Posted by: The Hitting Guru (hitman3527@aol.com) on Tue May 30 15:00:34 2006

> 7 year old son. 49" tall, weighs 65lbs. soaking wet. Swings a 29",-13.5oz at game time and a 30", -12oz in the cage. He handles the larger bat fine although he is a bit slower to the zone with it. Is the bigger bat in the cage a bad idea? We also have a 28", -10.5oz that he uses on occasion and it has great "pop". However he seems to have trouble covering the plate at times. Could this be because of the warm ups with the larger bat?
>
> I am also looking at big barrel bats for next season. The choices will be a 28" or 29", -9oz. Should I opt for the 29 and have him choke up a bit if needed, or get the smaller bat to begin with?
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> Any input would be appreciated.
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> Thanks,
>
> Tim

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For the youth player and according to what you mentioned, I would suggest having him choke up on the bat. Rod Carew used to state that choking up for some reason helps the hitter make better contact (not to mention Barry Bonds and Ted Williams choked up). As long as he is close enough to the plate and does not pull of the ball, he should be able to cover the plate. It is much better to have a kid use a bat that he can handle best. Pop is nice but contact is better (though perhaps whatever makes the kid happy is best). The little league experience should be a fun one. Good luck.