Choking Up on the Bat

[Hit by the Pitch]

11YO Player just started playing last fall and she was overpowered by some pitchers. Her dad has been working with her and she is choking up 2” or 3” and hitting it pretty good. Bat is a 29/19 and I think it is close to what she should be swinging.

I am not sure if I should recommend another bat or just leave it alone.

 

[Amy in AZ.]

Hmmm. I am usually leaning towards "If it ain't broke, don't fix it." But I don' teach choking up. I think that it is as worthless as moving back in the box.

The amount you are talking about is enough for her to substantially bruise that boney part of her wrist, with the knob of the bat. And that hurts for several days.

I am trying to imagine an 11 yo, that would use a 26 inch bat. (29 inches - a 3 inch choke.) Most of my 11 YO students are using a 30 - 31 inch bat, that are -10s.

 

[nanotech14]

I have to go with Amy on this. I cringe, every time I hear choke up on the bat.

 

[smddad]

With today's bats and all the different lengths and weights, there is no reason to choke up. Choking up comes from the days when everyone used the same size wood bat. The smallest bat I ever let an 11yr old use was a 28 -10. And that's a pretty small bat.

 

[JAD]

My DD has been using a Grip-N-Rip on her new bat and loves it. It essentially allows her to "choke up" 1-1.5" on the bat. I put it on her new bat when she went from a 32/22 to a 33/23. I was going to take it off after 3-4 months when she got used to the extra weight, but since she is hitting .375 with it, she wants to keep it!!!! LOL You can buy them for @ $10 a pair on Ebay, and they come in multiple colors.

 

[Hit by the Pitch]

Thanks

I will talk to the Dad and see if he can slowly ease off the choking up.

The way it is going now she is going to put the ball in play but it is never going to have a chance to get out of the infield.

 

[SBFAMILY]

Don't chock up get a new bat. There are some very good posts explaining why and how it effects the grip and release . Look at pitching charts and those that chock up can expect pitchers to take advantage of them. Plus normally you produce weak hits to the opposite side, because you change the very small sweet spot of the bat location when you hit a ball. Todays bats with small sweet spots are not meant to chock up unless you plan to bunt or slap. Anyone that has attended a Bustos / Carrier clinic/camp know what they think of the devices. Look up the rocket tech and why the knob is patented would explain what good hitters try to do. The comment was being over powered by some pitchers. Look up Attack Mode by Bouldersdad. That method is a better way to attack a strong pitcher or what we do in a two strike count. His dd is very good at it.

 

[chinamigarden]

Some batters are more comfortable choking up. 3 inches sounds a bit extreme. But if its working for her, why change. My dd has always been more comfortable choking up about 1". Placido Polanco who has made a career out of hitting, has always choked up a couple of inches. Why fix something that isn't broken?

 

[Cat5]

Maybe swapping to a slightly lighter 29-17 would allow her to feel more control of the bat and enable her to feel like she doesnt *need* to choke up on it.

Our daughter is the shortest 10 year old around and uses a 29-17 and we are just getting ready to break in a 30-18. Most of the 11 & 12 year olds she plays with all use 31-33" bats...I couldnt imagine using a shorter bat than 29"! The only time she chokes up is for LH running slap...her coach asks her if we paid for the whole 29 inches if he sees her doing it any other time! haha.