Bat length/weight recommendation

[clayadams]

Gents,
I'm looking for a length and weight recommendation for my kid. She's 4'8" and currently swings a 29/16 in LL Minors. However, in travel ball she swings a 29/19.5 big barrel and in the cage she swings the big barrel and a 29" wood bat (probably weighs around 22-23oz). In the cage she hits the ball a good bit harder with the heavier bats. She can swing them just fine so I'm ready to get her a new 2 1/4" bat for the fall season LL. (Can't use big barrel in LL.) I'm not into the fancy composite bats, it'll be whatever I find that fits the description for the best price on fleabay. Looking at Louisville Slugger's recommendations, she falls squarely into the 30" category though. I WAS looking at 29/19 bats, but now I'm thinking 30/19 or 30/20. I'm just wondering what everyone's general thoughts are on weight and length for her height. TIA!

[Baseball gLove]

If she can swing a 22 to 23 ounce big barrel get her the 30-20 or 31-21. The 2-1/4 barrel is more balanced than the big barrel and she should have better control of it. The slightly longer barrel will give her more leverage and she can choke up slightly if she needs to. The composite Omen is a great bat especIally used.

[pcarnette]

I like justbats.com Bat Coach, and I have found it to be a good indicator of the appropriate bat length based on a child's measureables. I believe at 4'8" it recommended a 29" bat for my 66 lbs son but offered the option of going 30", so you're right in between there I guess.

I just moved my son up to a Louisville Slugger Catalyst 29/18 from a 29/17. It didn't effect his bat speed at all, which I think is something you should consider when moving your daughter up in length and weight. I think I might even be able to get him swing a 29/19 if the bat is balanced. I find a balanced 2 5/8" bat is important for him. He doesn't seem to like or swing end-loaded bats well at this time even ones that are slightly end-loaded.

[tradosaurus]

Gents,
I'm looking for a length and weight recommendation for my kid. She's 4'8" and currently swings a 29/16 in LL Minors. However, in travel ball she swings a 29/19.5 big barrel and in the cage she swings the big barrel and a 29" wood bat (probably weighs around 22-23oz). In the cage she hits the ball a good bit harder with the heavier bats. She can swing them just fine so I'm ready to get her a new 2 1/4" bat for the fall season LL. (Can't use big barrel in LL.) I'm not into the fancy composite bats, it'll be whatever I find that fits the description for the best price on fleabay. Looking at Louisville Slugger's recommendations, she falls squarely into the 30" category though. I WAS looking at 29/19 bats, but now I'm thinking 30/19 or 30/20. I'm just wondering what everyone's general thoughts are on weight and length for her height. TIA!

You talking baseball or softball?

[HeinekenMan]

I would go with a 29/19 or a 30/20. For the record, I bought my son a 30/22 big barrel, and he doesn't swing it worth heck. He was better off with his 30/20 regular bat. I'm not a fan of big barrel bats.

[trademark]

When do they come out with new model bats? (2013 models)

[clayadams]

This is baseball. She hits hardest with her big barrel which is a Louisville Slugger H2 hybrid. At 43' pitching at 46mph I can barely get out of the way when she returns them straight at me. She's 82lbs and not in the least bit fat. She actually hits harder now with the wood bat than she does the 16oz bat so it's obvious, to me, that she's ready for a heavier bat. I'm not worried about new models. I just find whatever I can get the best deals on. I got that H2 hybrid for 50 bucks. I've got my eye on a few different 30/20 bats on ebay including some easton models, combat and demarini. This is for mainly for rec league but I'm fine with her using whatever, so if she likes it she can use it in travel. Coaches tend to want them using big barrels in travel to get whatever advantage they can, of course. I'm also eyeing a Rawlings Exogrid 5150 30/20 that's on sale right now for 50 bucks. I've read some good reviews on it so if anyone has experience with it let me know. Oh, I prefer hybrid or aluminum. She hits 100 to 150 balls every day so I don't want an all composite as they wear out too quickly.

