Another bat weight question - can it be too light?

wheresmycar said:

Well if every heavy bat came with a dedicated batting coach, you may have a valid point... but, alas, the only thing I see come along with heavy bats are slower bat speeds, and dribblers back to the pitcher. If a lighter bat, produces a dribbler that gets past the pitcher for a base hit... the kid has more fun, learns to love the game, and possibly will play the game long enough to learn proper (and apparently physics defying ) swing mechanics you speak of.

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I guess it's OK to celebrate dribblers, but if you teach a kid good swing mechanics from Day 1, they can handle a heavier bat and hit the ball hard and far! That's REAL fun and the best way to keep them coming back for more!

wheresmycar said:

Well if every heavy bat came with a dedicated batting coach, you may have a valid point... but, alas, the only thing I see come along with heavy bats are slower bat speeds, and dribblers back to the pitcher. If a lighter bat, produces a dribbler that gets past the pitcher for a base hit... the kid has more fun, learns to love the game, and possibly will play the game long enough to learn proper (and apparently physics defying ) swing mechanics you speak of.

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In rec ball, there is definitely some validity to the kids just enjoying the game, and whatever helps make that happen - including a lightweight bat - is a legit argument. While coaching 8U and 10U rec ball, I certainly saw a lot of players with -12 and -13 bats. I also saw girls who moved up in bat size (small increases, not drastic changes), start to turn dribbler base hits into hard ground balls and line drives as their body adapted to the additional weight.

As JAD mentioned in an earlier comment, the goal should be for them to swing the heaviest bat they can swing without sacrificing swing speed .

Eric F said:

As JAD mentioned in an earlier comment, the goal should be for them to swing the heaviest bat they can swing without sacrificing swing speed .

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So with that in mind, is my best bet to get our hands on a heavier bat and have DD bring it to a hitting lesson to see how she does?

Lightning said:

So with that in mind, is my best bet to get our hands on a heavier bat and have DD bring it to a hitting lesson to see how she does?

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The real test is how she does against real pitching, but yes, it's worth a try. Using a heavier bat in lessons, and a lighter bat in games isn't necessarily a bad choice, either. My kid (12U TB) is transitioning to a 33/23, but will still use her 32/22 in games pretty often. It was the same way when she was transitioning from 31/21 to 32/22.

wheresmycar said:

Well if every heavy bat came with a dedicated batting coach, you may have a valid point... but, alas, the only thing I see come along with heavy bats are slower bat speeds, and dribblers back to the pitcher. If a lighter bat, produces a dribbler that gets past the pitcher for a base hit... the kid has more fun, learns to love the game, and possibly will play the game long enough to learn proper (and apparently physics defying ) swing mechanics you speak of.

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Not interested in defying physics. Sir Isaac Newton was spot on with F=MxA. As you improve your mechanics the 'A' will increase ... and hence the 'F' will improve in kind ... all compliments to basic physics.

Lightning said:

So with that in mind, is my best bet to get our hands on a heavier bat and have DD bring it to a hitting lesson to see how she does?

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Makes sense to me.

Lightning said:

So with that in mind, is my best bet to get our hands on a heavier bat and have DD bring it to a hitting lesson to see how she does?

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This seems like a good idea to me, and you should be able to see if there's a noticeable decrease in bat speed (or a breakdown in mechanics if she's trying to compensate for the heavier weight by doing weird/bad stuff).

I wouldn't make a huge jump in weight though. Why not go up an ounce at a time until you get to the "too heavy" point? If she's using a 19 oz now, try 20 and see what happens. Really, the worst thing is she's not ready for that weight and she has a bad hitting lesson or a bad game and you now know. I don't think trying a slightly heavier bat is going to ruin her hitting mechanics forever or anything.

One of my daughters mechanics would degrade when a bat got too light for her. Her swing would start looking hand and upper body dominant and she would not use her lower half as well. That's how I always knew it was time to start bat shopping.

Could that be what you are talking about?

I'd listen to the hitting coach not the rec coach btw.

A very good article on the subject.

Bat Weight, Swing Speed and Ball Velocity

Westwind said:

One of my daughters mechanics would degrade when a bat got too light for her. Her swing would start looking hand and upper body dominant and she would not use her lower half as well. That's how I always knew it was time to start bat shopping.

Could that be what you are talking about?

I'd listen to the hitting coach not the rec coach btw.

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That's exactly what I was wondering - if doing things the rec coach's way might actually harm DD's swing. (And her hitting coach has been saying she's dominating with her hands.)