Hitting in baseball is one of the greatest challenges in sports and it takes a decent level of skill. However, there is nothing like connecting on a fastball and sending it to a gap or over the fence. A well struck ball is one of life’s greatest feelings.
There is something special about driving the ball deep or even hitting a line driver. All of this starts with the right size bat. If a player has too large or too small of a bat, there can be some difficulties in hitting the ball solid and at maximum speeds.
The ultimate goal is to have a high exit speed on any ball that you hit. This increases the chances of getting base hits and having some power in your game.
Baseball bats will vary in size depending on the size, strength and age of a hitter. Fortunately, there are many great options on the market and we provide recommendations towards the end of this post. The quality of baseball bats is very high and helps hitters reach their full potential.
How Long Is a Baseball Bat?
Baseball bats vary in size. The shortest bats used at the Tee Ball level can be as short as 21 inches. As youth players move up levels, they will typically use somewhere between 25-30 inch bats. Once a player reaches high school levels and beyond the average bat is going to be 32-34 inches long. Some major league players have been known to use bats up to 36 inches and MLB allows bats up to 42 inches.
One important part of the length of the baseball bat is matching it up with the right weight. Finding this perfect combination gives the hitter the best chance of hitting the ball solid with the maximum exit speed.
Below will help answer some of the questions related to bat length and bat weight. These include the following:
- How much does a baseball bat weigh?
- What is the right length and weight bat for me?
- What size barrel?
- What bats we would recommend for the different levels
- 3 Hitting Tips (Videos Included)
How much does a baseball bat weigh?
You will find bats that weigh as little as 13 ounces and will max out at around 35 ounces. Some of the old time players used bats that weighed over 40 ounces with a Babe Ruth once using a 50 ounce bat.
What is the Right Length and Weight for me?
Here is a chart for the average sized person at this age. If you are smaller than average you might look at the age below you or if you are the bigger size add a year or two to your age.
| Age | Length (inches) | Weight (ounces) |
| 6 | 26 | 14 |
| 7 | 27 | 15 |
| 8 | 28 | 18 |
| 9 | 28 | 18 |
| 10 | 29 | 19 |
| 11 | 30 | 20 |
| 12 | 31 | 22 |
| 13 | 32 | 29 |
| 14 | 32 | 29 |
| 15 | 32 | 29 |
| 16 | 33 | 30 |
| 17+ | 33 | 30 |
*Please note that when a player reaches around 13 years of age, they typically move to a BBCORE bat, which often requires that the bat length is not 3 greater than the bat weight. For example, if you are using a 32 inch bat it has to weigh at least 29 ounces.
Ultimately, a player often grows to truly love his bat and can adjust by choking up and down. Some players may decide to have two bats, which can be two different sizes to adjust to slower or faster pitchers.
What we did when we were playing is to keep the bat you used the previous year in the bat bag to have options against a faster pitcher or if the swing felt a bit slow that day. Typically, within a team, players end up with different size bats and hopefully teammates can work together to find something that works.
Remember, if you are in the bottom 25% size frame or in the top 25% you might need to subtract a year or add a year to the chart above.
One of the difficulties in some of the ages below 10 is that different size bats are allowed in different tournaments. Some will allow a 2 and ⅝ bats while others will requires the 2 ¼ barrel bats. Oftentimes players have to have two bats to carry and get used to hitting during this time.
What Size Barrel?
The maximum barrel size is 2 and ⅝. I would recommend if you are allowed to use the bigger barrel than sure you have one. There is not a good reason to stay with the smaller barrel in game situations. For some of the younger kids, it might be good to practice with the smaller barrels, which then makes just that much easier when you move up to the bigger barrel options.
What Bats Would We Recommend?
There are different levels that you must consider. We will provide recommendations for following age levels:
- 8U
- 10U
- 12U
- 14U
- High School
For the 8U level, some tournaments will allow big barrels and some will restrict it. Since the majority of the tournaments I coached in last year allowed the bigger barrels I would recommend buying a bigger barrel bat. The chart above would show a bat in the 28 range, but some might be better off with a 27 inch depending on size.
Here is a great bat at a great value for 8U. This could be used by a 9u or 10u player as well:
For the 10U level, a player is typically still allowed to have that 10 ounce or so gap and still use a bigger barrel. This can lead to some fun baseball and provides kids with any opportunity to make solid contact. The 10U level of baseball can be highly enjoyable and provides a great deal of solid hit balls, quality defense and base running opportunities.
12U is the last chance to still have the 10 to 11 ounce gap, take advantage of it. 12U is one of the best levels for youth baseball. The players have reached a certain size and are able to make certain plays that they couldn’t at the 10u level.
The ball can really start to pop off the bat off the bat and provides great fun. We would recommend the same bat as above, just in a bigger size. I would buy the next size up from the previous year and have two options in games and in batting practice.
At the 14U level, we now have the restrictions that the bats must be within 3 ounces of the length. For example if you have a 32 inch bat, the lowest the bat can weigh is 29 ounces. This is a big jump for some players, but they have now grown and should be able to handle it. This bat below is the real deal. The ball simply jumps off the barrel and you will not be disappointed.
At the highschool level, the same rules apply with the BBCOR -3 rule. As a kid gets older he might progres up to a 33 or 34 inch. Having a variety will help for the different styles of pitchers a hitter will face throughout the season.
Being prepared and doing different drills to help with slower pitcher with great off speed pitches and then the true flame thrower will help prepare you for those situation. I would recommend having a variety of bat options and adjusting to the pitcher. The little extra added confidence that you have the right equipment can go a long way in ensuring success.
3 Hitting Tips
Stay In the Middle:
We always taught our high school players to stay in the middle of the field. This helps with contact and being able to hit the offspeed pitch or the pitch on the outside of hte plate. It also keeps you from rolling over and hitting too many grounds balls on the left side of the field on the outside pitch. Even with my own kids, we practice hitting the ball where it is pitched.
Gain Speed:
So much of baseball is creating certain exit speeds. In order to swing fast, you must train fast. Find ways to get stronger. We love this the SuperSpeed Slugger system, which has been proven to increase bat speed. It also helps with biomechanics. It is worth checking out and buying for people of all ages.
Utilize Drills:
You must do more than just take batting practice. There are many great drills and options that should be used. Did you know that Major League players often do tee work to stay sharp and work on their swing mechanics. Below is an excellent video with some tee drills you can make part of your normal routine.
Take Action…
Are you ready to take your game to the next level. Make sure you have quality equipment that can help you take your game to the next level. The game is difficult enough, while play the game with equipment that isn’t the best? Find out what works for you and make sure you have the right size bat to be successful.
Also, make sure you check out some of the videos above and work to get better everyday. Half the battle in sports is the right mindset, stay positive and work hard. You can only control your attitude and your effort. What are you doing each day to get better?
Baseball can be a great game, one that is enjoyed for years to come. Find a way to embrace the mental and physical challenge and to get better every day. We would also highly recommend the swing training SuperSpeed Slugger system to help you improve your biomechanics while increasing bat speed. What a great combination!