[tradosaurus]

I don't know what age group you are referring to but basically when your daughter hits about 12 or 13 she will not be able to compete with boys becoming men.

[clayadams]

What an amazing surprise, Robert pops his head in a thread asking about a bat recommendation to tell me my daughter won't be able to hang with the boys in a few years. I didn't see that one coming. We should tell those girls out there playing on HS teams that they're not good enough and get back into the kitchen! Just for your personal edification, her goal is to make the Women's USA National team. She hasn't said a word about high school.

BTW, I don't remember asking anyone if she'd be able to hang with the boys in 5 years. At 8, she also practices with one of the best 10u softball teams in the state. The coach has a spot for her any time she wants to make the switch. She wants to play baseball though so I let her.

So Robert, why don't you go back to the kitchen with your daughters and practice your extreme Catholic dogma there and stay out of my threads... 'mmmkay?

[mr. potato head]

What an amazing surprise, Robert pops his head in a thread asking about a bat recommendation to tell me my daughter won't be able to hang with the boys in a few years. I didn't see that one coming. We should tell those girls out there playing on HS teams that they're not good enough and get back into the kitchen! Just for your personal edification, her goal is to make the Women's USA National team. She hasn't said a word about high school.

BTW, I don't remember asking anyone if she'd be able to hang with the boys in 5 years. At 8, she also practices with one of the best 10u softball teams in the state. The coach has a spot for her any time she wants to make the switch. She wants to play baseball though so I let her.

So Robert, why don't you go back to the kitchen with your daughters and practice your extreme Catholic dogma there and stay out of my threads... 'mmmkay?

I have a girl who I coach on our rec team that I would say is one of the top 5 players in the league and top 2 hitters on the team. Quiet girl who takes some jawing from time to time since she is the only girl in our league, but once they see her hit the mouths quiet down. I've coached her since she was 5 and she tells me she wants to play baseball as long as she can. No softball just yet. :crossfingers:

As for bats, sounds like your daughter is a solid young lady. Depending on which bat you are after, I would lean toward the 30/20 based on her size and your description of her hitting.

For LL, maybe a 30/20 Combat is the route I would go. Make sure you weigh the bats because sticker weights do not always tell the truth. 1-2oz differences are not unheard of.

Have fun!

[Baseball gLove]

I don't know what age group you are referring to but basically when your daughter hits about 12 or 13 she will not be able to compete with boys becoming men.

You don't know that. There have been girls that have played high school varsity baseball. There were 1,012 girls playing baseball on high school teams in the United States in 2008. Here is an article in which the starting pitchers were both girls, in So Cal no less.

http://sports.espn.go.com/los-angele...ory?id=6175092

It might be a little dirty pool...In one game my usually attentive son was playing 3rd base and he was watching the cute girl on 3rd instead of paying attention to the game.

[real green]

I guess I don't understand the why behind girls playing baseball.

I go back and fourth about it. I could understand if there wasn't softball but there is and it's very competitive.

How would you feel about males playing on the HS softball team?

[clayadams]

I guess I don't understand the why behind girls playing baseball.

I go back and fourth about it. I could understand if there wasn't softball but there is and it's very competitive.

How would you feel about males playing on the HS softball team?

How about this? People answer my questions and stay on topic. If you want to ask, "Why girls play baseball" then start your own topic. And here's your simple answer, because she wants to play baseball. There are no girl leagues. For almost all sports in whatever category there is a girl's league. There's not for baseball, so we're stuck playing with the boys. She doesn't want to play softball, simple enough for you and everyone else here?

[Baseball gLove]

I guess I don't understand the why behind girls playing baseball.

I go back and fourth about it. I could understand if there wasn't softball but there is and it's very competitive.

How would you feel about males playing on the HS softball team?

Because she wants boys to strike out against her.

[bryan2137]

I guess I don't understand the why behind girls playing baseball.

I go back and fourth about it. I could understand if there wasn't softball but there is and it's very competitive.

How would you feel about males playing on the HS softball team?

Well baseball is a pretty awesome sport