Big Barrel Bats for 9/10

[El Toro]

Our league is considering going to big barrel bats for 9/10 yo. What are you guys thoughts on the advantages/disadvantages. Does a big barrel bat really help hitting and does it have any impact on swing development for this age? We are currently small barrel for 9/10 and big barrel for 11+.

[jbolt_2000]

I think you can get into specifics about top heavy vs bottom heavy and how quick a 10y.o. can swing each of the same weight and length. You can get into how much a quarter of an inch increases the change of making sold contact on a pitch. You can make the argument that using a big barrel gives a false sense of talent for weaker hitters.

In my experience, I have seen LL kids use the standard barrel all through their younger years until Juniors (13-14y.o.) and I have seen Travel Ball kids use big barrel bats since they were 8u. Once they get to the 13-14 level I see no difference in talent or hitting ability. Some kids I coached are some of the better hitters on their high school team and they used standard barrel size. Others used big barrel and they are holding their own as well.

Teach 'em correct form and consistency and it all equals out in the end.

...IMHO

[bbrages]

IMO, larger barrels make for more hits but they don't make for better (or worse) hitters. Some swing-and-misses on the small barrel will turn into foul tips on the big barrel; weak off-center hits will be a bit stronger on the big barrel.

Why does hitting need to be "helped"? The games are already high-scoring at this age.

I am against rules allowing big barrels at the youth ages because -- IMO -- cheap big barrels tend to be heavy. I don't think you can make a -11 or -12 aluminum big barrel.

With small barrels, it's easier to find the high drops that (IMO) are more appropriate for kids at lower prices. Maybe it's just lower demand for the small barrels.

Just MHO...


...maybe I answered the wrong question. If your league allows big barrels, and if you can afford ones that your kids can swing comfortably, I believe you will win more games when your kids swing big barrels. But I don't think it's a dramatic difference.

I'd like to get my son a big-barrel bat for this year, but he really wants to stick with wood... so I hate to spend the money if he doesn't even want it.

[raptor]

In upper end travel ball circles certain small barrel bats have a cult following...the easton omen composites (the first model with the stamp) command huge prices on ebay. Biggest sweetspot out there and more pop than any big barrel.

[clayadams]

I've got both a big barrel and regular sized bat for my kid. In all honestly, my kid hits a good bit better with the Rawlings 5150 than then the expensive, composite big barrel! That lovely Easton doesn't even go in the bag anymore.

[themaker75]

My son will be 11U this year. He is a very good hitter and has shown no interest in big barrel bats. He hits for power just fine with a regular bat. Some of the big kids have the big barrels and he has swung them around in practice, but he's prouder when he hits a home run with his $100 Easton from Dicks while the kids with the $300 bats don't do anything terribly impressive.
It's a good life lesson for him also. Money can't buy you success. It's the hard work. No damn shortcuts.