd the plate too much they have a higher chance of getting hit with the pitch. This can cause them to be scared of the ball and start backing out before the pitch reaches the plate. Aside from the length, another thing that needs to be considered is the youth baseball bats barrel size. Baseball is a game of inches. The bigger the barrel the better. Bigger barrels allow your child to get more bat on the ball. Note that most youth baseball leagues require that the bat should be no more than 2 and 5/8 inches in diameter.

Choosing youth baseball bats can be a hard job and if you don’t know what you are looking for, you might not choose the best youth baseball bat for your child. Shopping can be a real headache because you usually cannot try out the bat before you buy it. Most sporting goods stores will not have batting cages inside of them. It’s a good thing to have your child try another child’s bat out to find the right length to weight ratio before you buy if possible.

For you to have the right picture of what youth baseball bats are right for your child, you can look for professional help online by simply browsing the internet

for detailed information on the bat you are thinking about purchasing.



Tags: Baseball Bat, Crack, Whole Lot     Filed Under: Articles

Wood Baseball Bats Versus Aluminum Baseball Bats

Posted on: March 15, 2009 by admin No Comments

baseball
Michael Shapiro asked:


Whether you are part of the Little Leaguers, Senior Leaguers, college student’s league or professionals, when it comes to baseball, the big questions that pops up is what kind of baseball bat you will use. And, if you really are a baseball player, you definitely know that the discussion is between aluminum bats and wood baseball bats.

One important piece of information you should know is that, in softball, little and senior league and college baseball, most of the bats are made up of aluminum. And yet, when it comes to professional baseball, players say that wood baseball bats are a must. You are now probably wondering what you should choose between these two baseball bat types. And that is why we are here, to discuss the pros and the cons of each type.

Nowadays, baseball bats can be purchased for as low as $25, but you can also buy more expensive $500 bats. A professional player will not choose a bat according to its price, and it all boils down to how he “feels” it. In the professional league, only wood bats are used, and Major League Baseball does not even allow corked bats. Most of the bats are made of ash, but maple, bamboo and hickory are also choices for baseball bats. Lately, more and more players gave up to hickory bats, as they are much heavier than the rest of the woods. Many are now opting for maple bats. Maple baseball bats are increasingly more popular because of its hardness and durability.

Some players also say that they prefer wood baseball bats because of the traditional look and feel. The sound made when the bat hits the ball is vastly different. They say a “crack” sounds way better than the “ping” sound of an aluminum bats hitting the ball.

But aluminum baseball bats are very popular too. They are often seen in all the different baseball leagues, except the professional ones. Why is this? Well, simply because a ball hit with an aluminum bat gets more speed. But this is a positive thing you might say. In fact things are not exactly like that. Due to the fact that they are lighter, a greater distance of the ball can now be achieved with less batter strength. And due to that, several players were injured. Due to the fierceness of the rebound of the aluminum bat, the reaction time of the pitchers is smaller. To prove this, in 1970, when aluminum baseball bats were firstly introduced, the batting average rose 30 points, and home run hits doubled. The game is simply not the same with lighter bats made from aluminum or other materials.

Overall though, buying a baseball bat is a personal decision. You’ll definitely want to go with a baseball bat manufacturer that offers lots of customization so you can build the baseball bat most suitable to your size, weight, height and strength. Many also prefer to choose their colors and add a signature but few bat manufacturers allow such customization and personalization due to manufacturing cost factors. So if you are not a professional baseball player, you simply choose the baseball bat that suits you best.