Posted by: The Hitting Guru (hitman3527@aol.com) on Thu Mar 16 21:30:31 2006

> How much does a big barel bat slow the speed down. My boy is 12 and a very acurate hitter. Needs more power & bat speed. Should he switch to a small barrel?


Not necessarily. If your son is an accurate hitter, I assume he is making solid contact. If he is hitting the ball hard making solid contact then he is most likely getting on base and helping his team win games. It would be nice if he could mix in a few bombs, but some kids mature physically later and often do not have fullest command of their motor skills with regard to sports development. Practice will fine tune his swings and increase his batspeed. Pushups, situps, and or a weight program for kids will help increase his strength which will in turn help his bat speed. You might experiment with a lighter bat, but for the most part the barrel contributes to the feel. A kid should use a bat that feels good in his hands for the most part and that is most likely an individual preference as to which bat is more effective.