Big Barrell Or Not?...composite Or Aluminum?

[saintjudah 0]

Hello guys ,

Need your opinions here...

If you had the option for an 8 yr. old in coach pitch...His League does allow bats up to 2 3/4 barrels....

Which bat would you choose if you had the option of ANY bat no size rules and lets say money is not an option....

Would you go Big barrell EXOgrid,catalyst. Comabt Da Bomb or something of the sort...

Or go Demarini F3 or Techzilla......My son has a very good swing not the best but getting better everday day......He makes solid contact every at bat and is selective on his pitches..He hits for medium to long power..Which bat would you choose and why...

he is currently using a -10 Catalyst but I have heard SO MANY good things about the techzilla that i bought him one 2 days ago and have yet to recieve it.....Did I make a bad move by going away from the 2 5/8 and 2 3/4 barrells or is barrel size overrated??

Any input appreciated.....

[Orange 26]

I did a lot of research when I went to buy my son's bat. He's 9, playing little league minor AA. I read something that made pretty good sense to me and it was related to the length to weight difference moreso than barrel size. In a nutshell, the more the difference between length to weight the better. It went on to say that bat speed is far more important than weight when hitting. Especially when you take into consideration that kids are still learning to swing and a heavier bat will cause them to pick up bad habits. They also said that the reason high school on up require a minimum length to weight difference is because with a super light bat you can really mash the ball. That was originally counterintuitive to me, I thought heavier bat would = harder hit. But they made a much stronger argument for bat speed. I ended up buying a bat with a 12.5 difference. It's 29 inches and 16.5oz.

Admittedly, I don't know as much about barrel width so I will defer any opinion for someone else.

[gameth 0]

This will be hard for some to swallow. My kids have used them all as far as top of the line metal bats. Both boys and a high percentage of other players at the 9-11 age level love the TPX Omaha once they use it. Scandium not Composite! Infact Justbats.com has a 2 for 1 going on the 07' models. I just bought two more with the use they get and the price they are going for. $129 for two was something I could not pass by. It's a -9.5 drop btw and just has a sweet swing weight feel.

[22Hicks 0]

At 8 a big barrel won't make too much of a difference. Take a look at www.baseballbatreviews.ruqqa.com for a lot of good information on baseball bats.

[22Hicks 0]

Either is fine for an 8 year old. Take a look at www.baseballbatreviews.ruqqa.com for a lot of good information on baseball bats.

[SportNut 0]

Actually, for young baseball players (less than 13 yrs of age), you want to stay with the 2 1/4" barrel for two reasons:

1. Most, if not all, leagues have rules regulating the barrel size. Up to 12 yrs, the barrel size is 2 1/4", no drop limitations. For 13 and 14yr olds, typically a Sr League or transition bat is used which is the big barrel (2 5/8") with a drop of 5 or 7. For high school players, the rules require a drop of 3 or less, big barrel bats are allowed. Please check your league rules, but I would expect for an 8 yr old the barrel is required to be 2 1/4".

Drop is the difference between bat length and bat weight. Say the bat is 30" and weighs 20oz, then the drop is 10

2. Probably more important than 1) is that a big barrel bat "end loads" the bat weight. This means that the distribution of weight of the bat is toward the hitting end of the bat (away from the handle). With more weight distributed at the hitting end, the bat requires more core strength to generate bat speed and stronger arm muscles to bring the hand directly to the ball. If the player doesn't have the proper strength, they will cast their hands that will lead to improper swinging mechanics. When a player casts, their hands make a big loop during the swing instead of going directly to the ball. If this isn't clear, please look at http://blog.youth-athlete.org/page/Hitting-Mechanics.aspx for a description of the proper hitting mechanics.

To determine the correct weight and length for your son, I would suggest going to a batting cage and have him try a few of the bats available. When he is in the cage, watch that his hands go directly to the ball (it doesn't matter if he hits the ball or not, that comes with practice). Try again with slightly heavier or longer bat. Keep doing this until he finds a length / weight combination he likes and he maintains the proper form.

Hope this helps

Brian

http://baseball.youth-athlete.org

[CoachJim 0]

My seven year old uses a 28" 16oz Half Composite half Alum bat from Easton. Cost about $150 on-line.

Today he hint one out of the park with it. 140 ft. shot to right field.

Great Bat for the money

[expertbbtips 0]

Please check out our article on big barrell bats. http://www.expert-baseball-tips.com/bigbar...seballbats.html

Mike