Posted by: Stephen R (batspeed30613@rakonza.com) on Fri Jun 13 15:33:38 2003

I have two questions: My daughter (13yrs) has a .447 batting average (30 for 67) with 7 doubles, 0 triples and 1 home run. Her only HR came off her heavy bat (32in 24oz). Most of her atbats she uses her lighter bat (33in 21.5oz). I'm wondering how to determine which bat is best for her.

If you bring the bat weight down, you should be able to increase the batspeed - to a point. But assuming the same batspeed, physics would indicate that a heavier bat should drive the ball farther. How do I best identify the right size bat for her. Should I have her hit off a tee and measure the difference? Should I clock her bat speed with a radar gun?

Second question: One of the better batters on my daughter's team uses a baseball bat. It has a smaller hitting area. Why do softball bats have a bigger hitting area than a baseball bat?