Choosing a Baseball Bat

By Wayne | November 11, 2008

You’ve made the decision to buy a baseball bat…now what? Where do you start? These charts are a starting point based on your age, height and weight.

Determine Your Bat Length by Age

Age	Bat Length
5 – 7 years old	24” – 26”
8-9 years old	26” – 28”
10 years old	28” – 29”
11 – 12 years old	30” – 31”
13 – 14 years old	31” – 32”
15 – 16 years old	32” – 33”
17+ years old	34”

Determine Your Bat Length by Weight and Height

	Your Height (inches)
Your weight (pounds)	36-40	41-44	45-48	49-52	53-56	57-60	61-64	65-68	69-72	73+
	Bat Length
Less than 60	26”	27”	28”	29”
61-70	27”	27”	28”	29”	30”	30”
71-80		28”	28”	29”	30”	30”	31”
81-90		28”	29”	29”	30”	30”	31”	32”
91-100		28”	29”	30”	30”	31”	31”	32”
101-110		29”	29”	30”	30”	31”	31”	32”
111-120		29”	29”	30”	30”	31”	31”	32”
121-130		29”	29”	30”	30”	31”	32”	33”	33”
131-140		29”	30”	30”	31”	31”	32”	33”	33”
141-150			30”	30”	31”	31”	32”	33”	33”
151-160			30”	31”	31”	32”	32”	33”	33”	33”
161-170				31”	31”	32”	32”	33”	33”	34”
171-180						32”	33”	33”	34”	34”
180+							33”	33”	34”	34”

Take into consideration the muscle maturity of the hitter. Even though the height and weight may indicate a larger bat, we recommend that you go by the age of the player and start with the smaller bat.

Select a few bats that are the recommended size and allowed by your league. Not sure what’s allowed…then check with the association you play with to ensure that the bat you pick is legal for use.

The comfort of the baseball bat to the hitter is the most important factor in choosing a bat. It is much the same as with any piece of sports equipment, such as your baseball glove or cleats – the more comfortable you are the better.

Take the bats outside. Picture yourself stepping up to the plate and swing each bat as if you’re in the game. See which one you like the best.

If you are the hitter, as you swing the bat, consider these points:

Does it feel natural?
Do you feel like you have good control of the bat (a good grip)?

Be honest with yourself. If possible, have a friend watch you and give you feedback.

If you are a parent purchasing a bat for your child (the hitter), consider these points:

When the hitter is swinging the bat, watch to see that the barrel of the bat is coming through the strike zone quickly. Does the hitter swing the bat with natural bat speed or does it look as if the bat is being dragged?
Which bat does the hitter seem the most comfortable swinging?

If you’ve been using a balanced bat, we never recommend buying an end-loaded bat during the season. This is a bat that you should purchase during the off-season so you can get used to swinging it and the feel of it.

Bats are made from a variety of materials: wood, aluminum, and composite. Wood bats are heavier and have a smaller sweet spot. Wood bats show the true ability of a player. If the league you participate in does not require a wood bat, then we would recommend purchasing an aluminum or composite bat for the game and getting a wood bat for practice. Using a wood bat during practice gives more immediate and honest feedback about how a player is hitting the ball. This will help the hitter to increase accuracy by training to hit on the sweet spot.

Aluminum and composite bats are generally preferred to wooden bats due to their lightness and durability. Although you are spending more money up front, it’s a good investment because of the durability. The performance of the newer technology bats will cause the ball to travel farther, making the hitter appear to be better.